“Myth is multi-layered, like life, and to get the most out of
it, we have to be aware of many different elements at once.” (1)
- Moyra Caldecott Women in Celtic Myth
(1992)
The spiritual life is a
journey. This is true whether you are religious or secular in your
orientation. We are always travelling – existentially and experientially
– from 'here' to 'there;' from some place we find ourselves, to a place we
wish, want or decide to be, or just find ourselves—what might be called either a 'sacred' or ‘poetic' destination. When I think about life as a journey, I an drawn to symbols and motifs from the mythologies I've become fluent in over the years,
especially the Celtic myths. The Celts loved to 'travel-with-a-purpose,'
just as much as they liked staying at home by the hearth. Thus there are several tales in Celtic myth
dealing with journeys; especially the "sea
journey." I post this blog here for all those who may wish to
explore the idea of the journey through this particular mythos. The
following 'essay' is distilled from a lecture I used to give on the subject.
* * *
There are three types of "sea journey" tale in the Celtic
tradition, two of which I will deal with in this blog. The first is the Voyage (“Immram”) in which a mortal visits the Otherworld, but in which the
journey to the final destination (usually an island) is more important than
anything that happens once the adventurer arrives at the ‘destination.’ The second type is the Adventure (“Echtra”); in
which a mortal visits the Otherworld, though in these stories getting to the
Otherworld is less important than what happens once one arrives. Despite
the emphasis; whether on the voyage itself or at the destination – the goal of
these stories is spiritual wisdom, both for the character in the tale and for
the hearer of the story.
There are seven immrama (plural;
“voyages”) known to us from mediaeval lists.
Three of these survive more or less intact, and each is important in its
own way. (1) The Voyage
of Bran mac Febal is the earliest, and comes to us in a seventh century CE text. (2) The Voyage of
Máeldúin is extant in a text dating from the 700's CE.
(3) The Voyage of Saint
Brendan is preserved in a ninth century CE text, though the tale is probably
somewhat older.
Each of these tales has unique elements, yet all involve a voyage to a
mysterious island (or series of islands) located to the 'west' of Ireland, and
then some kind of ‘return home' after the adventure is complete. The Voyage of Bran comes from the Pagan
Celtic world, and as such evinces pre-Christian themes. The Voyage of Máeldúin is also Pagan in
theme, but pursues the ideals of redemption and forgiveness,
which made the tale appealing to early Celtic Christians. The Voyage of Brendan is thoroughly
Christian in both theme and aspect, though still embodying a Celtic vision of
life-in-the-world and a deep love of life in general that is absent from so
much of orthodox Christianity.
The Voyage of Bran mac
Febal begins as Bran
is encountered by a mysterious woman who tells him of a strange island (Emain Ablach) and then urges him to go
there. This Isle is said to be "full of apples" and is the
place where, the woman says, Bran will discover wisdom in its fullness. Inspired,
Bran gathers a crew, finds a large corracle (a skin-covered boat) fit for the
journey, and then sets off. He leaves his home and makes the voyage over
the wide-maned sea to the West seeking wisdom.
The journey is punctuated by a number of adventures at different strange
locations; usually islands in the sea—where the crew sometimes goes ashore – meeting challenges, acquiring treasure and perhaps a
little wisdom, or otherwise failing in some way to grasp the challenge or what is to
be gleaned from it. At the Isle of
Merriment and Delight, for instance, they have to leave a crewman behind in
their desperate flight (the isle was not a good place to be!). They take
the loss in stride, however, as there is no chance of going back and rescuing
their crewmate, and continue in their search for Emain Ablach.
At one point in the journey, Bran meets the Sea God Manannán mac Lir, who is riding his chariot over the horse-maned
sea. The sea-god stops and encourages
Bran and his crew, indicating by his poetic words that Bran is on a sacred
journey.
