Voyage of Máel Dúin
The Voyage of Máel Dúin's Boat or Imran Curaig Maile Duin was probably first composed in the 8th century, but preserved in an 11th century manuscript called the Book of the Dun Cow. Only the middle section of the tale survived, however. The full tale can be found in the Yellow Book of Lecan, from the 14th century.
Although the characters were Christians, they journeyed from one otherworldly island to another, encountering magic and monsters from the Celtic pagan world.
The Origin of the Quest
Raiders from the sea burned down a church, killing Ailill Ochair Aga, a chieftain of the tribe of Owenacht from Ninus. Ailill was the lover of a nun who was still pregnant with Ailill's child at the time of the raid.
After the nun gave birth to a son, she named him Máel Dúin (Mael Duin or Maeldun). The nun was the sister of a queen. Instead of raising her son by herself, she gave the child to her sister. The queen had three sons of her own, but she loved Máel Dúin as if he were her own son. Máel Dúin's true parents were kept from him. Máel Dúin was brought up like a prince and grew into a strong young man.
However, one day he found out from one jealous companion that he was not truly the son of the King and Queen of Owenacht. Upset with the news, but determined to find out who his true parents were, Máel Dúin confronted the queen. At first the Queen would not say anything, but finally she relented and told him the truth.
Máel Dúin discovered that a nun was his mother and that pirates had killed his father before he was born.
Máel Dúin was determined to avenge his father's death upon the pirates. A Druid told Máel Dúin to build a curragh or curaig made out of three thick hides.
The number of companions who journeyed with Máel Dúin ranged from 17 to 60, depending on which source you read. Anyway, the Druid placed a geis on Máel Dúin that he should only take 17 companions with him. Among his companions were Diurán Lekerd and Germán (Germane)
As they set sail, Máel Dúin's three beloved foster-brothers wanted to go with him on the voyage. Máel Dúin had already chosen his 17 companions however, because of the Druid's warning.
His three foster-brothers threatened to swim after him, which most likely they would have drowned. Reluctantly, Máel Dúin allowed his foster-brothers to come aboard the boat.
By ignoring the Druid's warning, Máel Dúin had violated his geis, making his journey last longer than needed to and putting more hardship upon everyone.
Related Information
Name
Máel Dúin, Mael Duin, Maeldun.
Sources
Imran Curaig Maile Duin (Voyage of Mael Duin's Boat) from the Book of the Dun Cow and the Yellow Book of Lecan.
Lost at Sea
After sailing a whole day and night, they arrived on the first island. Before they could land, they heard one man boasting to another, saying that he had killed Ailill and burned down the church after it. Máel Dúin realised that he had found his father's murderer.
Voyage of Maél Dúin
Before they could land on the island and attack the pirates, a fierce storm broke out and drove them off course. Máel Dúin (Mael Duin) realised that God was punishing him for breaking his geis that the Druid had set upon him. His long journey had only just begun.
Before their journey ended, they would come across many adventures and dangers, witnessing many fabulous sights. Some of the dangers were easily avoided by sailing away from the island, not even setting foot on land. Some of their other hardships were mainly insufficient food and drinking water during their long voyage.
Three days after the wild storm, they came across an island inhabited by giant ants. It was just as well that they didn't set foot on the island, because the ants were looking at them as food. They immediately sailed away from the island when the ants appeared on the beach.
Three days after the encounter with the ants, they were short on food. The voyagers came upon an island with terraces and large trees. All around they found birds. Máel Dúin and his crew caught and killed as many birds as possible, to replenish their food supply.
They came upon another island three days later, where they saw a monster waiting at the shore. As they drew closer, Máel Dúin saw that the creature was shaped like the body of a large horse, but with the legs of a dog.
When the boat drew even closer, the monster became terribly excited, frightening Máel Dúin and his men. Máel Dúin immediately ordered his companions to turn the boat around and row away. The monster became angry when its prey began to escape, so it started hurling large pebbles at the retreating boat.
They next came upon another island and it was seemingly deserted. Máel Dúin sent Diurán and Germán to explore the island. The voyagers came upon a large green racetrack and signs of large hoof prints. When they reported back to Máel Dúin, they were alarmed and immediately set out for the sea.
When they left the shore, they saw giant riders who looked more like demons, mounted on equally gigantic horses. These riders immediately began a horse race. Máel Dúin and his crew were relieved to find that they had left the island before they were spotted.
Máel Dúin and his crew were suffering from hunger and thirst after being at sea for days without finding food. They came upon a deserted island and found an empty house. This house had an abundance of food. They stayed on the island for a while before leaving again.
