Celtic Goddesses: Brighid (part 1)

Brighid triad cosplay (My IG)

 To start with my goddesses section in this blog, I'd like to dedicate a series of posts to the Celtic goddess Brighid. To read about her festival, Imbolc, you can check these posts: 1 and 2

   Brighid is one of favourite goddesses in mythology. Smith, artisan, healer, musician, poet, bringer of life and light, warrior-protector...She's just so empowering and awesome, an awesome model of a woman complete within herself. Plus she's normally depicted with long red hair (sometimes golden, both refer to her being a solar goddess), so she has it all (as I love red hair)! :) 

    I'd like to focus on a shameless picture overload of my favourite artworks about Brighid (I tend to show a lot of artwork in my posts, I really like the visual component), plus write a bit about her, plus some quotes and links to a couple of poems and Neopagan songs. Saint Brighid, the counterpart of the goddess in the Christian world, will probably feature a bit too, because she's rather remarkable, being an abbess and all.

 It's going to be quite long, but if you're interested, read (and watch) on!

   -Part 1 (this post): The Goddess Brighid: Triple goddess. Some mythology. Symbols and characteristics. 

   -Part 2: Brighid's four main aspects (mainly pic overload).

   -Part 3: Poems and songs and more artwork. 

   -Part 4 (and final): Brigid and Saint Brigid of Kildare. Parallels in other mythologies and religions: Solar-protective goddesses. Focusing on Minerva/Atenea. Isis. Varda/Elbereth and Arien.

  

DISCLAIMER: All the quotes and artwork are duly credited. In some cases I don't know who the author or artist is, so if you know, please let me know, and I'll credit them! Fellow Deviants, let me know if you do not wish me to show your (credited) artwork here.

The Goddess Brighid:
"I am Bríd, beloved of Erin, spirit of fire, healer of ills, warrioress of old, protector of life, woman of power, sovereign Mother of all creation. I create, I inspire, I make magick. I am old, I am young, I am eternal. I am the All-Power personified. I am me…Bríd.”  -  (Celtic Myth and Magic – Harnessing the Power of the Gods and Goddesses by Edain Mc Coy, 65.)

Brighid as a Triple Goddess (Miranda Grey). My favourite depiction of Brighid.

Brighid was a very important goddess among the Celtic peoples. She is considered a triple aspect deity, with three main aspects: One of life, fertility and healing; one of poetry and inspiration; and one of crafts and smith-work.  She has also a warrior-protector aspect as Brigantia. 

   Thus, Brigid is primarily the patroness of poets, smiths and healers. She is also the patroness of the Druids, "in her aspects of poetry (Bards), healing and prophecy (Ovates) and blacksmithing (Druids)" [S.Morgan Black]. As a goddess of fertility, Brighid is also the protector of children and farm animals (particularly cows). Apart from smithwork, her crafting sphere includes weaving, brewing and dyeing. 

   Brighid rules the elements of fire and water. Water is associated mainly with her healing aspect and her being a triple goddess related to the the changing Moon. She is also considered a 'Solar goddess' (there are many of these in Celtic religion, like Lugh and Belisama) and as such, she is heavily linked with light, fire, fertility, creativity, inspiration, wisdom, healing and protective warrior skills. 

  "As a Sun Goddess, born at the exact moment of dawn, she bears the gifts of knowledge, inspiration, and the life and healing energy of the sun. She is complete within herpland areself." (Source)

   "She is the goddess of all things perceived to be of relatively high dimensions such as high-rising flames, highlands, hill-forts and upland areas; and of activities and states conceived as psychologically lofty and elevated, such as wisdom, excellence, perfection, high intelligence, poetic eloquence, craftsmanship (especially blacksmithing), healing ability, druidic knowledge and skill in warfare." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid)

Fire is probably the most powerful symbol of Brighid. It is linked with her three main aspects:

 "1.   Fires of Inspiration – poetry, learning, divination, witchcraft, occult knowledge and prophecy.  In this aspect She appears as a poetess and a muse.
2.   Fires of the Forge – smithcrafts, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, housecrafts. In this aspect she is seen carrying her famous cauldron used for melting metals.  She may even date back to the beginnings of pottery and its firing. Through this forge aspect She is also associated with the martial arts, as a warrior goddess, who forges spears and arrows.  A smith creates anew and fixes broken things.
3.  Fires of the Hearth – medicine, spiritual healing and fertility, midwifery, inner healing and vital energy. In this aspect She is known as the Goddess of Healing." (Source)

 As well as honouring sacred wells, sacred fires were lit in worship of this goddess. In Kildare there were nine priestesses who tended to a sacred fire. This tradition continued in the Christian era, in the form of nine nuns tending to Saint Brigid's fire.

 The name 'Brighid' has various possible meanings: "The Bright One", "The High One"/"The Exalted One", "The Powerful One", and, especially, "A Flaming Arrow". This last name refers to the solar aspect of the goddess, linked with fire and light, symbols of life and poetic inspiration.

