Musings about the ripples of ancestors, the past, and the present.
(Image description: An image of a woodcut of St. Brigid from the Nuremberg Chronicle. St. Brigid wears a white veil and blue robe, with a golden yellow halo around the head and hands placed together in prayer. Above Her is the text ‘Brigida Virgo’.) Credit: Michel Wolgemut, Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (Text: Hartmann Schedel), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
I’m a member of Clann Bhríde’s Flamekeeping Cill, and Friday night was the beginning of my flamekeeping shift. I use an LED lantern for my shifts that go from sunset to sunset. I listened to a Brighid playlist I had put together and said prayers for those who had requested them in the Cill.
On Saturday, I realized that the local PBS channel was airing an episode of Rick Steves’ Europe, and its focus was on the rise of fascism in Germany. I hadn’t seen the full episode, and I felt that watching it was important for contemplative reasons. The episode discussed parallels between Hitler’s rhetoric and past and recent political developments.
I have also visited a Holocaust Memorial museum as a teenager, and the horrors documented there aren’t easily forgotten. There’s no way it’s a hoax, unless you’re living in an impermeable bubble that also doubles as an echo chamber.
Now, you’re probably wondering, what does this have to do with flamekeeping and Brighid?
It got me thinking about the relationship between ancestry and the need to remain aware of modern day issues, even you’re residing in a different place from where your ancestors left.
In this case, one branch of my family tree has ties to Germany. I’m working on practicing German as a means to honor that part of my family tree. However, I’m also aware of the need to understand that similar tactics and views can also happen here just as easily. Acknowledging past prejudices that were prevalent in ancestors’ environments are part of working on their lasting effects in the here and now.
I don’t know how those distant great-grandparents would have viewed the different peoples who would be targeted by the Nazis (especially since they immigrated to the US in the 19th century), but I do understand that part of ancestor work is seeing how history repeats itself and how the dangers from previous eras can affect the present and the future. There’s a necessary balance between honoring your ancestors and not forming an overly rose-tinted perspective on a culture.
As for Brighid, Irish monks brought the saint with them to Germany and other German-speaking countries, and She was listed in the Nuremberg Chronicle. It’s obvious She was dear and important enough for them to establish Her presence in various locations. With Her ties to mourning and keening, I can imagine Brighid lamenting over families torn apart and the staggering loss of life before and during WWII.
Brighid’s sacred flame shines a light on matters that I know are horrific, but it also makes me think more deeply about how they’re interconnected in ways I might not thought of before. Her presence in the world is more far reaching than I can put words to, in how Her light gives insight on issues of social justice and change.
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