St. Brigid and Her Cloak

Born: 451 AD in Faughart, near Dundalk

Died: February 1, 524, blessed by St. Ninnidh of the Pure Hand

Feast Day: February 1

Patron Saint of: poets, midwives, newborns, Irish nuns, fugitives, blacksmiths, dairymaids, boatmen, chicken farmers, cattle, scholars, sailors

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A New King

St. Brigid ¹, beloved of Christ, lover of the poor, calmer of storms, multiplier of loaves, and patron of the great Isle of Ireland, began to struggle with support for building the great monestary at Kildare. You see, there was a new king and he was not particularly generous. As such he would not donate land to the company of St. Brigid. Though she was persuasive, the King’s greed held his ear.

So to break his greed and accomplish some good, the Lord showed a plan to St. Brigid one morning. She was to go before the king while all were making merry on the top of the tallest hill in all of the kings country. Once in place and as dusk began, she would then attempt three deals with him. First, she was told to ask him for 100 acres of land. If he refused, then for 10 acres of land. If he refused even that small grant, then if he would provide only as much land as can fit under the cloak on her back.

Should he accept, then she would give each corner of her cloak to four of the virgins in her care and they would know what to do from there.

The Celebration

And so St. Brigid waited patiently for such a celebration to take place. Well, it so happened that the king was to have such a celebration for his first year on the throne just three nights from the time that Brigid received her instruction. She was of course invited because her pleasant company was loved by all the nobles, even if they did not share her spirit of generosity.

However, the frugal king was more annoyed on this night than any since his crowning. So many were invited to this celebration that it was impossible to keep everyone in order. Even people of a lowly birth saw the bright celebrations on top of the hill and found their feet moving toward it until practically the whole kingdom was drinking and eating from the kings cup and plate. As the night dragged on the king grumbled more and more. He was nearly prepared to call the whole celebration off before dusk when St. Brigid approached him.

The Request

She asked, “King, though I can see you are in a terrible mood, I must ask you for your ear. I am entrusted with caring for the poor in your kingdom but need land to continue my efforts. I should think 100 acres would be more than enough for me and my company.”

he sunk into his chair and put his hand on his brow, grumbling “O Brigid, I’ve lost enough of my wealth here today for a lifetime of almsgiving, spare me your begging and let me end this night.”

With the Lord in mind she said with a smile “I can see that you have given much today! Then perhaps you could spare only 10 acres for me and my mission?”

The king grew angry “Ah, 10 acres… they’ve nearly eaten 10 acres of crop here tonight. No. No, I can’t and I won’t. There’s nothing to spare. I’m sorry, Brigid, but you’ll have to make due with what you have. Anyways, your love and care for the poor is legendary, surely you’ve done enough as it is.”

but Brigid, taking care to follow the plan through, asked with laughter on her lips because of the strangeness of the request “Well, at least grant me as much land as I can cover with my cloak.”

The Virgins and the Cloak

The King laughed and to rid her requests from his ear granted her that much. Just as he agreed, a great wind swept through the party as St. Brigid removed her small cloak and gave each corner to a virgin. Aided by the wind at their backs they ran with great swiftness down the tall hill. Everyone gathered at the edge of the cliff to see where they were going— the king being most especially attentive to their movement.

And then, to his horror he watched as one virgin went North with her corner, the other South, another East, and the last West. But when the cloak should have stopped it instead expanded and began to cover the countryside. With the wind still pushing them along they quickly covered 10 acres. The King was practically throwing a tantrum.

He pleaded with St. Brigid, “O what are you about now? Do you mean to rob my kingdom from me?”

“I am, or rather my cloak is about covering your whole province to punish you for your stinginess to the poor.”

As the cloak approached 100 acres, the king pleaded “O Brigid… this won’t do. This won’t do at all. Please, call your lovely ladies back and I’ll give you enough land for whatever it is you need.”

An Agreement

Brigid was so pleased with this offer that she shouted mightily from the cliff to her maidens to make their way back. They came to her with her cloak, she put it on her back, and all left the party very pleased; all, that is, but the king who was sorry for his greed after having seen the Lord work such wonders against him. In fact, because of the great sign, he was baptized “IN NOMINE PATRIS, ET FILII, ET SPIRITUS SANCTI” that very year. From that day forward, St. Brigid only needed to ask for assistance and the king made haste to help her. The monestary of Kildare was constructed and by the grace of God brought healing, teaching, and great works of art to the world.

Footnotes

1. St. Brigid of Ireland is one of Ireland’s three patron saints alongside St. Patrick and St. Columba, revered for her role in establishing organized religious life for women in early Christian Ireland. Daughter of the pagan chieftain, Dubhthach, and a Christian slave, Brocca, who was baptized by St. Patrick, Brigid was raised between two worlds which became the grounds for her charity to grow. She founded the influential monastery at Kildare around 480 AD, known as Cill Dara (“church of the oak”). This monastery for men and women, unique for its time, became a major center for spirituality, learning, and art, producing the illuminated manuscripts of Kildare praised for their angelic craftsmanship.

   Brigid died around 525 AD and was buried in Kildare, though her relics were later moved to Downpatrick alongside St. Patrick and St. Columba, with her skull eventually preserved in Lisbon, Portugal. Her enduring influence is evident in the widespread veneration of her name, St. Brigid’s Cross, and the 2023 establishment of her feast as a public holiday in Ireland. ↩