Manannán mac Lir facts for kids

A sculpture of Manannán mac Lir in Gortmore, Northern Ireland.

The boat from the 1st century BC Broighter Hoard, found near Magilligan. It might have been a special gift to Manannán.

Manannán (also called Manannán mac Lir, meaning "son of the sea") is a powerful warrior and king from Irish mythology. He is linked to the sea and is often seen as a sea god. Manannán is usually part of a group of ancient gods called the Tuatha Dé Danann.

He is known as the ruler and protector of the Otherworld, a magical place. This world has many names, like Emain Ablach, Mag Mell (which means "Plain of Delights"), or Tír Tairngire (the "Land of Promise"). After humans (the Milesians) arrived, Manannán became the main king of the remaining Tuatha Dé. He uses a special mist called féth fíada to hide his home and the homes of others.

In old stories, Manannán owns a boat named Sguaba Tuinne ("Wave-sweeper") that can steer itself. He also has a horse named Aonbharr that can gallop over water and land. Another famous item is his deadly sword, Fragarach, which weakens anyone it wounds.

Manannán is also important in Scottish and Manx legends. There, he is known as Manannan mac y Leir ("little Mannan, son of the sea"). The Isle of Man is named after him, though some say he was named after the island. He is similar to the Welsh figure Manawydan fab Llŷr.

What's in a Name?

Manannán has many names and nicknames. His name is spelled Manandán in Old Irish and Manannán in modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic. In Manx Gaelic, it's Mannan.

Some other names linked to Manannán include:

• Oirbsiu, Oirbsen, or Orbsen (You can read more about this below!)
• Duartaine O'Duartaine
• Cathal O'Cein (Cathal means "great warrior")
• Gilla de ("Boyservant")
• Gilla Decair ("Troublesome boyservant")

Where Does the Name Come From?

Some people believe his name comes from the Isle of Man. The "-an" ending might mean "one from the Isle of Man". The island's name itself might come from a Celtic word for "mountain" or "rise," because the Isle of Man looks like it rises from the sea. Another idea is that it comes from an older word meaning "water" or "wetness."

In medieval Irish traditions, people thought Manannán was the reason the island got its name, rather than the other way around.

Nicknames and Titles

Manannán's most common nicknames show his connection to war and the sea. Mac Lir means "son of the sea" or "son of Ler".

It's thought that his father, Ler, was a sea god whose job Manannán later took over. Manannán also has the surname Mac Alloit or Mac Alloid, which means "son of the soil or land." So, Manannán is like the son of both the sea and the land!

Manannán in Irish Stories

Manannán appears in all four main groups of Irish mythology stories. However, he only plays a big part in a few of them.

• In the Ulster Cycle: Tochmarc Étaíne ("The Wooing of Étaín") and Serglige Con Culainn ("The Wasting Sickness of Cúchulainn").
• In the Cycles of the Kings: Immram Brain maic Febail ("The Voyage of Bran son of Febal)") and Echtra Cormaic maic Airt ("The Adventure of Cormac mac Airt").
• In the Mythological Cycle: Lebor Gabála Érenn ("The Book of Invasions").

In the Ulster Cycle story, Serglige Con Culainn, Manannán's wife, Fand, had a difficult relationship with the Irish warrior Cúchulainn. When Fand saw that Cúchulainn's wife, Emer, was a good match for him, she decided to go back to Manannán. Manannán then shook his special cloak (Irish: brat(t)) between Fand and Cúchulainn. This made them forget each other, showing that Manannán had a "cloak of forgetfulness."

What is Manannán Like?

Manannán rode his chariot over the sea. He met Bran and his crew sailing by ship in the story Imram Brain ("Voyage of Bran"). This is considered a very old story.

In later stories, Manannán visits the land of the living. His movements are compared to the wind, a hawk, or a swallow. Sometimes, he even appears as a thundering wheel rolling across the land. This happens in "The Pursuit of the Gilla Decair," a funny story from the 16th century. There's also a local legend that Manannán moved like a wheel turning on three legs. This idea is common on the Isle of Man (like the triskelion symbol).

Where Does Manannán Live?

Manannán is the lord and protector of the Blessed Isles, Mag Mell, and Emhain Abhlach, which is the Isle of Apple Trees. In The Voyage of Bran, Manannán sings about his sea as Mag Mell (Plain of Delights). He says that the horses on the plain cannot be seen, hinting that he uses his mist of invisibility (féth fíada) to hide his home. "Emain" was where the magical silver apple branch came from, which was brought to Bran mac Febail.