 "and Brigit, that was a woman of poetry, and poets worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the night.(...) And the meaning of her name was Breo-saighit, a fiery arrow."
(Lady Gregory, Gods and Fighting Men)

My reenactment of Brighid (IG)

  In Irish mythology, Brigid is the daughter of the Dagda (the 'All-father' and protector of the tribe), and her mother is either the war-goddess Mórrígán, or Boann the cow-goddess. She is considered by many a pan-Celtic goddess, a Mother Goddess figure worshipped by many different Celtic tribes. The root of her name can be certainly found in many place names and river names across the continent (like 'Britain', for example, coming from the Brigantes tribe, who worshipped Brigid as Brigantia). It is also found in inscriptions and in myth, folktales and hagiography.

 "She has been worshipped by the Celtic people as a Saint for over fifteen hundred years, and as a Goddess long before the Roman invasion of Britain and the birth of Christ. Her cult was so powerful that the Celtic peoples had to adopt her as a Saint. (...) Brigit is a "pan Celtic" goddess, who was worshipped by both the Giodelic and the Brythonic Celts in the British Isles and beyond.(...) "
(Susan Morgan Black, essay on Brigit) 

  However, there are others who think that this is not all that clear, and that rather than being a pan-Celtic goddess, there might have been different deities with the bríg root (which means 'high' or 'exalted') in their name, given to them as a title. An interesting discussion of this can be found here: http://celticmythpodshow.com/blog/brighid-what-do-we-really-know-by-francine-nicholson/.

Symbols:
-Water. Sacred wells. The changing Moon.
-Fire, candles. The Sun.
-A white snake (healing and fertility)
-Cattle and domestic animals, especially sheep and a white red-eared cow (fertility). Also the ox, boar and ram. Lebor Gabála Érenn says Brigid has two oxen, Fe and Men, that graze on a plain called Femen. She also possessed the 'king of boars' Torc Triath, and the 'king of sheep' Cirb.
-The swan (art and poetic inspiration).
-The hammer and anvil.
-The harp.
-The colours white (healing, life), red (fire) and green (healing, fertility).
-A white wand, sacred woods.
-Wheat and flowers. Bees (fertility, creativity).
-Weapons and an orb of victory (as Brigantia)

Oppressed Majority: Tackling sexism in a really powerful way

I discovered this incredibly powerful 11-minute short film yesterday. It's directed by Éléonore Pourriat and it "shows men how it feels to be subjected to sexism and sexual violence". You can watch it here:

I think this is a remarkable video that tackles sexism in an intense and effective way. It describes an alternative society where it is the women who enjoy all the privileges and the men who are oppressed, discriminated and harassed - a 'matriarchy' instead of the 'patriarchy' we are more familiar with in most societies. In this matriarchal society, the women hold the positions of power and lead professional lives while the men are seen taking care of the children and working as assistants. While women are seen freely jogging and walking in the streets bare-chested, male harassment and abuse is all too frequent. In addition to that, the law and religion states that men should wear a balaclava/head-covering to stay modestly dressed and submitted to their wives. A man wearing bermudas and a short-sleeved shirt is deemed provocative and prone to be assaulted.

-IMPORTANT: The English subtitles mistranslate the original when saying "I can't take this fucking feminist society anymore!" "Feminist" is not the same as "matriarchal", which is how the line should have been translated. Feminism fights for women's rights in a patriarchal society and, by extent, it fights for equality for both women and men (in the film, the word "masculinist" is used as the equivalent of "feminist" in a matriarchal society). Feminism, real feminism (unlike what so many people, brainwashed, confused and prejudiced by patriarchal influences, think), doesn't want women's superiority or the creation of a matriarchal society where women would rule, hold all privileges and, by extent, oppress the "opposite sex", in this case the men. A matriarchal society is inherently anti-feminist. ie. anti equality, same as a patriarchal society. The (very low amount, MRAs) of women who want to have dominion over men and oppress them, and call themselves 'feminists', are using the wrong term (there are extremists and fanatics in practically every group, but still, wrong usage, they're "pro-matriarchy", not "feminists").

  As a feminist, I am always at the side of the oppressed in a group. In a patriarchal-based society, as is this one, I side with the women and fight for women's rights, not only because I myself can be oppressed, but because I'm also an INFJ and an activist at heart, and I don't like that other women be oppressed as well (and I do not try to oppress men or take rights from them, nor do I hate the men who mean well). But in a hypothetical matriarchy as this one, I would totally side with the men - because this time they're the ones who are being oppressed and treated in an unfair way. I completely empathise with the male character, a man who's being oppressed in a female-dominated society and who tries to be himself and fight for his rights. How is that "pro-women's superiority" and "man-hating"? I'm just pro-equality.

 So, no matter what the mistranslated subtitle may suggest, this video is nothing but incredibly feminist because it helps address sexism and oppression. By no means does it exalt a society where women oppress men. The gender-reversed alternative society serves as a powerful way to show men (and the women who have bought into the patriarchy's lies) how it feels to be oppressed by the opposite sex and how it is to suffer intense sexism and harassment virtually on a daily basis. Hopefully by seeing it with themselves as the oppressed, they'll be able to begin to realize just how wrong and unfair it is to oppress and harass anyone. 