Bran and his crew push on, plunging over the wild waves. They do
eventually reach Emain Ablach, where
they stay for an indeterminate time. While there, they engage in ‘good
feasting’ and ‘restorative partying,’ enjoying a great many sensual and sexual
delights. Each crewman is blessed in what he receives, and is satiated
with what seems like the fulfillment of his life. This Isle
is wondrous and is a place well worth the sojourn! At some point, however, Nechtan
– one of the crew – becomes homesick, and beseeches Bran to leave the Isle and
return to Ireland. After much hemming and hawing, they make the decision
to leave Emain Ablach, which is an immanent
instance of Paradise—and seek a way home again. Bran is warned, however,
that the journey will end in sorrow, travail and despair. One of the priestesses of the goddess on the
isle gives him two words of advice: (1) First, that he must pick up the
crewman left behind on the Isle of Merriment and Delight, and (2) second, that
he should not go ashore, once they reach Ireland.
With great ceremony and in a strange mood, Bran and the crew leave Emain Ablach and make their way back
across the wild-maned sea to their home in Ireland. They stop briefly at
the Isle of Merriment to reunite with their fellow crewman who was left behind. At last, they come to a familiar beach, only
to find that their boat will not let them guide it into the shallows!
When a crewman puts his hand in the water, it withers away. A kind of ‘panic’
breaks out on the corracle. Nechtan, desperate to be reunited with his
kin, leaps into the water and goes ashore, despite the warning given to them on
Emain Ablach. Immediately,
he ages before everyone’s eyes and turns to dust. At this point, the
crew realizes that they are stranded in their boat. They have
attempted to return to the land of the living; but they have not yet died and
crossed-over into the Otherworld. They
have adventured as living souls over the sídhe; and now they are in a strange
limbo.
While contemplating their existential state; suspended between the lands
of the living and the dead, Bran writes his adventures on wooden sticks in
ogham letters. He casts them into the
water and watches as the tide carries them in toward shore; there, they are
grabbed out of the foam and froth by one of Bran’s relatives. He and his crew then
wave goodbye and sail away, back out across the wide-maned sea, never to be
seen or heard from again. Legends say
that they sailed until, one after another, the crew and finally Bran perished
and crossed-over into the Otherworld. At
that point, they would have been free to go on to Emain Ablach (one particular manifestation of the Land of Youth,
where those who have left the mortal realm continue on their quest for
self-realization and wisdom) or may return – through the drafts of incarnation
– back into this life, starting the mortal journey over again.
╬
This story manifests the Celtic dream of the travel of the human
soul from this life into the next and back again. Bran and his companions cannot return to
Ireland without dying, as they went into the Otherworld while still living. However, those who die before journeying to some
version of the Isle of the Blest (which is the usual order of events), continue
their journey or may eventually return and be born again into this life,
becoming the ‘old ones’ among us. We may
learn about life & death and the journey back & forth between the
worlds by meditating on the symbols woven into this immram; Apples, Islands, Silver Branches, Pleasure and Sensuality,
etc.
It should be noted that in these stories pleasure and sensuality are not
evil; they are not something we must deny, escape from or ‘transcend.’ In the next life, according to Celtic wisdom,
we will be sensual as well as intellectual, creative and sexual beings; being
able to indulge in pleasure of all kinds without being hampered by the
limitations of our senses and our bodies.
For the Celts, pleasure and sensuality, beauty and joy, facilitate self-realization
and contribute to the attainment of Wisdom; they do not – unless abused or
misused – prevent us from finding our best end, as in more narrow-minded
spiritualities; wherein sex and the senses are to be shunned and repressed,
sometimes at all costs.
╬
The Voyage of Máeldúin is a more elaborate tale, with narrative
nuance and an intricate symbolic structure.
It involves the same symbols as the story of Bran mac Febal; apples,
islands, gods and goddesses and issues of life and death—but handles them in a
different way, for different ends. The
tale begins with Máeldúin’s birth and an account of the murder of his
father. Once Máeldúin attains to his
manhood, he is told about the murder of his father, and immediately vows to
avenge him. He seeks for a way to find
the murderer and enact the justice he feels necessary (slaying the murderer).