Manannán is also said to live in the Land of Promise (Tír Tairngire), as seen in the story "Echtra Cormaic".

The Over-King

Manannán's role as an over-king among the Tuatha Dé Danann is described in a story called Altram Tige Dá Medar ("The Nourishment of the Houses of Two Milk-Vessels"). This story is found in a manuscript from the 14th to 15th centuries called the Book of Fermoy.

After the Tuatha Dé Danann were defeated by Érimón and the Milesians (humans), Bodb Derg was chosen as the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Manannán was either a co-king or an overseer. In one part of the story, Manannán says he has taken on the role of over-king above the other small kings of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Manannán was given the job of deciding which sídhe (fairy mounds) the remaining Tuatha Dé Danann members would live in. Manannán's own home was at Emain Ablach. Manannán made sure the Tuatha Dé Danann were safe by hiding them in the féth fíada (a mist of invisibility). He also held the Feast of Goibniu, which gave them eternal youth, and fed them Manannan's Swine, which provided endless food.

Gifts for Cormac mac Airt

In the story "Echtra Cormaic", Manannán owned two magical items that he gave to Cormac mac Airt, the high king of Tara. These were a soothing musical silver branch with apples made of gold, and the Goblet of Truth.

Manannán first appeared as a warrior. He described his homeland as a place where old age, sickness, death, and lies were unknown, without naming it. He eventually convinced the king to visit this Land of Promise (Tír Tairngire).

Gifts and Loans to Lugh

Manannán had other magical items, according to the Oidheadh Chloinne Tuireann, a story that only exists in newer Irish versions.

He had a boat that steered itself, called "Manannán's currach (coracle)" or Sguaba Tuinne ("Wave-sweeper"). He also had a horse named Aonbharr of Manannan that could travel over land or sea. This horse is sometimes called "Enbarr of the Flowing Mane" in popular retellings. Both the horse and boat were lent to Lugh Lamhfada.

Manannán also gave Lugh a full set of armor and weapons when the Tuatha Dé gathered their army to fight the Fomorians. Lugh rode Manannán's horse Aonbharr and wore Manannán's sword Fragarach ("Retaliator" or "The Answerer"). Any wound from this sword was fatal, and it made the opponent as weak as a woman in childbirth.

Lugh also wore Manannán's helmet, Cathbarr, and Manannán's body armor (lúirech) and neck-piece (scabal).

Gifts to the Fíana

Manannán also owned a "crane-bag" (Irish: corrbolg) filled with treasures. This is mentioned in a Middle-Irish story called "The Crane-Bag" from the 13th century.

A woman named Aoife was turned into a crane by a jealous rival. When Aoife died, Manannán made her crane skin into a magical treasure bag. The treasures inside were only visible when the bag was filled with water during high tide. It would look empty when the tide went out. This bag was later owned by Lugh Lamhfada, then by the sons of Cermait, and later by Conaire Mór, the high king. Eventually, it belonged to Cumhall mac Trénmhóir, and then his son, Finn.

Manannán also asked a craftsman named Lucra (or Luchta) to make him a shield out of wood from a withered hazel tree. This shield later went to Finn.

Similar Figures

Manannán is also linked to several trickster figures. These include the Gilla Decair and the Bodach an Chóta Lachtna ("the churl in the drab coat").

Manannán's endless supply of swine is similar to Odin's boar Sæhrímnir in Scandinavian myths. Manannán also owned a speckled cow that he and Aengus brought from India, along with a dun cow, two golden cups, and two silk ropes.

Family and Friends

Manannán's father is the sea-god Ler ("Sea; Ocean"). Manannán seems to have taken over his father's role. When he is called Oirbsen, his father is named Elloth, son of Elatha. In the Altram Tige Dá Medar, Manannán calls himself the foster-son of the Dagda.

According to the Táin Bó Cúailnge, his wife is the beautiful goddess, Fand. Other stories say his wife was the goddess Áine, though sometimes she is said to be his daughter. Manannán had a daughter named Niamh of the Golden Hair. It's also possible that Clíodhna was his daughter, but stories differ. Either way, she is a young woman from Manannán's lands, known for her "Fair Hair." Manannán also had a yellow-haired daughter named Curcog (meaning "beehive"), who was raised by Aengus.