 This is by no means unimportant. I'm not saying that every man harasses and/or oppresses women, but it's frightening how so many people seem to take for granted so many mysoginistic aspects of our patriarcal-based modern societies. Practically everything - harassment, sexual assault, obligatory body coverings, and so many other things -are not taken seriously or given some sort of excuse or explanation. "Boys will be boys/men can't control themselves". "Look what she was wearing, she was asking for it!". "You can't take compliments!". "You don't have any sense of humour". "But it's religious freedom, she's covering herself because she chooses to!". "They have to cover themselves so that men aren't tempted, it's for their protection, that way they won't get assaulted".  So many excuses. Too many. 

I wonder if people, watching this video, would have thought that the main character was "asking for it" when he was being harassed repeatedly and assaulted. For having the nerve to go out in a pair of bermudas and short-sleeved shirt! I wonder if they would have thought that it wasn't weird or shocking to see the women to be running bare-chested without opposition (because in a patriarchy we're certainly not accustomed to that). I wonder if they would have thought that the men covering themselves because the law and religion and their wives ordered them to were choosing freely, that this had any logical basis, that this wasn't oppressive. Somehow, I highly doubt it. Then, why so many people think otherwise when it is the women being forced to cover themselves up, or being assaulted when happening to wear a short skirt and tank top? When men run or bathe bare-chested, do we see this as weird, as a provocation and an excuse to assault them? I don't think so.

Oppression is wrong in these two paralell societies, in exactly the same way. And by seeing this paralell comparisons, hopefully this film will help more people realize just how unfair, illogical and wrong our patriarchal mysoginistic problems are. 

 -About the "controversial" issue of head and body coverings: I wouldn't have a say about someone covering themselves up if they really did it because they wanted to, as a pure fashion statement, or because of the weather, or what have you. Same as I wear scarves in Winter and only wear my arms and legs bare when it's reasonably hot. And same as I don't always choose to wear deep necklines. Same as someone might choose to wear a turban one day and their hair loose the next day. Even if they wanted to wear a turban/covering every day, but for reasons that weren't gendered or compulsory. Because people seem to forget that, in this case, there is the belief that women's bodies are inherently shameful and have to be modestly covered, and that they are the property of men and have to be kept as "wrapped candy", only to be unwrapped by their 'rightful owner'. Ew.
 I generally defend everyone's right to wear what they like, but these reasons and beliefs, these are so inherently mysoginistic and oppressive, I am very openly against gendered and enforced body coverings. Sue me. I do not see it as a 'freedom of choice'. I do not see it as 'religious freedom'. I only see oppression and misogyny.

The Wheel of the Year: More about Imbolc

I felt like posting something more about Imbolc, so here goes. I think that one of the best essays I've read about this festival -about its religious and mythological background and about its traditions- comes from Ellen Evert Hopman's A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine. It's a neodruidic book that's basically about the Ogham tree alphabet, but part two also focuses on more general aspects of modern druidism, and in one section she talks about the Celtic fire festivals.

DISCLAIMER: The following are excerpts from said book. No copyright infringement intended, entertainment and culture diffusion purposes only.
 Images are credited duly, unless the artist is unknown (by me) - in which case, if you know the name of the unknown artists, please let me known and I'll gladly credit them.

  ELLEN EVERT HOPMAN - A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine. Part 2 - Celebrate the Celtic Fire Festivals - Imbolc (bold is mine):

 "The festival of Imbolc (in the bag, in the belly), or Oimelc (ewe milk) in Scotland, is celebrated on February 1 and 2, or when the ewes begin to lactate. It is also called Lá Fhéile Bríde in Ireland, because it is also the festival of the goddess Brigid or Bríde, patroness of the flocks, herds, and motherhood. The observance is called Gwyl Mair Dechraur Gwanwyn in Wales, Laa'l Breeshey in the Isle of Man, and Goel Kantolyon in Brittany. The English name for the festival was once Candlemas, which eventually revolved into Groundhog Day festival of modern times.

The Feast Day of Brighid

Depiction of Saint Brigid, with many of the attributes of the former goddess Brigid: The wheat as a symbol of life and fertility,  the candles as a Solar symbol, the harp representing her musical and poetic inspiration aspect, and the sword representing her protective warrior aspect. Artist unknown by me.

Saint Brigid is one of the best known and most venerated of Celtic saints (...) Saint Brigid was said to have been reared on the milk of a white cow with red ears, the typical coloration of a Celtic Otherworld beast. She was said to possess a girdle that could heal all disease.