Before they arrived at the next island, they ran out of food again. On this new island, there was a single gigantic apple tree. It branches extended out to sea. They sailed around the island for three days before Máel Dúin broke one of the branches that had a cluster of apples. This supplied them with food and drink that lasted for forty days and nights.
On the next island, they encountered strange horse-like creatures. They saw these creatures tearing the skin and flesh of each other. Máel Dúin decided not to land on this island.
They next came upon an island surrounded by walls. They saw a monster upon a flat stone platform, performing its daily exercise. The exercise involved turning his body around and around without moving his skin. This strange creature would do this for some time and then rest for awhile, before continuing with the exercise. Sometimes, the creature would stop and run around the entire length of the island before performing its exercise.
When the creature spotted them sailing away from the island, it tried to prevent them from escaping. Seeing that the boat was out of reach, it began hurling large, round rocks at them. One of the rocks punched a hole through Máel Dúin's shield and lodged itself into keel of the boat.
They began to run out of food again, when they reached another island. They saw trees bearing fruits, probably apples, and some animals that looked like pigs. However, as they drew closer, the animals looked as if they had been set ablaze. These creatures would shake the fruits out of the trees before eating them.
Máel Dúin and his men were afraid to approach the island. Fortunately, they stayed long enough out in the sea to witness how they might gain a fresh supply of food.
Sea birds stayed afloat on the sea until nighttime, when the flaming pig-like creatures would move inland to rest. The flock of birds could then safely eat the apples as the fiery creatures slept for the night. Máel Dúin saw that that was the best option for them to gain new food.
The next night, as the fiery creatures retired for the night, Máel Dúin and his crew landed their boat on the island. They gathered as much of the apples as they could load on the curaig. They left the island before dawn.
The next island had a large palace. They discovered that the island was deserted, except that the palace was filled with cats. The palace had some treasures along the wall. One of the treasures was a row of gold and silver brooches; the second row had a number of necklaces in silver and gold. The last set of treasures was a row of swords with gold and silver hilts.
More importantly, they also found in the dining room that an abundance of food and drinks were already set on the table. The cats ignored Máel Dúin and his friends when they sat at the table and ate their fill. They rested in the palace for the night.
In the morning, Máel Dúin's elder brother eyed the treasure with greed. He asked Máel Dúin, shouldn't they take the treasure with them. Máel Dúin wisely told him that they shouldn't repay the cats' hospitality by stealing their treasures.
As they left the palace, the eldest foster-brother ignored Máel Dúin's caution, and took one of the necklaces with him. The cats began glowing like fire as they immediately set out in pursuit against one of the foster-brothers of Máel Dúin. They swarmed over Máel Dúin's foster-brother, reducing him to ashes. Then the cats returned to the palace.
Máel Dúin took the necklace back to the palace and apologised to the cats before leaving.
Máel Dúin gathered his foster-brother's ashes, and they sailed out to sea. Máel Dúin and his crew grieved for the lost of their first companion.
Three days later, they came upon an island which was divided by two brass walls. In the middle was a shepherd, surrounded by flocks of sheep. The shepherd would throw a white sheep over one wall, and this sheep would turn black in colour. And when the shepherd threw a black sheep over the other side of the other wall, it would turn immediately into a white sheep.
Máel Dúin and his companions were astonished at these phenomena. They tested this phenomenon, by throwing a white stone on one side of the island. They saw that the stone had turned black. When they threw a black stone on the other side of the island, it turned white. They decided to avoid landing on the island.
They next came upon a new island where they slaughtered one of the pigs, while Diurán and Germán were sent to explore the island. The two friends were heading towards the mountain when they were blocked by a river. Germán stuck one end of his spear into the water, and the spearhead melted off as if it were placed in a furnace. So they avoided the river and headed in the other direction.
Soon they encountered a giant shepherd, guarding an equally giant herd of sheep. The shepherd warned them not to frighten his sheep. So the friends informed Máel Dúin of what they had seen, and they left the island.
On the next island, they saw a tall miller who would grind corn for the local population. But that wasn't all that the mill would ground. Precious stones and other wealth were also ground.
When Máel Dúin asked the miller why he ground them, the miller told him that he was the Miller from Hell, and that his mill was called the Mill of Inbher-Tre-Cenand. The miller would grind all of an owner's treasures if the owner were dissatisfied with their wealth.
The next island was populated with black people who also dressed in black clothing. Máel Dúin sent his second foster-brother to investigate the island. When he met a crowd of people, he found everyone weeping. The foster-brother was also overcome with sorrow and started weeping.
