h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Here in Ireland, today is St Bridget's Day and the first day of Spring. The weather is noticeably warmer than yesterday, although we often get the worst cold spells in February and I have seen snow as late as 1 May.

St Bridget is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. The original Bridget was a Celtic Goddess; her name also spelled Brighid, Brigid, Brede or Bríd. The official church line on the saint was that she was a woman who had the same name as the Goddess and who became a saint by performing miracles. Certainly many of the attributes of the goddess were transferred to the saint, and we find the worship of the goddess survived over the centuries in the form of "holy wells" dedicated to the saint.

The 1st of February was the traditional Celtic feast of Imbolc, which I think translates as "womb-heavy". It was the celebration of pregnancy and birth, as this is the time when the farm animals start to produce their new families. This was all a bit to much for the Celtic Christian Church, so they changed the feast to St Bridget's Day. This left pregnancy out in the cold, because the saint, unlike the goddess, was a chaste and unmarried woman. Nevertheless, we do find some odd tales relating to Bridget helping pregnant women through their troubles; in one case by a miracle she caused the pregnancy to "go away".

The Feast of the Holy Abortionist?

I can just imagine all these girls getting off the boat at Dun Laoghaire: 'I just prayed to St Bridget and it went away!'

Spring??? I ran out of jumpers to put on today!

Great stories, though

I was out with the police doing roadside checks this morning - and it snowed! My goodness, it was taters.

St Bridgit?

St Frigid more like!

BRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

Somebody find me a nice fire to curl up by and lick my inner thigh clean.

Oh and a nice piece of fish to warm my tummy.

JT

On the other hand, it's a balmy 18 celsius here.

No fair! It's max 3 celsius, minimum 1 clesius here today.

It's about 8 degrees here. Nice balmy weather. (That's 46 degrees F for you Americans).

I remember one time speaking by phone to a friend in LA. He was saying it was good pool weather there. At this point I realised that the net curtains next to the phone were frozen to the window.

That'd be one of those pools that polar bears make in the ice in order to hunt seals, then?

The funny thing about it here is that there's a huge variation in the temperature during the day. Right now it's about 6.30 and it's 7 degrees, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's 20 by noon.

I heard from mylil sis that it was on the news that animals must be kept warm at the moment cos of such freezing temperatures. Lil sis reckons that we ought to put a puffer jacket on our dog. Don't think my parents would be too happy, let alone the dog.

Thank you for the Bridget stories, G Amazing how the christian church adopted and adapted pagan beliefs - and treat them as their own now. Ah, the convenience of belief

I don't suppose you want to know that it's 33C here at the moment?



Fb

My god, 30 more than here. Can I have a spare room, FB?

Our snow has been lying for at least two weeks. We get some of the warmest temperatures in Germany on the upper Rhine, here. But our local gravel pit has frozen over and people are walking, skating and driving cars over it. It hasn't snowed any new snow, but on the grass and open areas, it hasn't warmed up enough to melt it away.

The up side is that we now get longer hours of daylight, and when the sun shines it's really glorious - picture post card blue skies and snowy fields. The sky was even still giving off some light at quarter past seven the other evening when I went out to the dustbins. And it was so bright at 4.30 the other afternoon, I thought it was about 1 o'clock and wasn't at all in the mood to start thinking about packing up work and going home.

I think it was essential for the Christian church to convert the indigenous worship patterns - made converting the heathens that much easier, don't you think?

My Encyclopaedia of Ireland mentions Bridget being involved in "agricultural miracles" but doesn't expand upon that. Sounds intriguing.

The other great thing about Bridget is the Bridget's Cross, a cross made from reeds. http://www.irishop.com/la-swp01-stb.html. I may write an entry on how to make it.

It looks like a form of corn dolly. Good subject for an entry, though. I look forward to reading it, Gnomon.