But long before Brigid the saint there was another Brigid, one whose identity and feast were gradually subsumed by the later historical figure, a goddess who was known as Brigid in Ireland, Bríde in Scotland, and Brigantia in Britain, Daughter of the Daghda, she was a triple goddess, said to always appear as three sisters, each named Brigid. Her spheres of influence were poetry, smithcraft, and healing. She was the patroness of the Druids and Bards. The Brigantes, a British Celtic tribe, honoured Brigantia as the High One and Mother of the Gods. She was the most prominent pan-Celtic female deity. (...) Her mother was Boann, Cow Goddess of the White Moon (...), making cows her sacred animals. She was also associated with the white mare, the serpent, and the red-eared, white-bodied hounds who guide travelers to the Otherworld.

Brighid was especially associated with healing wells and springs, and with sacred fire. As Brigantia she was especially concerned with the flocks and herds and with the produce of the earth.  These spheres were later taken up by Saint Brigid of Kildare, patroness of numerous holy wells, whose fire temple was tended by nine maidens until the Pope declared it heretical and shut it down. (The perpetual fire of Brighid has recently been relit by nuns in Ireland, and Pagans and Christians across the globe are once again tending fires in her name).
(...)

Found on Pinterest

Imbolc marks the midpoint of the dark half of the year. It also marks the beginning of the lactation of the ewes, an all-important milk festival of the ancients. (...) Along with the streams of new milk, Imbolc marks the time when other streams of life are reinvigorated in the land - forest animals begin their mating rituals and serpents begin to stir in their lairs. Farmers test the soil to see if it is thawed enough for the first plowings, and snowdrops spring up in the spots where Brigid's feet have trod.

At this time the Hag of Winter, the Cailleach, who has ruled since Samhain (...) drinks from the Well of Youth and her face is transformed from haggard old age to the serene and youthful face of Brigid. For this reason, Brigid is sometimes called The Maiden of the Rising Sun.

Brigid and her Druid rod. Artist unknown by me.

The Cailleach carries a Druid wand of great power, a white rod (...). With its magic powers she controlls the elements and the weather. Brigid carries a white rod too; but, whereas the Cailleach's rod brings storms and harsh weather, Brigid's brings warmth and new life.

It was said that where Brigid walked over the waters or touched them with her finger the ice melted, and that the land turned green where she spread her mantle upon it or when she breathed upon the hills. Families would leave a cloth outdoors on the eve of the festival to be blessed by the Sun and by Brigid on Imbolc morn. (...) the cloth would be cut into strips to be tied onto a sick person or animal throughout the remaining year.

The Wheel of the Year: Imbolc

  

My reenactment of the Goddess Brighid (IG)

 First of all, belated happy Imbolc to all those who celebrate this neopagan/neodruidic feast, or to those who simply feel interested about the Celtic calendar and the goddess Brighid! And for those in the Southern hemisphere, a happy (belated) Lughnasadh as well!

Imbolc blessing. Found on Pinterest.

  As a pure agnostic-atheist neodruidess, I celebrate this feast from a purely seasonal, spiritual (rather than religious) and culturally interested point of view, more than from a neopagan one - although I do like to delve into Neopaganism, as well as Celtic culture and general mythology, and Brighid is one of my favourite goddesses. What I sometimes do on these couple of days (1st-2nd February) is walk in the garden to welcome the first signs of Spring and tie a ribbon in one of the trees on the 31st January (or 1st February sometimes, it depends), following the Imbolc tradition of hanging a strip of cloth or ribbon in a tree to seek blessings and protection from the Goddess. I'm not much into rituals myself, but I quite like this particular tradition and have sometimes done it, it seems like a very druidic and drawn-to-nature thing to do, same as having a small altar of seasonal plants or decorating a Yule tree.

My 2014 Imbolc ribbon.

  So to celebrate one of my favourite festivals in the Wheel of the Year, I've thought about a couple of posts to talk about Imbolc and the goddess Brighid.

  A couple of years ago, on my final year of Irish in the Official Language School (EOI) in Madrid, we organized a couple of shows, and one of them was about the druids and the Celtic calendar This is what my teacher Emily Allen and I wrote about Imbolc (in Irish, English and Spanish), and the Power Point slides I created:

   -Sources include Wikipedia and some books. Irish translation is original. 

My slide. Images from Google.

Tosaíonn Imbolc ar an gcéad lá de mhí Feabhra agus baineann sé le teacht an t-Earraigh, go mbíonn na laethanta níos faide, níl sé chomh fuar, agus feictear na chéad bláthanna ag teacht anuas. Tagann an focal ‘Imbolc’ ón t-Sean-Ghaeilge, “i mbolg”, agus tagraíonn sé do na caoraigh a bheith ag iompar.

Imbolc begins on the 1st of February, and it's related to the coming of Spring, now that the days are becoming longer, it's not so cold and the first flowers begin to sprout forth. The word 'Imbolc' comes from the ancient Gaelic "i mbolg", and it refers to the pregnancy of ewes.

Imbolc comienza el día 1 de Febrero y está relacionado con la llegada de la primavera. Los días comienzan a ser más largos, no hace tanto frío y empiezan a aparecer las primeras flores. La palabra 'Imbolc' viene del Gaélico antiguo, “i mbolg”, y se refiere a la gestación de las ovejas.

