Celtic Mythology
MANANNAN MAC LIR
Manannan Mac Lir is one of the most popular deities in Celtic
mythology. He is Lord of the sea and of the three great waves of
Ireland, and son of the mystical god Lir, ruler of Time and Deep
Space. While very little is known of Lir himself, his son Manannan
appears in many of the old legends. It is said that he travelled
around Ireland in many different shapes and guises. As a master of
tricks and illusions (which he enjoyed acting out on mortals) he
was known as Gille Decair, the Bad Servant, an apparently foolish
clown who could disappear at will. Despite his trickery, however,
he never brought harm to any mortal.
Manannan himself is said to have undergone many different
incarnations, including as Culain the Smith, Fionn MacCumhal and
Mongan, who was taken away to Manannan's Land of Promise when he
was just three nights old. He was also the foster-father of the
great warrior Lugh. He wrapped the young child in his vast cloak
and took him away in his boat to his Otherworld lands beyond the
sea.
The Isle of Man takes its name from this ancient Celtic deity who
has his stronghold on South Barrule mountain. As guardian of the
Blessed Isles of the Celts he also has strong associations with
Emhain Abhlach, the Isle of Apple Trees, where the magical silver
apple branch lies. To the Celts, the Blessed Isles that lie beyond
the sea are the gateways to the Otherworlds, where the soul
journeys to after death. Manannan is the guardian of these gateways
between the worlds. He is the Ferryman, who comes to transport the
souls of the dead through the veils.
Yet it is sometimes possible for the brave warrior to go to these
islands and still return to this world to tell the tale. The voyage
of Bran Mac Febal is one of the best known legends of a voyage to
the Land of the Living. One day Bran heard strange music which
lulled him to sleep. When he awoke, a silver branch laden with
apple blossom lay beside him. He encounters a woman of the Sidhe
who tells him of the fair, distant isle in the Land of Promise:
"I bring a branch of the apple tree from Emhain, from the far
island around which are the shining horses of the son of Lir... To
be without grief, without sorrow, without death, without any
sickness, without weakness; that is the sign of Emhain... There are
riches, there are treasures of every colour in the Gentle Land, the
Bountiful Land..."
The Sidhe woman describes in vivid detail the wonders of this isle,
and so Bran sets sail to find it. On the third day he sees Manannan
coming towards him in a chariot drawn by a white mare that is
riding over the waves as swiftly as if it were on dry land. This is
the Ocean Sweeper, the magical boat of Manannan that would obey the
wishes of whoever sailed in it, and had neither oars nor sails.
Manannan tells Bran that he will reach Emhain before the setting of
the sun. When Bran and his companions finally return to the shores
of Ireland, they discover that many years have since passed and
their voyage is recounted in stories.
Another mortal who goes to the Land of Promise is King Cormac. He
was given a silver branch with three golden apples on it by a grey-
haired warrior. When shaken, the branch would play music that
lulled mortals to sleep. Cormac journeys to the Land of Promise
where he gains from Manannan a magical golden cup of Truth. Any
false statements uttered beneath this cup would cause it to break.
He is also shown the Well of Knowledge from which five streams
flow, and over which there are nine purple hazel trees and five
salmon in the streams eating the hazelnuts. It is Manannan who
reveals to Cormac the meanings of all these wonders.
Manannan is the keeper of many magical treasures. He possessed a
sword, Fragarach (The Answerer) which no armour could resist and
which was entrusted to Lugh, and a breastplate that no weapon could
pierce. He wore a cloak that could change into any colour. It was
this cloak that he shook between his Sidhe wife Fand and her mortal
lover Cuchulain, to prevent them from ever meeting again. Thus
Manannan's cloak, like the mist with which he is associated,
signifies the veil between the worlds. The most interesting of all
his magical treasures is the crane skin bag, made from the skin of
Aoife. At first glance it appears to contain a strange collection
of items, such as 'the bones of Assal's pig', the belt and smith-
hook of Gobhniu, the helmet of the King of Lochlan, and so on. Yet
on deeper reflection we may realise the hidden meanings of the
contents. The crane is the sacred bird of Manannan and the crane-
skin bag is given in turn to Lugh, then Cumhal MacTredhorn and then
to Fionn MacCumhal.
As magician of the mystical race of beings known as the Tuatha De
Danaans, Manannan commands a very high status among his people.
After their defeat by the Milesians, it was Manannan who gave to
the De Danaans the power of invisibility. He found retreats for
them in the hollow hills and put hidden walls about them so that no
mortals could find them. He also gave to the De Danaans the 'Feast
of Age'. No-one ever grew old at this feast, infact they became
immortal. The pigs that were kept by Manannan and killed for the
feast became whole again the next day.
There is an old tale that tels us of Manannan's death, and how he
was buried standing on his feet. A great lake burst forth in that
place and was called Lake Orbson, another of Manannan's names. Yet
how could this be? Manannan is immortal, and will live forever in
the hearts of the Celts.
If you ever happen to stand alone on the shore of Emhain on a
stormy night, and feel the sea surging and raging before you,
perhaps you too may glimpse Manannan in his boat riding across the
waves through the grey sea-mist, or hear the sweet music of his
enchantments from the silver apple branch of Emhain Abhlach.
[(c) S. McSkimming/L.MacDonald GODS OF THE CELTS
1992]
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