The first set of six characters from Banish the Snakes that we described were contemporaries of Patrick — or even his predecessors. We now begin the first of six characters that rose to prominence in the following century or so, and played prominent roles in completing the conversion of Ireland to Christianity. In a historic game, they begin shuffled into the deck of event cards. Of course, you are not restricted to the historic order: you can choose to start with some of these people instead, and shuffle others into the deck.

Brigid

Ireland has three patron saints: Patrick, Columba (who we will discuss later), and Brigid. She was an early Christian nun and abbess who founded several monasteries, including the one at Kildare; she is often referred to as Brigid of Kildare. Born into slavery in 451, her mother had been baptized by Patrick. She was “veiled” in about 468, and eventually attained the title of abbess, equivalent to the most powerful abbot.

Initially working with a group of seven companions, at Kildare she founded two monastic institutions: one for men and the other for women. Kildare eventually grew into a cathedral city, ruled for centuries by a double line of abbots and abbesses. The Abbess of Kildare was regarded as the leader of all monasteries in Ireland.

Brigid traveled throughout Ireland founding more monasteries, and churches as well. She is credited with organizing communal religious life for women in Ireland. Her foundations were often at sites associated with pagan traditions. For example, Kildare was at the site of a pagan shrine to the goddess Brigid, where an eternal flame was tended by a group of young women. Tradition says that the nuns kept the flame burning for centuries at the monastery.

But was Brigid actually a real person? Scholars debate this question. She has the same name as the Celtic goddess Brigid, and her Christian feast day is the same day as Imbolc, the pagan festival associated with the goddess Brigid, marking the beginning of spring. Some scholars suggest that the saint is a Christianization of the pagan goddess. Or maybe it was the other way around: over time, the real person took on the goddess’s attributes. In any case, Brigid is credited with many miracles during her lifetime.

Her influence continues to this day. Brigid’s cross is a small cross usually woven from grass or reeds. They typically have four equal arms, tied at the ends and a woven square in the middle. Tradition says to set them over doors and windows to protect your home from any kind of harm.

One of the results of Brigid’s influence was the strong presence of women in the Irish church. The Irish monastic tradition was not simply a male institution, as in other parts of Europe at the time: men and women each had their roles, and male and female leadership were considered equals. This continued as the Irish church grew in isolation. But in later centuries, Rome returned to assert control over the Irish Catholic church. These traditions were suppressed, forced to conform with the male-dominated traditions prevalent on the continent.

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Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Palladius

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Patrick

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Auxilius

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Ciarán

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Iserninus

Historic Characters in Banish the Snakes: Secundinus