The Wheel of the Year: Winter Solstice and Yule

'Solstice gathering', by Anne Stokes (Ironshod on DeviantArt)

• Neodruidism mindset:

"Alban Arthan (light of Arthur), the winter solstice, around December 21

Physically: Taking stock before the "hungry months"; using up any excess that will spoil

Magically: Witnessing the darkness in the longest night; celebrating the rebirth of the sun; taking stock at the darkest time; seeing what you are incubating.

Activity: Relighting a candle for the returning sun.

Deity form: The magical child. "

The Path of Druidry. Walking the Ancient Green Way (Penny Billington)- chapter 4 

 

                                       

Yesterday's Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the day that marks the beginning of Yule, caught me out of home for nearly whole day, so here comes a belated Yule post to celebrate the Solstice and the season! 

Given that yesterday I was too busy eating chocolate cake and fangirling about Benedict Cumberbatch's awesome acting in The Imitation Game along with my mum - a very good way to spend the Winter Solstice, nonetheless! - it was today that we put up and decorated the Yule tree (which we don't do every year, I hate being pressured and forced to do something, so I don't see festivities as activities and rituals I'm forced to fulfill). I also made my little ritual of cutting some small branches of plants of the season in our garden and decorating my 'altar space' with them. That's basically what I do in Yule (And my agnostic druidry resolutions about new goals, new inspiration and sloughing off the old). I usually choose these Wheel of the Year festivities in order to convince my procrastinating mind to bake a cake from time to time, as well xD. 

Regarding the gift-giving part of the festivity, both Christmas and Neopagan, I have to say that I strongly dislike all the Christmas consumerism vibes and general pressure to buy, buy, buy, and to reunite with the family in compulsory dinner events whether you like it or not, so I generally just ignore all those parts. Depending on the year, I may choose to gift something to my inner circle, but only because we all want to, as the fancy strikes us, and never as an obligation (I love giving gifts, but preferably when I want to, not when capitalism and social conventions tells me I have to xD). We humans have enough on our plate to add ridiculous guilt-processes such as society telling us we don't love people unless we spend lots of money on certain events (Christmas, Valentine's day, Mother/Father's day, you name it) :/. That's so ridiculous.

 Apart from the fact that I deeply dislike all the consumerism and mindset values forced on us at this time of the year (even though many people celebrate Christmas in a secular way, I also believe religious stuff should not be forced upon us, that is personal, let people do what they wish in their homes but don't bombard me in public spaces with carols and religious motives, jeesh), one thing I like about Yule is that it means that the light will begin to grow from now on. Not only do I like all the Sun symbolisms in Neodruidism and Neopaganism, but I also consider it  a hopeful time because I favour light and get pretty depressed in the darks days of Autumn and Winter. Knowing that the days will begin to be longer from now on makes me happier :).

"The apples represent the sun, the source of all life. The evergreens are symbols of immortality. The stalks of wheat represent the harvest - the triumph of the forces of light and life."

A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, chapter 4 (Ellen Evert Hopman)

 My Yule tree, representing an evergreen pine tree, with apples, wheat adornments and yellow to represent the Sun :) Plus the violins (which remind me nicely of Sherlock BBC, although I've been using them for years), and the pagan-ish gnomes:

"Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and other greens decorate the house. A house so recorated is prepared to welcome the nature spirits who may be seeking safe shelter from the cold and dark outside. A sprig of holly is retained all year for good luck."

A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, chapter 4 (Ellen Evert Hopman)

 

2020 update: Since 2019 I've been a big fan of Good Omens, so my apple decorations now come in handy to to match my Crowley obsession lol xD Stanning apples in trees since 4004 BC with the Tree of Knowledge xDD

 

Back in 2013-14, I sometimes also went for a 'season altar/adornment' for Yule: With evergreens (pine, holly/holm oak (we have both) and ivy) and fir cones. And the oak leaves from Mabon as an offering of thanks to the pine who gave me the couple of branches for the adornment. I like to dispose of the last season's leaves and branches in this way:

•  About Yule: Origin and traditions: 

 Sources (from my druidry books, Pinterest and other sites) are duly credited.

I only own the pictures of my 'altar' and my Yule tree. The rest I found in Google, DeviantArt and/or Pinterest, and are duly credited whenever I can! Some of the info pins' authors remain unknown to me. If you know the authorship of some of these pics, or if you are the author, please let me know, and I will credit them gladly!

   -Origins: Midwinter/the Winter solstice (the Summer solstice in the Southern hemisphere), the day with the shortest amount of sunlight and the longest night, is the most universally celebrated of the seasonal festivals - in order to help people get through the cold and bleak Winter months, and to welcome back the steadily lengthening days. Many civilizations welcomed their solar deities at the times of greatest darkness. There are many ancient structures around the world, dating from the late Stone Age, designed to mark the Sun's placement on this day. The famous megalithic sites of Stonehenge and Newgrange, for example, are aligned with the solstice sunrises and sunsets.