Manannán is also said to have sons named Eachdond Mor and Gaidiar.

Another daughter of Manannán was said to be Saint Athrachta. According to local legends, she tried to build a path across Lough Gara by carrying large stones in her skirt. In another story, she lived at the bottom of Lough Gara and only came out every seven years to visit her sister Cé.

In The Voyage of Bran, Manannán predicted to Bran that a great warrior would be his descendant. This warrior was Mongán mac Fiachnai. The real Mongán was born in the late 6th century. Legend says that Mongán was taken to the Otherworld when he was very young and raised there by Manannán. The 8th-century story Compert Mongáin tells about the deeds of this legendary son. In the Dinsenchas, Manannán is also described as the father of Ibel. After Ibel's death, Manannán's grief created three lakes: Loch Ruidi, Loch Cuan, and Loch Dacaech.

Manannán often acts as a foster father, raising children like Lugh and the children of Deirdre.

Manannán had two brothers, Bron and Ceite, after whom cleared plains were named. Similarly, in Welsh folklore, Brân the Blessed is the brother of Manawydan.

Manannán in Folklore

The Merchant Orbsen

The 9th-century book Sanas Cormaic (Cormac's Glossary) describes Manannán as a "famous merchant" from the Isle of Man. It says he was the best sailor in western Europe and knew when the weather would be good or bad by "studying the heavens." This merchant was also known as Orbsen, son of Allot.

However, the Yellow Book of Lecan (written around 1400) says there were four different people named Manandán who lived at different times. One was Manandán mac Alloit, a "druid of the Tuath Dé Danann" whose real name was Oirbsen. Another was Manandán mac Lir, a great sailor, merchant, and druid.

Legend says that Orbsen fought in the battle of Moycullen in County Galway and died near Lake Orbsen. The lake, now called Lough Corrib, is named after him. There is a large stone pillar in Moycullin that might mark the battle spot.

Manx Legends

South Barrule, believed to be Manannán's home on the Isle of Man.

According to local stories on the Isle of Man, Manannán was its first ruler.

First Ruler

A document from the 16th century says that Manannán was the first "ruler of Mann." It claims he was a pagan who used magic to keep the island hidden in mists. He collected a tax of green rushes every Midsummer Eve at a place called Warfield (now South Barrule). A poem from 1504, "The Traditionary Ballad," says similar things:

The poem calls the king of the island Manannan-beg-mac-y-Lheirr, meaning "little Manannan, son of the Sea." The poem also says Manannan was later sent away by Saint Patrick.

The tradition of offering rushes to Manannán suggests these wild plants, which grow in wet areas, were special to him.

Magical Illusions

According to tradition, Manannán once held Peel Castle. He made one man guarding its battlements appear as a thousand, which helped drive away his enemies. Manx storyteller Sophia Morrison tells a similar story, but says he made one man look like a hundred. She also adds that Manannán once made fake boats out of sedge plants. This created the illusion of a large fleet, making Viking invaders flee in fear from Peel Island bay.

O'Donnell's Kern

In the story "O'Donnell's Kern," Manannán appears as a kern, or serving man, at the courts of various historical figures in 16th-century Ireland. As a kern, Manannán is often described wearing thin striped clothes and wet leather shoes. He has ears and half his sword sticking out of his cloak, and carries three burnt holly spears. In this disguise, he acts as a trickster, walking into homes without being invited or seen by guards.

At Black Hugh O'Donnell's home, Manannán challenges the court musicians to a contest. He plays music so sweet that it can put anyone to sleep, even those who are suffering. O'Donnell offers him new clothes, but Manannán refuses and says he must leave. O'Donnell's men try to stop him, but Manannán plays music again. This time, the music makes O'Donnell's men attack each other with axes. When he leaves, Manannán demands twenty cattle and land. In return, he rubs a magic herb on the gums of O'Donnell's dead men, bringing them back to life.

At his next stop near Limerick, Shane Mac an Iarla invites the kern into his home. Shane has heard of Manannán's skills with reading and music. When Shane gives the kern an instrument and a book, the kern can't read or play until Shane makes fun of him. When Shane asks Manannán if he has visited Desmond before, he says he was there with the Fianna thousands of years ago.