He soon finds out that his father’s murderer actually lives on an island
not far away. A Druid then comes and
gives Máeldúin specific instructions for how and when to execute his father’s
murderer; including how to build a proper boat, how to select a crew, how many
men are to man the sacred ship, and finally how to get to the island in
secrecy—for Máeldúin must not travel in ‘ordinary’ paths – he is told – if he
is to succeed.
Máeldúin gathers a crew and builds a wooden boat in preparation for his journey
of revenge, following the Druid's instructions to the letter. He selects
his crew, loads what provisions the Druid suggested he take with him, and then
says goodbye to his family. Just before
he leaves, however, his three foster-brothers come and ask to be given berth on
the boat, as they, too, want to see the right thing done with regard to
Máeldúin's father's murderer. This would have been seen as a just duty
among Celtic siblings; even among foster-brothers. Máeldúin is caught between his culture’s
mores and the prescriptions of the Druid who has made the journey a
possibility. He finally relents,
however, and allows his foster-brothers to come aboard, against the Druid’s
warnings.
Following all of the Druid’s other prescriptions, they set sail and in
short time arrive – they believe in secret – at the island where the murderer
resides. When they try to go ashore,
however, the sea seems not to let them go in over the surf, stranding them in
motionless water just beyond the breakers.
The wild waters and the weather prohibit a safe landing and, after
several tries, Máeldúin and his crew are blown away from the isle and set out
upon the high-maned sea. It is here that their adventure really
begins. Once the sea is calm, they discern (by divination) that
it was the presence of the three extra passengers (the foster brothers) that threw
the Druid’s prescriptions ‘off kilter.'
Repentant and miserable, they go on_ unable to guide the boat where they
want it to go. Unable to return home,
they go wherever the wind and waves carry them, travelling from isle to
isle. From this point on, Máeldúin’s
voyage, which started off as an errand of revenge, becomes one of
self-discovery.
The company travels to almost three dozen mysterious islands in the
wide-maned sea, having marvelous adventures and making several harrowing
escapes along the way. Their adventures lure them toward new spiritual
horizons; they have grown significantly toward enlightenment, and they are now
‘content’ to live life a 'different way.'
Their spiritual transfiguration can be seen in what happens when they
come again – quite serendipitously – to the isle where the murderer of
Máeldúin’s father still lives. Máeldúin
comes ashore looking for food and lodging, and it is only once he is on the
isle that he recognizes it! The men on the island welcome Máeldúin and
his crew, giving them new clothes, and serving them a sumptuous meal, during
which the voyagers relate their adventures.
That night, Máeldúin meets his father's murderer and blesses him. The next day they sail back to Ireland.
╬
Thus this Immram ends as a
story of forgiveness. Máeldúin
experiences a kind of Pagan 'conversion' while journeying from isle to isle,
his ship being driven by the wild wind and strange currents. By the time he gets back to the island of his
father’s slayer, he has no desire to murder him in blood-vengeance, even though
the laws of ancient Ireland would have permitted him to execute his father’s
murderer!
╬
The Voyage of Saint Brendan is another unique tale and bodies-forth
deep insights for those willing to listen with an open mind. It has Pagan undercurrents and themes
suffusing it, and can be seen as a logical extension of the earlier tradition. Though Brendan of Clonfert has been
attributed with making as many as 12 voyages, the most significant manuscripts
cite two major voyages, one unsuccessful and the other successful. In the first of these, Brendan hears, from an
old saint, about "the Isle of Paradise" where the one they call ‘God’
reigns. This is essentially the same idea as what initiates the Voyage of
Bran, though clothed in Christian mythos. Inspired, Brendan prays for several days and
then, with the approval of his abbot, gathers up a crew who together build a
large wooden boat covered in animal skins, which make it like a olden corracle. They then go
off adventuring long upon the Sea, visiting a succession of mysterious
isles. They return to Ireland, however,
without finding the Isle of Paradise.