                                      

   The Scandinavian and Germanic peoples called this festival Yule, and this is the celebration upon which current Neopagan Yule is most based. The origin of the word has several suggested origins: The Old Norse word jöl and the Old English words gēola and iul ("wheel"). It marked the last month of the old year and the new month of the new year and was followed by eleven days of extended celebration (feasting and gift-giving were common elements).  To celebrate the return of light, folk would bring out their stored food and enjoy cheerful festivities. Dances, songs and the decorating of houses and trees would take place until what is today known as 'Twelfth Night', and the Yuletide festivities were brought to an end with a final day of merriment and activities.

   The Celts did not seem to celebrate the Solstice as the Germanic peoples did (some sources say that the druids decorated their 'temples' with evergreens as a symbol of everlasting life at this time, though). But in modern Celtic paganism and Neodruidism, Yule, alongside the rest of the solstices and equinoxes, is celebrated alongside the four ancient Celtic feasts (Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasadh). In  addition to Yule, the Solstice is also called Alban Arthan ("the Light of Arthur"). One possible meaning of the name refers to the Ursa Major or Great Bear constellation (Art being Brythonic Celtic for 'bear'). This constellation shines out in the sky and can symbolise the rebirth of the Sun. In modern druidism, Winter Soltice is also referred to with its Irish wording: Meán Gheimhridh.

'(Solstice) First Light', by  Spiralpathdesigns on DeviantArt

 

  

 For their part, the early Romans celebrated the Saturnalia, a festival of light in honour of the god Saturn leading to the Winter Solstice (the end of the year). The festival consisted in days of feasting and gift-giving. The renewal of light and the coming of the new year was celebrated in the later Roman Empire at the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, the "Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun" in honour of the Roman solar god Sol Invictus, on December 25th (In the Julian calendar, December 25th marked the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year).  

As the Roman Empire came under Christian rule, the celebration of the Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti was still too popular with the Roman pagans for the Christian church to outlaw it, so over time it reassigned meanings to the traditions, recasting these customs into and/or heavily influencing the seasonal celebrations of Christmas (and New Year). Christianity chose the 25th of December to mark the birthday of Jesus Christ, placing it in line with the pagan Winter Solstice and festivities such as  as Natalis Invicti (more about this issue here)

 Fun facts - The Bible actually forbids such things as 'decorating trees from the forest', so 'Christmas tree' indeed xD And Christianity at the time of the Roman Saturnalia and Natalis Invicti also actually condemned the celebration of birthdays, be they related to people or deities (the date of the birth of Christ is not specified in many cases). So...yeah, ironic that they basically got heavily influenced - as every religion does *gasp* - by a series of former condemned Pagan festivities for their own Christmas :S xD 

   And even though these festivities are clearly and obviously earlier in the timeline of the history of the world, there are still plenty of Christian people who claim that, Christianity somehow always being the origin of all things, it never got influenced by Yule (Christmas tree and log cake, for example), Saturnalia, Natalis Invicti or any other Solstice-related Pagan festivities for their Christmas and the Nativity of Christ (we could also mention here that the former Middle Eastern myth of 'virgin' goddess Anahita and her son Mitra mirrors and precedes the Virgin Mary and Christ in practically every way, same as many pagan myths about the Goddess giving birth on her own to the God at this time, or the God being reborn at this time, which signals the return of the light). Still blows my mind how they can believe that Christianity wasn't influenced by former religions, beliefs and traditions, but there it is, they actually do :S xDD

 Today, Yule is generally considered a Neopagan celebration. It's a seasonal time that is celebrated particularly by those who wish to reconnect with nature and the pagan festivals of old, which align with the changing seasons in the Wheel of the Year. It's also a time for reflection, resolutions and renewal. A time to set new goals, ideas and projects.

  -Pagan religion elements: On the longest, darkest night, communities of old gathered around the Yule log to celebrate the birth of the son of the Goddess, the Star child, which would become a Sun deity representing the return of the light. In Wicca, Yule celebrates the rebirth of the Hornéd God, brought now back to life by the Goddess. The Goddess herself has a solar aspect as well, and is linked to light and fire as much as the God. She is honoured as the Mother Goddess, the mother of the Star Child, and the Triple Goddess (as seen in Brighid, deeply associated with fire, light and inspiration). 

'Yule', by cgb30 on DeviantArt. It depicts the Goddess (Cerridhwen), and the Hornéd God (Cernunnos).

In Wicca there is also a battle between the Holly King and the Oak King, in which the Oak, who represents lighter times, will finally win.

'The Yule Cup' by Christopher Bell

'Solstice blessings' (showing the Yule Goddess, probably Brighid), by Zingaia on DeviantArt.

"The deities honoured at Meán Geimhridh are the Dagda and Brighid, daughter of the Dagda, patroness of the Druids and Bards, and Goddess of healing, smithscraft, music and poetry.

(...) Brighid's flame of inspiration, like the flame of winter's new light, pierces the darkness of the mind and the spirit at Yuletide, while the cauldron of the Dagda brings assurance that Nature will continue to provide for all his children."

