MAGICAL WORLDSIsle of the maidens
The land that Máel Dúin and his
companions found was populated only
by women, all of whom were eager for
the visiting men to stay with them.Celtic ship
Máel Dúin and his crew
travelled in a ship that, like
Viking ships, was equipped
with a sail and oars for use
when there was no wind.
Voyage of St Brendan
The Irish saint, Brendan, lived in the
6th century and travelled widely. On
one voyage he supposedly landed on
a whale, believing it to be an island.Fountain of knowledge
According to legend, there was a
fountain in the “Land of Promise”
whose waters were said to grant
secret knowledge to the drinker.The submerged city
According to the legend of Ys, people who travelled
along the Breton coast could hear the bells of the city’s
churches ringing below the waves.THE LAND OF WOMEN
Máel Dúin was an illegitimate child. One day he
learned that his father had been slain by raiders and
set of to seek the killers. He and his 17 companions
visited many islands, each with amazing inhabitants,
including enormous birds, fighting horses, and other
wonders. Finally, the travellers reached the “Land of
Women”, where the queen married Máel Dúin and
ofered her daughters as wives to his crew. After
staying there for three months, the men wanted to
return home. But every time they set sail, the queen
threw a length of twine that stuck
to Máel Dúin’s hand, and she pulled
them back in. Finally, another sailor
caught the twine and the others cut
of his arm to help them escape.THE LAND OF PROMISE
Set far across the sea, Tir Tairngire, or the “Land
of Promise”, was the place most sought after by
explorers. It was a paradise where life was easy and
where visitors could acquire magical skills. Some
believed that Manannán mac Lir, a sea god and a great
warrior, was the ruler of Tir Tairngire, although others
thought he merely travelled there, taking with him his
young son, Mongán, who stayed here for years and
gained much secret knowledge. One of the explorers
to reach this land was a Christian saint, Brendan,
who journeyed in a boat along with 14 companions.
It was one of many marvellous islands that Brendan
was said to have visited in a series of travels that may
have included expeditions to Iceland.THE LAND UNDER THE WAVES
There are a number of Celtic tales about the “Land under the Waves”, a city
or country submerged in the sea. The most famous tale is the story of Ys, of
Brittany. This was a prosperous city that was protected from the waves by a
strong dyke built by a saintly king called Gradlon Meur. But Gradlon had a
wicked daughter called Dahut. Diferent versions of the story depict her as
having opened the sluice gates after either getting drunk or being persuaded by
another evil character to do so. Consequently, in all versions of the myth, the
sea rushed in from every side and Ys disappeared forever beneath the waves. Some
believed that life went on in the strange submarine world of the vanished city.^71