Brehon Laws. [I] The oldest surviving codified law system in Europe. The ancient laws of Ireland, named from breitheamh, a judge. The " laws are sophisticated and complex, the result of many centuries of practice and oral tradition. They were thought to have been codified first in the fifth century under the instigation of St. Patrick. It has been said that the Irish law tracts are probably the most important documents of their kind In the whole of western Europe by reason of their extent, their antiquity, and the tradition they preserve. Their roots are in ancient Indo-European custom and not in Roman Law. Of the surviving tracts the Senchus Mor deals with civil law, while the Book of Acaill deals with criminal law. Both of these are to be found in the Book of the Dun Cow, which is one of the most complete copies of the tracts that survives. The language of Irish law, Berla Feini as it is called, is ancient. In spite of English attempts to destroy this law system, it persisted for centuries, with many English colonists turning to it for judgments. Even through the seventeenth century the laws were still in use in parts of Ireland. They were finally suppressed during the Penal Law period. Comparisons with the codified Welsh Law system, the Laws of Hywl Dda, are fascinating as they show a commonality of social perceptions. The most detailed account of the Brehon Law system is given in the six volumes of Ancient Laws of Ireland, Dublin, 1865-1901.

Breizh. See Brittany and Breton.

Brendan. [I] The historical Christian saint appears here because of his fabulous voyage,Navigatio Sancti Brendani (The Voyage of Brendan), which became one of the most popular stories during the Middle Ages and was translated into many European languages. The tale seems to have been based on the earlier "Voyage of Mael Duin." Like Mael Duin, Brendan discovers an island populated by spirits in the form of birds, finds a crystal column in the sea, sails a translucent sea, and comes upon an island of giant smiths. One point of difference is that Brendan lands on an island that turns out to be Jasconius, a giant whale, and finds himself becalmed in the Sargasso Sea.

Bres. [I] There are three characters named Bres: a De Danaan who was killed in the first battle of Magh Tuireadh; a son of the Fomorii Balor, mentioned in the story of the children of Tuireann; and, more well known, the son of Elatha, the Fomorii king, who marries Brigid, the goddess of fertility, who becomes ruler of the De Danaan when Nuada loses his hand. Bres was handsome but a tyrant, and when he is displayed as ruler, he seeks the aid of the Fomorii and sets in motion the events leading to the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. He is captured and his life is spared by the De Danaan on condition that he advise them about agriculture, and, for a while, he appears as an agricultural divinity.

Breton. (Brezhonek) The language of Brittany, which diverged from a common British Celtic (Brythonic) in the fifth century A.D. It is estimated that there are currently 800,000 speakers of the language in Brittany, forming the largest group of native speakers of a Celtic language [Le Monde de l'Education, September 1976]. Little survives in Breton in terms of mythological tales compared with the corpus of Irish and Welsh manuscripts. Like Cornish, Breton has its series of medieval miracle plays such as Burzu bras Jean ( 1530) and Buhez santes Barba (1557). Also, it produced saints' lives such as Buez Santes Nonn hag he map Deuy (The Life of St. Nonn, Son of Devy) as well as religious poetical works such as Tremenvan an itron gwerches Maria (The Passing of the Virgin Mary), Pemzec levenez Maria (The Fifteen Joys of Maria) and Buhez Mabden (Life of Man). Mellezour an Mary (The Mirror of Death), composed in 1519 and printed in 1575, remains another classic of Breton litera- ture. Father Jehan Lagadeux's Catholicon, dated 1465 but first printed in 1499 at Tregueir, was the first Breton, Latin, and French dictionary of the language. However, to the fifteenth century belongs the classic Dialog etre Arzu Roe d'an Bretounet ha Guynglaff (The Dialogue of Arthur, King of the Bretons, and Gwenc'hlan).

Breton Lai (or Breton Lay). A rhymed story that became popular in England during the fourteenth century. The Breton lais usually dealt with Celtic themes and often drew on material from the Arthurian cycles. It is felt that this type of tale was transmitted into England via French translation rather than directly from Breton forms. Marie de France (ca. AiD. 1200) was famous for her Breton lais, versified narratives full of Celtic myth and atmosphere, often using Arthurian legend. She seems to have spent most of her life at the English court. Of the fifteen lais that are extant, Sir Launfel is the best known. Launfel is a knight at Arthur's court who falls in love with a fairy. Guinevere accuses Launfel of insulting her and Arthur swears to have him executed, but the beautiful fairy carries Launfel off to Avalon. This became a popular tale in a fourteenth century version and was used in The Vision of Sir Launfel by James Russell Lowell (1848). Other Bretonlais that survive are Sir Orfeo and Chaucer's The Franklin's Tale.

Brian. [I] The eldest son of Tuireann by the goddess Brigid. With his brothers Iuchar and Iucharba he slew Cian, Lugh Lalmhfada's father. As compensation Lugh demands that the three brothers must fulfil eight tasks. They set out to do so in a voyage tale that has been deemed the Irish equivalent of "Jason and the Golden Fleece." In all the adventures Brian plays a leading role. But in fulfilling the tasks, the brothers, returning to Ireland, meet their doom.

Briareus. [W] He stands guard over the sleeping Myrddin on Bardsey Island.

Bricriu. [I] Known as Bricriu Nemthenga-of the Poisoned Tongue, he was an Ulster champion known for his bitter tongue and desire to cause trouble. In many ways he is the Irish equivalent of the Welsh Efnisien. He caused strife between Cuchulainn and the other Red Branch warriors. In the famous tale "Fled Bricriu," eight warriors had to guard him from his angry companions. He is also the creator of trouble in the "Tale of Mac Da Tho's Boar." However, when he is asked to judge the contest between the Brown Bull of Cuailgne and the White Horned Bull of Connacht on the Plain of Aef, he is trampled to death by the fighting bulls.

Brigantia. "The High One," tutelary goddess of the Brigantes of Britain and cognate with the goddess Brigid, regarded as one of the principaI Celtic goddesses. Her name also survives in the river and place-name Brent in England and in the Braint in Ynys Mon in Wales. She might be the source of Caesar's Celtic "Minerva," and she may well have been the model for Britannia.

Brigid. [I] A triune goddess who appears as a goddess of healing, a goddess of smiths, and, more popularly, a goddess of fertility and poetry. Seemingly cognate with Brigantia in Britain, she is the daughter of the Dagda. For a while she was the wife of Bres, the half Fomorii ruler of the De Danaan. She had three sons by Tuireann. In many tales she appears to be the counterpart of Dana, mother of the gods. The festival of Imbolg (February 1) was sacred to her as this was the fertiliry festival, marking the coming into milk of the ewes. A Christian saint, known as "Mary of the Gaels," not only takes Brigid's name but many of her traditions. St. Brigid was born in Faughart in A.D. 450 and died in Kildare in A.D. 523. As an Irish saint she is second only to St. Patrick. Numerous written accounts of her life began to circulate and her cult became widespread after her death, doubtless helped by the confusing of the tradition of the goddess with her. Many ceremonies and stories associated with the goddess were ascribed to the Christian saint; not the least is the fact that February 1 is now her feast day. R. A. S. Mac Alistair put forward the theory that St. Brigid was a priestess of the goddess who converted to Christianity. In most accounts of her life, her father is cited as a druid called Dubhthach.