A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, chapter 4 (Ellen Evert Hopman)

  

-Modern vs ancient traditions: The ancient festival traditions were meant to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun and the balance of light and dark. This magic involved decorating homes, sharing gifts, lighting bonfires and giving offerings to the gods, such as red berries and seasonal greenery.

Many of the customs that we associate today with Christmas have their origins on Yule and other pagan Solstice festivities. Christmas trees and wreaths echo ancient customs of bringing greenery inside for protection during the Winter months. The Norse people placed great significance on the enduring symbols of fir, pine, holly and other evergreen plants. Pine in particular is associated with life and rebirth, as many trees can grow from a single cone. Mistletoe has long been considered a magical plant, sacred to the Celtic druids in particular, as well as to the Romans, the Greeks and the Scandinavians.

 The Yule log is generally a cake nowadays, but originally it was a branch used to light the house fire, especially an oak one. Oak was chosen for its slow-burning qualities and its ability to produce great heat. Part of the oak branch was saved for good luck, and was used to kindle the next Yule fire. The modern candle kindling echoes back to the ancient bonfires and the hearth flames, all Sun symbols to bring back and celebrate the start of the lengthening days.

Other sources:

http://www.owlsdaughter.com/owls-wings/

http://wicca.com/celtic/akasha/yule.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_of_the_Year#Midwinter_.28Yule.29

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/515240013590560291/

http://www.druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/winter-solstice-alban-arthan

Nice infographic about the origins and traditions of Yule (click for larger images):

Yule pagan holiday information, by LaPulia Studio

              

And to finish, I loved this:

"The Shortest Day", by Susan Cooper

Happy Yule, everyone!!

Doctor Who feminist reviews - 'Rose'

UPDATED April-May 2016 and August 2020. Added gifs and pics, changed some of my former views and added a lot more text and detail (damn it, perfectionism xD)

My first Whovian feminist review is going to be about the first episode of the new series of Doctor Who ('Rose'). There will be SPOILERS about the plot of this episode.

 

 

                                            New!Who, 2005 series: 'Rose'                  

-Doctor: Ninth 

-Companions: Rose Tyler

-Episode: 'Rose' (New!Who, 2005, Season 1 episode 1)

 Brief summary of the episode in Wikipedia 

      1.   Overall:

• Things I liked:

 -The whole time-travelling idea of Doctor Who, and the TARDIS design.

 -Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of the Ninth Doctor is pretty likeable and sassy.

Fantastic!

 -Rose's proactive traits (initiative, wits and sass). In this episode, she is really the one to stop the Nestene Consciousness, plus she saves the Doctor and outwits him (making him consider his former patronizing mode).

You go girl! Rose smashing gender stereotypes

• Things I didn't quite like:

-The special effects. But then again, their budget wasn't very high, so it's understandable, I am grateful for the return of New!Who disregardless :)  

...Yep

-Sometimes the percussion parts of the soundtrack are too loud and it's hard to hear the dialogue.

-The bin-burp. I personally just don't find that type of humour funny.

• Things I didn't like:

  -Mickey's interaction with his girlfriend in this episode shows a number of questionable traits, some of which can be explained by acquired sexism. 

 

-Disclaimer: In 2021 several allegations of sexual harassment were tied to Noel Clarke, several while working on the set of Doctor Who. I spoke about it here. 

Mickey does have character development later on in the series, and doesn't quite again show this level of sexism (the possessive moment in the car, or the "*slaps ass* 'Kit off'" demeaning comment), so I'm going to assume that the relationship portrayed in this episode is an 'objective' depiction - and even a critical view, explaining why Rose feels rather dissatisfied by it-, and not something that is condoned.

Mickey feeling possessive about his girlfriend being out there talking to other men

-The Doctor's patronizing/xenophobic-speciecist comments which arise from time to time.

Thankfully, his comments are never overly mean, can be explained (even if not justified) by his pos-Time War PSTD, trauma and increased cynicism, and his character develops quite a bit in that respect.

That's enough with the 'humans are stupid apes' nonsense, Doctor!

 -I don't like how they started portraying Rose's mother Jackie, even if thankfully the character got more depth and character development throughout series 1, 2 and 4 (and now I love her). In this episode she's shallow (but I'm not at all against her wish to date people casually - I'll talk about that problematic scene later), self-centered, conventional, and seems pretty careless when it comes to the well-being of her daughter (some careless and kinda demeaning comments, not encouraging her to retake her studies, etc).  As a Whovian and having watched all seasons, I now know Jackie's character got so much better and that she actually cares about Rose *a lot*, so yay about that.

Gossip ahoy!

-I quite like Nine/Rose, friendship and well, yes, also ship - the romantic subtext is very clearly there, and I don't dislike that, even though if we look at this pairing from a feminist pov we also have to note that 1) There's a sizeable age gap (if we only look at Nine's apparent age, it's a 20 year gap), and although that doesn't always mean the relationship is going to be unhealthy or lack equality (I actually think Nine/Rose is way more compatible than Rose/Mickey), a big age gap with a younger woman and an older man crops up repeatedly in the media and in real life, and it does often come with a power imbalance factor, so I am wary of seeing that model promoted too often. And 2) It's also worth noting that, following in the footsteps of the 8th Doctor 1996 movie and the newfound interest for romance in DW, the first companion in New!Who is also a love interest.

