This production is peculiarly Celtic; and is remarkable in its freedom from the growth of superstition which characterised the Latin Church of the time. But it must not be supposed that the old Gaelic Church was free from an external growth of a superstition of its own. Indeed it set up rather a hagiology of its own in opposition to that of Rome, so keen, like all the true Scots that its members were, was its love of spiritual independence. Patrick, Columba, and Columbanus, became its _Papae_, or Papes, and Brigit herself its Virgin,—celebrated as the “Mary of the Gael.” Brigit was a very great and saintly personage to several of the authors of the Gaelic Hymns in the _Liber Hymnorum_. Ultán of Ard Breccain, who is said to have died in A.D. 656, composed a special “Hymn in praise of Brigit,” whose extravagant sentiments and poetic power are but inadequately manifest in the following translation:— Brigit, excellent woman, A flame golden, delightful, May (she), the sun dazzling splendid Bear us to the eternal kingdom! May Brigit save us Beyond throngs of demons! May she overthrow before us Battles of every disease! May she destroy within us Our flesh’s taxes, The branch with blossoms, The mother of Jesus! The true virgin, dear, With vast dignity: May we be safe always, With my Saint of the Lagenians! One of the pillars of the Kingdom, With Patrick the pre-eminent, The garment over _liga_, The Queen of Queens! Let our bodies after old age Be in sackcloth: With her grace may Brigit Rain on us, save us! In Colman’s Hymn she is as usual associated with “Patron Patrick with Erin’s saints around him.” The blessing pronounced on the sacred person of Brigit runs thus: A blessing on Patron Brigit With Erin’s virgins around her: Let all give—a fair story— A blessing on Brigit’s dignity. The chief poetic tribute to Brigit’s name is ascribed to Broccán Cloen, who flourished about A.D. 500. The first verse in the original runs thus: Nicar brigit buadach bith Siasair suide eoin inailt Contuil cotlud cimmeda Indnòib arecnairc ammaicc. _English_: Victorious Brigit loved not the world: She sat at a seat of a bird on a cliff: The holy one slept a captive’s sleep Because of her Son’s absence. The bard then proceeds to describe her virtues in more than two hundred lines of rich and glowing language. She was not a carper, she was not vile, She loved not vehement woman’s ear: She was not a serpent violent, speckled: She sold not God’s Son for gain. We are told that it was in a “good hour MacCaille set the veil on Saint Brigit’s head.” The poet concludes his hymn of praise with the consolatory reflection:—