Ireland for Brigid, and follow her advice. She came with St. Mazota and eight holy virgins, and settled at Abernethy, and there built a church, where the king was baptized.
St. Brigid (4) of Benchor, whose head, in 1225, was brought from Scotland or Ireland to Denis, king of Portugal, and kept at Lumiar with great veneration, is said to have founded a great monastery at Benchor. This may have been Banchory in Scotland, or Bangor in Wales, or some place in Ireland. Bollandus could not identify her with either of the well-known SS. Brigid. Perhaps she is St. Brigid of Abernethy.
St. Brigid (5–11). Colgan, in his History of the Irish Saints, speaks of twenty-five Brigids, some of whom are distinguishable from each other, and some are not. No one but a Celtic scholar and antiquary could attempt to disentangle them all, or form an opinion as to how many Brigids there were, or which is a duplicate of which. I take these seven—who are possibly reducible to four—from Bishop Forbes’ article “Brigida,” in Smith and Wace’s Diet.
St. Brigid (5), March 9, of Moinmiolain. (Perhaps same as 6.)
St. Brigid (6), Sept. 30. Great-granddaughter of Colla or Colladius, who gave land to St. Patrick.
St. Brigid (7), May 13, 24, nursed and converted her infirm husband: after his death she returned to her father’s house, and built herself a cell.
St. Brigid (8) of Oughterard, co. Kildare. (Perhaps same as 7.)
St. Brigid (9) of Senboith, or Shanbo, in Wexford. (Perhaps same as 7.)
St. Brigid (10), March 6. Daughter of Lenin, one or several saints descended from the family of St. Foillan. One of six sisters to whom is dedicated the “church of the Sisters,” at Kill-naninghean, in the district of Ui-Brivin.
St. Brigid (11), sister of St. Sedna, abbot of Killaine, and of SS. Gorba and Lassara, all descended from Erc, the ancestor of the kings of Albanian Scotia.
St. Brigid (12) Mactail. 6th century. Daughter of Conchraid, of the family of Mactail. She had her cell at Cluan-in-fidi, on the banks of the Shannon. She made a vestment which she wished to send to Inniscathy for St. Senan, who was settled there not earlier than 534. Finding no better mode of sending it, she wrapped it in hay and put it in a basket, which she addressed and set afloat on the river. It is said to have arrived safely. This anecdote is related of St. Brigid of Kildare, who sent her basket, however, by sea, and a much greater distance. Lanigan, Eccles. Hist, of Ireland, i. 449.
St. Brigid (13), March 14. An Irish virgin, brought up at Dunkeld with St. Cuthbert, by St. Columba. Bishop Forbes, Scot. Cal.
St. Brigid (14), or Britta, Jan. 14. 8th century. Of Beauvais; also called of Tours and of Nogent; with her sister St. Maura, July 13, MM. of virginity. Daughters of the King of the Scots. They were born in 731, on the day that a long and desolating famine and pestilence came to an end. Their mother died in giving them birth. Maura devoted her life to fasting and prayer. Brigid devoted hers to works of mercy. Contrary to their wishes, the king sought advantageous alliances for them. While he was taking measures to bring them to his way of thinking, he died. They were now heirs of the kingdom, as their only brother Hispadius was feeble of body and unfit to succeed his father. They renounced their right to the throne, took their brother with them, and went to Rome. After they had visited the holy places, they cast a devil out of Ursinus their host, who thenceforth became their devoted servant. They next went to the territory of Beauvais, where they settled at Balagny, near Creil. Here they were attacked by four ruffians, and suffered much in their own defence. At last the robbers killed them and their brother, and Ursinus buried them. After many years, St. Bathilde, queen of France, had them translated to her new monastery of Chelles. Colgan, Irish Saints, Jan. 14. French Mart., July 13. Guérin, Petits Boll. (Cf. Maura. The difference in dates tends to the conclusion that the legends are fictitious.)