Next, the kern goes to Leinster to visit MacEochaidh, who has a broken leg and blood poisoning. The kern says he is a healer and tells MacEochaidh that if he stops being stingy, he will be healed. Manannán then puts a healing herb on MacEochaidh's leg, and he immediately gets better. MacEochaidh then holds a feast for Manannán and offers him his daughter and many animals. But before he can get his reward, the kern leaves.

He goes to Sligo and meets O'Conner, who is about to go to war. The kern offers his help if O'Conner promises to treat him fairly. O'Conner's men steal cattle, and when the men of Munster try to get them back, Manannán kills them with a bow and 24 arrows. He then brings all the cattle back to O'Conner. At a feast, O'Conner drinks the first toast without thinking of the kern. Manannán then recites some verses showing his unhappiness and disappears.

Then, the kern visits Teigue O'Kelly's home and says he is a conjurer. He tricks O'Kelly with two small tricks. Then, from a bag, he conjures a thread that he throws into the air and attaches to a cloud. He also conjures a hare, a beagle, and a dog boy. From another bag, he pulls a woman. All the characters run up the thread into the clouds. The king says something bad will happen, like the boy ending up with the woman, and the dog eating the hare. When Manannán pulls in his thread, this is exactly what happened. O'Kelly, angry, cuts off the dogboy's head. The kern then puts the dog boy's head on backward, but after O'Kelly complains, he turns it back the right way.

Finally, the kern visits the King of Leinster. He says the King's musicians sound terrible. The King's musicians and men then attack the kern, but every blow they make on the kern also hurts themselves. In return, the King tries to hang the kern three times. But each time, they find one of the king's friends at the end of the rope instead of the kern. The next day, the kern returns and offers to heal all the men who were killed. He revives them with a healing herb.

Only at the end of the story is the kern revealed to be Manannán. He is offered a dish of crabapples and sour milk at Shane O'Donnellan's house. As the kern, Manannán often calls himself sweet one day and bitter the next. He describes himself as a traveler born in “Ellach of the kings.” He also uses the names “Duartaine O'Duartaine,” “Cathal O'Cein,” “Gilla de,” and “Gilla Decair” during his travels. "O'Donnell's Kern" shows how Irish gods were remembered in folk stories long after Christianity arrived.

The Pursuit of the Gilla Decair

As the Gilla Decair (a name also used in “O'Donnell's Kern”), Manannán appears in the Fenian story “The Pursuit of the Gilla Decair and his Horse.” In this tale, the Fianna (a group of warriors) meet the Gilla on Samhain while hunting in Munster. The Gilla is described as a huge, strong, ugly man with black limbs. He leads a thin horse with gray hindquarters and thin legs, held by an iron chain. The Gilla is dressed like a warrior, with a black shield, a sword, two long spears, and a loose cloak. This description is similar to Manannán's appearance in “O'Donnell's Kern.”

The Gilla tells Finn that he is a Fomorian who visits kings to earn money. He says his name comes from the great sacrifices he makes for his followers. The Gilla asks Finn to hire him as a horseman, and Finn agrees. The Gilla then asks to let his horse graze with the Fianna's horses. When Finn agrees, the Gilla unbridles his horse, and it kills all the Fianna's horses.

Finn tells Conán mac Morna to ride the Gilla's horse to death, but the horse won't move. Thirteen other Fianna then get on the horse to try and weigh it down, but it still won't budge. The Gilla then tells Finn that he will leave. He leaves with such speed and noise that it's compared to a swallow's flight and the sound of a March wind. As soon as the Gilla's horse loses sight of its master, it speeds off after him with fourteen of the Fianna on its back. Finn and the remaining Fianna track the Gilla and his horse until they reach the sea. Another Fianna member grabs the horse's tail as it flies over the water with the fifteen men.

Finn then travels to Ben-Adar, where the Tuatha Dé Danann promised the children of the Gael a ship if they ever needed to leave Ireland. As the Fianna approach the sea, Finn meets two strong men. They carry shields with lions, leopards, and griffins, "terrible" swords, crimson cloaks, gold pins, gold sandals, and gold bands on their heads. They bow to Finn and say they are the sons of the King of India. They can create ships with three swings of an axe and carry them over land and sea. One of the brothers tells Finn his name is Feradach.

