Buggane facts for kids

A buggane (also called boagane) is a huge, scary creature from Manx folklore. Manx folklore comes from the Isle of Man, a small island between Great Britain and Ireland. Bugganes are a bit like the Scandinavian trolls you might have heard about.

What is a Buggane?

The roofless St. Trinian's Church with Greeba Mountain behind it.

Bugganes are known for being shapeshifters. This means they can change their shape and appearance. However, their true form is quite frightening! Imagine a creature covered in thick, black hair, with eyes that glow like bright torches, and sharp, shiny tusks.

Bugganes and St. Trinian's Church

One of the most famous stories about a buggane involves St Trinian's Church on the Isle of Man.

The story goes that a buggane accidentally ended up on a ship heading to Ireland. The buggane really wanted to go back to the Isle of Man. So, it caused a huge storm and tried to steer the ship onto the dangerous rocks near Contrary Head.

But the ship's captain prayed to St. Trinian for help. He promised to build a church in the saint's honor if they were saved. St. Trinian heard his prayer and safely guided the ship into Peel Harbour.

The buggane was furious! It screamed, "St. Trinian should never have a whole church in Ellan Vannin!" (Ellan Vannin is the Manx name for the Isle of Man). And true to its word, when people tried to build a roof on the new chapel, the buggane tore it off three times! This is why St. Trinian's Church remains without a roof to this day.

Buggane Powers and Weaknesses

As magical creatures, bugganes had some special rules they had to follow. They could not cross water, and they could not stand on holy ground. This meant churches and other sacred places were safe from them.

One buggane, called the Buggan ny Hushtey, lived in a big cave by the sea. It was known for disliking lazy people. However, this buggane was different from the Cabyll-ushtey, which is a Manx water horse.

Sometimes, fairies would even ask bugganes to punish people who had upset them. For example, the buggane of Glen Maye almost threw a lazy housewife into a waterfall. She had put off baking until after the sun went down, which was a big no-no! Luckily, she managed to escape by cutting the strings of her apron. Another buggane, from Gob-na-Scuit, was famous for pulling the thatch off haystacks, blowing smoke down chimneys, and pushing sheep off steep cliffs called brooghs.

Finn MacCool and the Buggane

There's another exciting legend that tells of a battle between a buggane and the famous Irish giant, Fionn mac Cumhaill (also known as Finn MacCool).

Finn MacCool came to the Isle of Man and settled near Cregneash. A buggane from South Barrule came to fight him, but Finn didn't want to battle. So, Finn's clever wife, Oonagh, disguised Finn as a baby and put him in a cradle. When the buggane saw how huge the "baby" was, it thought Finn, the father, must be an enormous giant! This made the buggane leave.

However, they eventually met and fought near Kirk Christ Rushen from sunrise until sunset. During the fight, Finn had one foot in the Big Sound, creating the channel between the Calf of Man and Kitterland. His other foot was in the Little Sound, making the narrow channel between Kitterland and the main island. The buggane was standing at Port Erin.

The buggane won this fight and badly hurt Finn, who had to run back to Ireland. Finn could walk on the sea, but the buggane couldn't. So, the buggane pulled out one of its teeth and threw it at Finn. The tooth hit Finn on the back of the head, then fell into the sea. This tooth became what we now call Chicken Rock, a dangerous rock in the sea. Finn then shouted a powerful curse, saying the rock would always be a problem for sailors. And so it has been! In the Irish version of this story, Finn's enemy is a giant from Scotland.

Images for kids

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  The roofless St. Trinian's Church with Greeba Mountain behind it.