Discover everything you need to know about St Brigid's Cross, a holy and potent symbol woven from the rushes of Irish rivers and thought to ward off evil and hunger for generations of Irish people.
About Saint Brigid and the legend of Brigid
St Brigid is one of Ireland's patron saints, an abbess and mother of the church, presiding over an abbey in Kildare, Ireland. The first St. Brigid's Cross comes from a story about an old pagan lord on his deathbed whose servants summoned Brigid to his side to calm him. She held vigil there, comforting him, and in an effort to make him understand the new faith, she picked some rushes from the floor and wove an intricate cross. So moved by her care and her words that he asked to be baptised before he died.
However, the legend of Brigid is likely much older than Christianity. Brigid was a goddess, one of the race of Irish gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann. The cross of rushes may indeed be an adaptation of an older woven symbol, which along with Brigid, may have been transfigured into a Christian saint by early Irish pilgrims to ease the conversion or Irish pagans to Christianity.
Ancient Irish symbol of protection
St. Brigid's Cross (Cros Bríde in Irish) is a cross woven from rushes, with 4 arms tied at the end and meeting in a woven patterned square in the centre. Traditionally they were displayed over the door of a house to ward off evil. The tradition marks the beginning of spring, St Brigid's Day being the 1st February.
The cross is typically hand-created using rushes, yet straw is also used on occasion. Of course, we have decided to use precious metals and other majestic materials to create stunning jewellery pieces featuring St Brigid’s Cross.
Explore St Brigid's Cross Jewellery
Shop with Solvar today for stunning St Brigid’s Cross Jewellery. If you want to purchase beautiful St Brigid’s Cross, we have a great selection for you to choose from.
