Friday 25 February 2011

Holy shades of matriarchy, Batman!

This documentary was posted on one of the boards I lurk on, from the Irish language channel TG4 about Brighid:

Part One - pre-Christian Brighid

Part Two - into Christianity and the modern era

It's in Irish, but there are subtitles, and some of the interviewees you might be familiar with already - Seán Ó Duinn, Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin, and Nuala Ní Dhomnaill. It's beautifully done, but there's a heavy emphasis on Brigid as The Mother Goddess, maiden-mother-crone-Trinity-before-there-was-the-Trinity, and all goddesses being one etc...not the sorts of things I agree with, but otherwise I enjoyed it. Nuala Ní Dhomnaill does some wonderful songs, and in part two you get to see some Imbolg traditions being performed.

Also, if you're struggling with pronunciations for festivals and such, it's quite handy...

It worked for me, here in Scotland, but I can't say for sure if it will be viewable across the Pond as well - worth a watch, though, if you can. Each part is just under half an hour long.