The Quest for Biddy Early

In Search of Biddy Early by Eddie Lenihan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Biddy Early was a legend back in her town of Ireland. Born to tenant farmer parents ,Biddy was raised poor and lived in poverty. She born in the middle of the 19th century passing away in 1874.
It was rather a challenge as records were not well kept back then. So the author travelled around the Irish villages where she used to live in hoping to find scraps of legend or perhaps someone old enough who remembers.

Biddy Early would be considered a folk healer or a cunning woman. In her small village if people were sick and needed medical attention they would turn to a folk healer like Biddy Early. Medical doctor’s were expensive and often were not present in small villages. Sometimes people would ask the priest for a blessing. Rumor has it that Biddy Early got her healing abilities from the fairies or the good folk. As the legend goes one of her son or one of her four husbands was a gifted fiddle player. In return for playing a tune Biddy was given the bottle.With that bottle she could see the past present and future. This bottle gave her healing abilities. Now a condition for this bottle was that she should never accept pay for her services. She could accept gifts. She had plenty of whiskey and usually people would come over to her house for a drink.

Often times Biddy Early knee somone was coming even before they arrived on her doorstep. She would know the persons name, details of their journey and what was ailing them. Biddy was known to prepare elixirs and bless bottle of water with explicit instructions on how and when it must be taken. The cure was on,h designed for the recipients and the instructions had to be followed to the tee. At times Biddy could tell the seeker that he would befall certain things on the way over. Were they warning or did they decree it.

Rumor has it that the fairies used to berate her for giving too many healing. Some even say she was a dearie herself. The priests and the superstitious would call her a witch. If she could Biddy would heal people for a small gift. She also healed animals. Animals were valuable back then. A horse spelled the difference between living in a warm home or losing your home. Biddy was called in to heal animals and to get them out of ditches.

The priests and the clergy often used speak out against her. Many a priest had to eat their words as they had to seek her help to heal or rescue the animal. Usually the price would be to leave her alone. Priests back then were very authoritarian and could be mean.

While the details surrounding her death are more clear. Word has it that her mystic bottle is at the bottom of a lake in Kilbarron. People have gone down there to find it but there are so many bottles, none have worked so far. Perhaps the bottle was only meant for her.

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