Brixta/Bricta.

An article on Brixta/Bricta 

A key focus for those in the House of Secrets is the exploration of the cosmos and exploring our relationships and connections with the Gods in any way. It is clear from the existence of many curse tablets and other potentially magical paraphernalia that magic and ritual were a big part of the lives of many Gauls (Mees, 2009), and it is an area we wish to explore. Therefore, this article will discuss the Goddess Brixta, alternatively Bricta, a goddess of magic found in Gaul. We see Brixta as a patroness for these pursuits, who can guide us and protect us on our journeys.

Brixta was worshipped, with Her partner Luxovius, at a temple site with a large hot spring and bath, Luxovium (Beck, 2009). Luxovium was a well-furnished site, with large deposits of coins and other offerings, with evidence of large stone structures which may have housed the official temple to Brixta and Her partner Luxovius (Beck, 2009). Nearby is the river Breuchin, which flows into the city Luxeuil and feeds the ancient springs at Luxovium. This river was possibly named after Brixta—the river in earlier times was called Brusca/Brisca, reminiscent of Brixta’s name (Beck, 2009). It’s common for the female deity in pairs to be associated with rivers that feed the springs their male partners reside over, such as Damona and Borvo (Green, 2002).

Etymology

Delamarre (2003) suggests that Her name means ‘magic’. He compares Brixta with Norse ‘Bragr’ (poetry) and Sanskrit ‘Brahman’ (formula), meaning that the more specific meaning is ‘magical formulation’, incantation, spell and charm. Brixta/Bricta could therefore be the enchantress, or more generally ‘She who does magic’. West (2007) suggests that Brixita and Brictom, Gaulish words for magic, relate to the Irish Bricht ‘spell, incantation, octosyllabic meter’. Including the etymology with the proposed metrical nature of Gaulish curse tablets mean that Brixta may be a Goddess of wordcraft, especially octosyllabic meter (West, 2007 and Stifter, 2016). 

Inscriptions

Brixta/Bricta is mentioned in two inscriptions, shown below, CIL XIII, nos 5425–26. 

[Lus]soio / et Brictae / Divixti/us Cons/tans / v(otum) s(olvit) <l=T>(ibens) m(erito)

“To Lusso(v)ios and Bricta, Divixtius Constans freely and deservedly fulfilled his vow.”

Luxovio / et Brixtae / G(aius) Iul(ius) Fir/manus / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

“To Luxovios and Brixta, Gaius Julius Firmans freely and deservedly fulfilled his vow."

Symbolism

There are indications of two main points of symbolism relating to Brixta: magic and divine water. This symbolism is crucial due to the etymology of Brixta’s name and the location of Her worship, a thermal spring of iron-rich waters (Beck, 2009). 

It’s good to understand the importance of numbers in the Gaulish religion. The number nine is sacred in Celtic and other Indo-European religions, being a multiple of three, representing the cosmos as a whole (heavens, middle world, underworld). The multiples of three are commonly found in Gaulish iconographies, for example, both the Matres and Genii cuculatii are figures which relate to the land, prosperity and healing and are often found in threes (Green, 2004). In Irish myth, a leader of war-bands would often have eight companions, and they (the leaders) would make up the ninth, a derivative of this being seen in Cú Chulainn, an Irish hero, who has nine weapons of every type, with one large and eight small (Green, 2004).

If we consider the importance of octosyllabic meter to Gaulish incantations, which indeed seems to be important, does this octosyllabic meter relate to the stories of eight? Bringing this idea together with Brixta, perhaps in an octosyllabic incantation uttered by a Brixtlos (magicians, poets, word-weavers), Brixta is the ninth syllable, completing the incantation and making the incantation whole. She would symbolically take the place of the leader of a Warband and lead the incantation to its full completion of nine syllables. 

Regarding Brixta’s shared temple at Luxovium (modern-day Luxeuil-les-Bains), it housed a large thermal iron-rich spring, complete with baths and elaborate buildings (Beck, 2009). Brixta’s two inscriptions come from this site, and therefore She can be associated with healing as thermal springs were often pilgrimage sites for those in need of healing (Green, 2002). 

But there is still a more profound symbolism behind waters, especially spring waters, which were often seen as coming from Dumnos. The Underworldly origin of these waters, paired with the iron-rich waters at Luxovium, which turn the water a deep red, would have had a profound meaning to the people who came to the temple to Brixta. In Indo-European traditions, there is the idea of the “La Gloire Lumineuse” or “Fire in the Water”, which contain inspiration and knowledge. However, if the unworthy attempted to take from the waters, “..his two bright eyes should burst” (Dodge, 2020). The waters at Luxovium could have been conceived the same way, especially as hot waters. The waters contain the ability to heal and, considering the etymology of Brixta’s name, possibly to grant inspiration, but they would have been able to harm as easily as heal. 

This association can be seen elsewhere with Sulis, the Goddess who presided over the great temple at bath; we see Her role as a curer also shifted into being curser as well (Green, 2002). Sulis also has connections with inspiration and wisdom due to Her association with Minerva, the Roman Goddess of these things. We can see that in a Gaulish context the waters of Brixta may have been imbued with magic and wisdom, just as Brixta is. 

Summary

We see Brixta as a Goddess of magic itself, especially charms, incantations, divine poetry, and other word-weaving endeavours. Writing our octosyllabic spells or poems and speaking them aloud, Brixta grants us the inspiration and magic to create them. Brixta then finishes the enchantments for us, just like the Warband leader making the eight into a nine; Her speech becomes the ninth syllable of our octosyllabic enchantments, making it whole and sacred. She is the great finisher and weaver of words, a source of divine inspiration and knowledge and patron of sacred arts.

A brixtu* to Brixta

*a poem, prayer, incantation that has octosyllabic lines

Magic itself, the very source,

Divine words well up from your spring,

Boiling with magical meaning,

Red with a poetic passion. 

You finish and make our words whole,

Filled with the light of your waters,

Incantations become honey. 

Guide us and guard us, oh Brixta.

References

Aldhouse-Green, M.J. (2004). Symbol and image in Celtic religious art. London: Taylor & Francis E-Library.

Beck, N., 2009. Goddesses in Celtic Religion: cult and mythology: a comparative study of ancient Ireland, Britain and Gaul (Doctoral dissertation, Lyon 2).

Delamarre, X. (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise : une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Paris: Ed. Errance.

Dodge, E.J., 2020. ORPHEUS, ODIN, AND THE INDO-EUROPEAN UNDERWORLD: A RESPONSE TO BRUCE LINCOLN’S ARTICLE “WATERS OF MEMORY, WATERS OF FORGETFULNESS” (Doctoral dissertation, University of Houston).

Green, M., 2002. The Celtic goddess as healer. In The concept of the goddess (pp. 40-54). Routledge.

Mees, B. (2009). Celtic Curses. Woodbridge: Boydell Press.

Stifter, D., 2016. Metrical systems of Celtic traditions. NOWELE. North-Western European Language Evolution, 69(1), pp.38-94.

West, M.L. (2007). Indo-European Poetry and Myth. Oxford Oxford University Press -05-01.