Sacred Texts Legends/Sagas Celtic Carmina Gadelica Index Previous Next
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Carmina Gadelica, Volume 2, by Alexander Carmicheal, [1900], at sacred-texts.com
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EOIR a chuir Moir Oighe, Chuir i eoir ri stile, |
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THE charm sent of Mary Virgin, She put spell to saliva, |
[The nun referred to is Brigit, of whom Broccan's Hymn says, 'She was not a milkmaid of a mountain-side; she wrought in the midst of a plain.' The second stanza is an echo of one of the miracles attributed to her in the same hymn; 'when the first dairying was sent with the first butter in a hamper, it kept not from bounty to her guests, their attachment was not diminished,' explained further as follows: 'Brigit serving a certain wizard was wont to give away much butter in charity. This displeased the wizard and his wife, who came on her without notice. Brigit had only a small churning ready and she repeated this stave--"My store-room, a store-room of fair God, a store-room which my King has blessed, a store-room with somewhat therein.
'"May Mary's Son, my friend, come to bless my store-room which my King has blessed, a store-room with somewhat therein.
'"May Mary's Son, my friend, come to bless my store-room. The Prince of the world to the border may there be plenty with Him.
'"O my Prince, who hast power over all these things! Bless, O God--a cry unforbidden--with thy right hand this store-room."
'She brought a half churning to the wizard's wife. "That is good to fill a big hamper!" said the wizard's wife. "Fill ye your hamper," said Brigit, "and God will put somewhat therein." She still kept going into her kitchen and bringing half a making thereout and singing a stave of these staves as she went back. If the hampers which the men of Munster possessed had been given to her she would have filled them all. The wizard and his wife marvelled at the miracle which they beheld. Then said the wizard to Brigit: "This butter and the kine which thou hast milked, I offer to thee; and thou shalt not be serving me but serve the Lord." Said Brigit: "Take thou the kine, but give me my mother's freedom. Said the wizard: "Behold thy mother and the kine; and whatsoever thou shalt say, that will I do." Then Brigit dealt out the kine to the poor and the needy; and the wizard was baptized and "he was full of faith.'"
See Broccan's Hymn, told at greater length in the note. Thesaurus Palæohibernicus, vol. ii., p. 331, etc. Also Lismore Lives, p. 186-7; compare also pp. 18-19, 34-35, 150-151, 158-159 of this volume with incidents in the Life of St Brigit as recorded in the above books.