After three days on Feradach's ships, the Fianna reach a rocky island where they see the Gilla's tracks. Here, Dermot, who was raised by Manannán and Aengus Og, jumps onto the island using Manannán's spears. Dermot leaves the Fianna and explores a beautiful forest filled with bees and birds. In the middle of the forest, Dermot sees a huge tree with twisted branches. Beneath it is a well of pure water with a drinking horn. Dermot wants to drink the water, but a loud rumbling noise warns him not to. Dermot drinks the water anyway, and a hostile wizard appears. The wizard scolds Dermot for being in his forest and drinking his water. Dermot and the wizard fight, and the wizard jumps into the well, leaving Dermot behind. Dermot then kills a stag, cooks it, and falls asleep. The next day, he finds the wizard, and they fight for three days. The wizard jumps into his well at the end of each day. On the third day, Dermot follows the wizard into the well. He finds a wide, flowery plain with a royal city. He follows the wizard into the city and fights until he is bleeding and on the ground. When Dermot wakes up, a wizard kicks him and explains that he is not there to harm Dermot but to tell him he is in a dangerous place. The wizard then takes Dermot on a long journey to a tall fortress, where his wounds are healed, and he feasts with the wizard's men.

When Dermot asks where he is and who the wizard is, the wizard tells him he is in Tir fo Thuinn (Land Under Wave). He says he is the Wizard of Chivalry, an enemy of the Wizard of the Well (whom Dermot fought). He also says he was hired to work for Finn for a year. While Dermot is with the Wizard of Chivalry, Finn and the Fianna make rope ladders and climb the cliffs onto the island. There, they meet a king on horseback who takes them to his kingdom for feasting. The Fianna help the king fight against the King of Greece, who is trying to invade the island. After winning the war, there is a big celebration, and Finn is reunited with Dermot. Dermot explains that the Gilla's real name is Abartach son of Allchad, and he lives in the Land of Promise.

The daughter of the King of Greece had promised herself to Finn before her father's defeat. So, the Fianna split into groups: one to chase Abartach, and the other to Greece. The Fianna bring the King of Greece's daughter Taise back for Finn and return to the Land of Promise. There, they reunite with Finn, who has found Abartach. Abartach challenges Finn to decide what is owed for the Fianna's long journeys and victories. Goll demands payment in the form of fourteen women from the Land of Promise, along with Abartach's own wife. They are to ride on his horse, just as the Fianna had, back to Ireland. Abartach agrees, disappears, and the company returns to Ireland.

Even though none of the characters in the story are directly called Manannán, the setting in Tir fo Thuinn, the use of the name Gilla Decair (which is one of Manannán's nicknames), and the description of the Gilla's actions all strongly suggest he is the main character on the island. Also, the name Abartach is used in Manannán's family as the right-hand man of Manannán's son Eachdond Mor. In the Book of Lecan, Abartach and Manannán are listed as two famous chiefs of the Tuatha De, known for being a great musician and a great sailor, respectively.

O'Neill's Horse Race

There's a folk tale about an English horse racer who challenges one of the O'Neills to a horse race. Manannán wants to defend the honor of the Irish. He knows that none of O'Neill's horses can beat the Englishman's. So, he appears as a beggar and challenges the Englishman to a race that he himself runs from Shane's Castle to Dublin. Using his magic, he wins the race and defends the pride of Ireland and the O'Neill family. This story is similar to the horse race of Macha and the Roman tradition where Neptune Equester watched over horse races.

Places Named After Manannán

There are places named after Manannán in Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Scotland. In Ireland, most of them are on the coast or have water features. They include Mannin Lake (Loch Mhanainn) in County Mayo, Mannin Bay (Cuan Mhanainn) in County Galway, Mannin Island (Manainn) in County Cork, Cashelmanannan (Caiseal Mhanannáin, "Manannán's ringfort") and Sheevannan (Sí Mhanannáin, "Manannán's fairy mound") in County Roscommon, Derrymannin (Doire Mhanainn, "Manann's oak") in County Mayo, and Carrickmannan (Carraig Mhanainn, "Manann's rock") in County Down. Also in Ireland, Lough Corrib gets its name from Manannán's other name, Oirbsiu or Oirbsen. The place names Clackmannan (Clach Mhanainn) and Slamannan (Sliabh Mhanainn) in Scotland may also refer to Manann.

Images for kids

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  Stephen Reid's drawing of the Sons of Tuireann in Manannán's boat.

See Also

In Spanish: Manannán mac Lir para niños