Brigantia is the Goddess of the Northern lands here in England. Associated with Sovereignty, Healing, Wisdom and Protection, She also has a close connection to the space inbetween and the seasonal transition from Winter to Spring- Imbolc that marks the half-way point- She is the Goddess I work closely with during this season.
She is also the Goddess I dedicated to as a Priestess.
Brigantia is the Goddess of the Brigantes tribes that once lived in England. Pre-Roman tribes governed and controlled different parts of the country- and the Brigantes tribe held the largest section- or tribe- that became the North of England. Spanning from coast to coast with the exception of the Humberside and Cumbria, the rest of the North of England was home to the Brigante’s tribes.
The root of her name links her closely with Brighid- another close association of Imbolc and She was venerated with name variations including Brigantia, Bride and Brigit. As the Patron Goddess of the Brigantes, Brigantia was honoured throughout Her lands. Shrines dedicated to Her were found across the region- sometimes named with other Goddesses.
When the Roman’s invaded England, they syncretized Brigantia into a Goddess of their lands- and chose Minerva whose qualities- they felt- closely resembled those of Brigantia. What we know of Brigantia today is because of this syncretization, as all inscriptions found were Roman, giving us an insight into a Goddess who had otherwise been lost to time. There is also an inscription that links Brigantia to Victoria- the Roman Goddess of Victory (alike the Greek Goddess Nike)- worshipped by the Roman armies as her victory was in both war and peace. Brigantia is also closely tied to the lands she is Patron to, when we look at the etymology of her name, translating into ‘The High One’. Carvings found of Brigantia have also linked her with another Goddess- the Roman Goddess Minerva. On this carving, She is depicted as wearing a crown and having a face in the centre of her chest. From this, we can gleam:
- Brigantia linked to Victoria by the Romans, linked her to victory and war.
- Brigantia with her association of Brigit, Brighid or Bride, is linked to fire, creativity, inspiration, fertility and healing.
- Brigantia (whose name translates as ‘The High One’) links her to the sovereignty of the land and the connection that the Brigantes had with the land around them.
- Brigantia linked to Minerva also links her to wisdom and knowledge.
Connecting with Brigantia.
I began journeying with Brigantia in 2019, when I first began to step onto my Priestess path. I didn’t know much about Her then, other than what I could read online about the history of Her- most of which you’ve read an abbreviated version of above.
It was the first time I’d come across a Goddess I couldn’t research in depth to learn what her symbols were, what she presided over, and gleam who She was. She was one of the first Goddesses that I’d found hard to find in the written word. As such, my interpretations and experiences of Her are mine alone, although influenced by the things I have read about her.
My connection with Brigantia is close and personal, after journeying with Her for over five years now. I work with her in different aspects- as taught on the Wheel I cycled whilst training, and continue to develop my own practice that She heavily influences.
Goddess of the Land.
Brigantia is a Goddess that needs to be experienced on the land. I learnt this early on, in 2019. The best place to do this is on the lands that Her tribes once governed- Yorkshire. The Yorkshire Dales, the Pennines, The Peak District, The North York Moors are all good places to head to, to experience Brigantia as a Goddess of the land. As I live in Yorkshire, I also connect with Her in my own garden with a dedicated sacred space outdoors where I can honour Her. If you’re not local to the Yorkshire area, you can still connect with Brigantia out on the land of your local area.
I’ve come to associate mossy dry-stone walls with Brigantia- I’ve often thought of Her or been in ritual and ceremony on the land not long before seeing this old stone walls across the wild countryside of Yorkshire. Whether you are high up in the peaks, in the belly of a cave, sat by the riverside or on the shore of the ocean- there’s a way to connect with the many aspects of Brigantia. She is sovereign of these lands. I found different places called to me, depending on what time of the year I found myself in- the high peaks as we enter into the darker half of the year, the caves in the stillness of Winter. Green fields filled with flowers in the height of Summer.
Goddess of Hearth & Home.
Brigantia is a Goddess of hearth and home. I have a sacred space indoors set for her, that changes and shifts throughout the year. Symbolism I use for this space includes a swan that is also an ancestral tie, an image I have of Brighid from Glastonbury, as well as the colours of white, gold and green. Other symbols I associated with Brigantia include cows and birds of prey. I often see cows and birds of prey (particularly kites) when I’m out on the land in honour of Brigantia. Cows are also closely associated with Imbolc and fertility- another aspect of this Goddess.
I also associate house cleaning and cleansing with Brigantia! She is closely linked to Imbolc, when I begin to Spring Clean my home, so its Her energies I invite into my home after clearing out the energies of Winter and making space for freshness and newness.
Goddess of Inspiration.
Brigantia is a Goddess of Fire and as such, holds the spark of inspiration. I first began to nurture my muse whilst training to be Her priestess and the first piece of poetry I wrote was dedicated to Brigantia- that would later be held within my first published book of poetry. This was one of my biggest lessons from Brigantia- to honour, trust and nurture my muse. Nature inspires me endlessly because that is where Brigantia is. When I need to slow down and reconnect with my inner self, it’s to nature I turn. When I need to feel inspired, it’s to nature I turn. Brigantia forges her own Path and inspires me to do the same, as well.
Below I have listed a few associations I have for Brigantia for easy reference; again these are based on personal observations and my interactions with Her and Her energies. It is by no means a complete list and is something that I will expand on in future years as I spiral with her, again and again. If you find yourself drawn to work with Her, take what resonates with you and explore her energies to see what else comes up for you!
Associations of Brigantia I have after a personal journey with her include:
Any type of land across Yorkshire that her tribes once called home.
The colours white, gold and green
The energies of inspiration, protection, healing and fertility.
Other associations include; mossy drystone walls, birds of prey, swan, cow