I also hate triangle clichés - and in this case, we have Mickey/Rose/Nine, as well as  unnecessary romance plots with crappy guys like Adam that only give Rose grief, and they didn't resolve the Rose/Mickey relationship until mid-series 2, which irks me immensely.  

Apart from the fact that I'm against the portrayal of unresolved, ambiguous relationships and potentially cheating scenarios, because that's not 'liberation' or 'equality' or 'empowerment' (unless we're exploring the topic of forced marriages and the like),  people could also be getting the idea that every time a female character goes off on her own (meaning without her heteronormative boyfriend), she's going to flirt with other people  and end up either cheating on him or breaking her relationship with him. And that's a pretty problematic way to see it  (this scenario will reappear with Amy/Rory - to a lesser extent - and Clara/Danny in future seasons).

-Feminism:
   About the Bechdel test, I think that it isn't that exhaustive in terms of feminism. There are films with empowered female characters who don't happen to interact with other women a lot. Are we going to compare a film with really empowered female role-models who don't really talk with other women with a film where two women (not necessarily awesome role-models or anything) happen to have a few lines of conversation together about something other than men? Not that I don't appreciate that people are beginning to worry about female representation, female communication, female bonding and female friendship (I think all of these are really important), but the test is a bit flawed, imo.

•    Number of female charactes: 3 - Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler, Caroline (Clive's wife). Main role for Rose, secondary role for Jackie and a minor role for Caroline. All three white and heterosexual (although Rose might actually be bi, because Billie Piper claimed she would also be in love with the 13th Doctor were she to meet her).

•    Empowered traits in at least one female character? Rose is active, inquisitive, and shows agency in this episode (deducing where the Nestene Consciousness is and actively saving the Ninth Doctor).

•    Level of sexism:  Mickey shows quite a lot of sexism and entitlement in his interactions with his girlfriend Rose (I'll be talking about that later). Also some stereotypical sexist aspects in the portrayal of Jackie.

•    Bechdel Test and female bonding: Yes - Rose and Jackie talk together about the explosion incident, plus jobs and other trivia. Mother-daughter relationship and interactions (even though this dynamic isn't at its best in this episode).

-This Tumblr post also addresses this episode from a feminist point of view. We agree on most points.

-Other intersectional issues:

•    Race/ethnicity. Speciesism: 

-Appearance of a black character, Mickey. Interracial relationship between Rose and Mickey. Mickey's character gets fleshed out and developed throughout series 1, 2 and 4, and it's never treated like a racial stereotype. While it's totally legit to criticize him for his entitlement and sexist behaviour when it arises, it can be also worth commenting that the fact that he will be basically reduced to 'Mickey the Idiot' in series 1 and 2 and treated in a pretty crappy way by the Doctor, while being the only recurring black character in the show, can rightfully rub people the wrong way :S

                                          

-Some patronizing comments from the Doctor about  humans, which can be seen as speciecism resulting from increased misanthrophy after the Time War. Rose is open-minded when it comes to class and race/species, though, and she doesn't mind that the Doctor is an alien (Rose: "Are you alien?" Doctor: "Yes. Is that all right?" Rose: "Yeah"). Mickey does have prejudices about it: "Don't. He's an alien. He's a thing."

•    LGBTIQA+: The Doctor is canonically a genderfluid alien. Rose Tyler might be canonically bisexual, but there's no explicit mention of that in the series.  And I think the Doctor is being descriptive rather than offensive when saying "That won't last. He's gay and she's an alien".

•   Social class: The first companion in New!Who is a woman from a middle-low working class. Even though she shares Rose's class status, Jackie questions Rose's ability to get a good job due to her upbringing and (lack of) education, showing some internalized classism when suggesting that she find a job at the butchers because the shop was giving her "airs and graces".

-Integrity and ethics: Substantial-to-high. 

-The Doctor doesn't seem to show as much empathy as in other episodes, being rather dismissive of humans, but he still tries to stop the Nestene Consciousness in order to save humanity, and his current gruffness and closed-off manner can be explained by the fact that he's more or less recently regenerated after the end of the Time War and it's traumatized and guilt-ridden by it. 

-Rose saves the Doctor (and humanity). 

-Rose worries about Mickey being in danger and the possibility that he was killed. 
-Rose is sickened to hear that Wilson was killed ("That's just not funny. That's sick!").

-The Doctor helps Rose escape the mannequins. 

-Rose phones her mother to warn her about the mannequins. 

-When Rose is assimilating all the information about the TARDIS and Mickey being attacked by aliens and she breaks down, the Doctor says "That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us".

- The Doctor, following his pacifist and anti-genocide oriented mindset (especially after he thinks he commited double genocide in the war), also tries to negotiate with the Nestene Consciousness instead of killing it outright ("I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance"). 

     2. Character analysis, from a feminist point of view:
  (All the transcript quotes come from this site)