How to make a Traditional
St. Briget's Cross
In Gaelic:
Cros Bhrighite
Page from The crafts of
Ireland
| Materials | Method 1 | Method 2 | Method 3 | Back to the main Briget Pages |
Rushes
are the traditional material for the St. Briget's
Cross. All materials should be blessed before
construction.
If you use rushes be sure to keep them wet but
not too wet as they will mold and rot. To
avoid the mess I have found that
ordinary plastic drinking straws left in their
white wrappers are just fine. Use rubber bands
to tie up the ends. I generally use 9
straws and 4 rubber bands, however, any
number may be used.
Size does not matter. Generally crosses are made from pieces of rush that are about 8-12 inches long. Some jewelers, however, make them in the size of ear rings.
| Method 1
After searching for many months I finally broke down and purchased a cross from the traditional Irish-American giftyshop. I took it apart and found the simple secret of the design. The process does wonderful things for busy fingers and is great with story telling! 1.
Find 9 8-12 inch rushes, swizzle sticks or drinking straws and 4
small 2. Hold one of the rushes/straws vertically. 3.
Fold a second straw in half horizontally over and at a right angle
over 4. Grasp the center overlap tightly between thumb and fore-finger. 5.
Turn the two straws held together 90 degrees counter clockwise
(left) 6.
Fold the third straw in half over both parts of the second straw
horizontally 7.
Holding the center tightly! Rotate all straws (the entire assembly) 90
8.
This time the bottom half of the first straw will be projecting upward.
9. Snug the straw tightly against the center and against the vertical straws. 10.
Holding the center tightly rotate all straws (the entire assembly) 90
degrees 11.
Fold a new straw in half over all vertical straws from left to right and
12.
Repeat the process of rotating all straws (the entire assembly) 90 degrees
13.
When the last straw has been used snug all straws to center being
14. Secure the last arm of the cross with a rubber band or if using rushesplatted straw or string. Then secure each other arm. 15.
You may paint the drinking straws but be careful as wet paint will
dissolvethe thin paper covering. Place rushes on a flat surface to dry. You
may How did you do?
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Method 2
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This
method produces a cross in a form which is much like the Eye of God and
as such it brings to mind the antiquity of the Celtic Traditions of
Ireland. Materials:Two sticks and either rushes or wire or paper twist. Heavy gauge electrical wire (I use green!) makes for a great re-usable cross which can be re-constructed for each session.I start the cross and pass it through the class audience for completion. 1.Secure
two sticks together at right angles. 2.Pull
rush or wire from center attachment How did you do? (Source:Lettice Sanford Straw Work and Corn Dollies)
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Method 3
This method produces a cross much like that of Method 1
| For some reason this
method seems to be more Archaic than method 1. 1.Tie nine straws together at their ends. 2.Spread them as shown with the tied end 3.Fold the front straw of the three under the other two.(Image2) 4.Bring it up and over to be alongside the two at the nest corner.(Image3) 5.Completed cross is shown in Image 4 How did you do?
(Source: Joan Rendell, Your Book of Corn Dollies.) |
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