Saint Ita (Brendan’s foster-mother) then tells Brendan that the reason
he was unable to find the Blest Isle was that no ‘blood’ – of either man, woman
or animal – may enter Paradise. This
idea is tied to Old Testament proscriptions concerning blood and holiness,
translated into a Celtic milieu. But it
also evinces the Celtic idea that nothing living can enter into the Land of
Youth and reside there for very long without unforeseen consequences (as in the
Voyage of Bran). Brendan realizes that
he must therefore make a boat solely of wood (his coracle had been covered with animal
skins!) and try again to reach the Isle of Paradise. He builds the wooden boat, and then he
and his crew set sail once more. This
time he is successful. After visiting
many mysterious islands, he finally reaches the Isle of the Blest. There
he encounters his God in the animals and plants and in many strange inhabitants
of the isle. After his visit, he and his crew return to Ireland, ready for
a life of "divine work" (prayer) and service in ministry to
the unfortunate, outcast and widowed.
His voyage rendered for him the wisdom necessary to be able serve Christ;
the avatar of his god, in this life,
by showing him a Vision of the next life.
One of the many interesting themes that emerge from the fabric of
Brendan’s Voyages is the holiness of all life; which is a very old Pagan theme. All life is sacred. Celtic saints generally revered life in
whatever form it was found. They
esteemed animals as their ‘friends’ and had a deep respect for trees and stones
and the wide-maned sea. Love of live
fostered a zest for life in Celtic peoples, whether Pagan or Christian, that is
so often absent from religious practitioners today. Their sense of adventure and their intention to
live life to the fullest is something worth investing ourselves in today.
[If
you would like to explore the spirituality of the voyage and the journey, see
"The Fourth Way: The Way of Pilgrimage and the Immram," in my book, WellSprings of the Deer, 2002]
Some sources for further reading:
A Few Texts on Bran mac Febal:
Bran mac Febal’s story is not as well known as those of Máeldúin and
Brendan, and thus many of the things written about him are more or less
‘scholarly.’ Some of the classics are:
Kuno Meyer and Alfred Nutt, Immram Brain:
The Voyage of Bran (2 Vols. London: 1895-7);
Anton G. van Hamel, Immrama
(Dublin: 1941), pp. 1-19;
Séamus MacMathúna, Immram
Brain: Bran’s Journey to the Land
of Women (Tubingen: 1985).
Proisnias Maccana, “Mongan mac Fiachna and ‘Immram Brain’,” Ériu, 23 (1972), pp. 102-142; “On the Prehistory of Immram Brain,” Ériu 26 (1975) 33-52; and “The
Sinless World of Immram Brain,” Ériu 27 (1976) 95-115.
While these may be hard to find, a CD by Máire Breatnach called “The
Voyage of Bran” (Celtic Heartbeat, 1994) contains both the story of
Bran’s Voyage and artwork dealing with it, including an artist’s depiction of
the Ogham sticks that Bran carved at the end of his voyage.
A Few Texts on Máeldúin:
Matthews, Caitlín The Celtic Book of
the Dead
(New
York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992)
This is an excellent text, which goes
into detailed analyses of the various islands visited by Máeldúin and
interprets the whole book as a guidebook for the journey of the soul after
death.
McDowell, Patricia A. The
Voyage of Mael Duin
(Dublin,
1991)
Oskamp, H. P. A. The
Voyage of the Máel Dúin: A Study
(Groningen,
1970)
Sources on Brendan:
Ashe, Geoffrey Land
to the West: St. Brendan’s Voyage to
America
(Collins,
1962)
Bourgeailt, Cynthia
“The Monastic Archetype in the Navigatio of Saint Brendan.”
Monastic
Studies 14 (1983) 109‑122
MacDonald, Iain Saint Brendan (Floris Books,
1992)
O’Meara, John J. The
Voyage of Saint Brendan: Journey to the
Promised Land
(Dublin:
Dolmen Press, 1978)
Severin, Tim The
Brendan Voyage
(Arena, 1978)