When his foster-brother didn't return, Máel Dúin sent two people to find him. These two companions not only didn't find his foster-brother, but also began to lament when they joined the crowd.
With growing concern for his missing people, Máel Dúin sent four more companions to rescue his friends, with instructions to cover their mouths and noses with their mantles, in order to avoid directly breathing the air on the island.
The four companions only managed to find and bring back two missing men, but not Máel Dúin's foster-brother. They had no choice but to sail away, leaving his second foster-brother behind.
On the next island that they stopped at, there were four walls that divided the island. These four walls met at the centre of the island. Each wall was made out of the following materials: gold, silver, copper and crystal. Kings resided in the first division, the queens in the second, youths in the third and maidens in the fourth.
When they landed on the island, the maidens welcomed them, offering them food and beds. When they slept, they did not wake up until three days later in their boat. The island was nowhere in sight.
Related Information
Name
Máel Dúin, Mael Duin, Maeldun
Sources
Imran Curaig Maile Duin (Voyage of Mael Duin's Boat) from the Book of the Dun Cow and the Yellow Book of Lecan.
Isle of the Crystal Bridge
On the next island, they came across a crystal bridge with a palace on one end, and a fountain on the other end of the bridge. They saw a beautiful woman leave the palace, cross the bridge, and fill her pail with water from the fountain before returning to her home. The voyagers thought that she was lovely enough to become Máel Dúin's wife. The woman rang a magic bell, causing the companions to fall into a peaceful slumber.
The next morning they woke and saw the maiden again, retrieving water from the fountain again. They fell asleep immediately after she sounded the bell that morning, and again the next morning as well.
On the fourth day since their arrival, she welcomed Máel Dúin and his men to join her companion. The woman was dressed like a queen, with a golden circle upon her head. She welcomed each of Máel Dúin's companions by name. After their meal, Máel Dúin's companions hoped that the woman would take their leader as her husband. The maiden politely refused.
The next day, the men once again asked the maiden to allow Máel Dúin to become her suitor. She told them that she would decide on a plan the next day.
When Máel Dúin and his companion woke the next morning, they found that they were out on the sea, in their boat, with the island of the crystal bridge gone.
They next came upon an island filled with birds that spoke with human voices. They didn't stay on this island, but sailed to a nearby island.
On this island, the voyagers met a naked hermit, clothed by long grey hair. The hermit informed them that he had come from Erin (Ireland). The hermit realised that he had a hole in his boat. He had a grassy soil from his homeland in his boat. In a dream, he was told to throw the sod into the sea. Instead of sinking, the sod grew a foot in each direction, each year. Year by year, the sod grew into a little island, and after awhile trees began to grow on the island.
The hermit also told them that the birds that lived on the island were the souls of his children. These birds brought him food.
The voyagers stayed with for three days and three nights, before they left the hermit.
The voyagers were approaching another island, where they could hear the sound of a hammer ringing in the forge. The sound was so loud that it was obvious that the hammer was not wielded by an ordinary blacksmith. They were actually giant blacksmiths.
Although they could not see these giants, the voyagers definitely heard them trying to whisper as the companions approached the island. Their whispering could be heard miles away. The giants were really eager for them to come ashore. The giant blacksmiths were hoping to capture them as the main course of their next meal.
Máel Dúin was alarmed at the giants' words that they would attack them. Máel Dúin whispered his order to row backward, without turning their boat around.
At first, the giants thought that the boat was still heading towards their shore, yet the boat was actually moving further and further away from the island.
One of the giants angrily rushed out of his forge with large, red-hot iron masses. The blacksmith threw the pieces of hot iron as hard as he could. Luckily, the missiles fell well short of their target, landing in the water. The seawater boiled and bubbled around the boat.
They saw the next island from a distance, where a herdsman was guarding a herd of oxen. The herdsman was armed with a shield, spear and a sword. The voyagers also saw a monster in a nearby tree that was ready to leap on its prey.
Instead of confronting the monster when he sighted the beast, the herdsman immediately fled. The monster leapt and devoured the largest oxen without taking a bite, swallowing its prey whole. Once again, Máel Dúin ordered his companions to turn their boat around and row for their lives.
On the next island, they were confronted by people who thought the voyagers were pirates or raiders. The islanders began hurling nuts at the voyagers, hoping to drive them away. The voyagers didn't land on the island, but they did gather all of the nuts to replenish their dwindling food supplies.
They then came to an island where there was a water sprout from the sea on one side of the island, flowing to the other side of the island in the form of an arch or a rainbow. The island underneath the water arch remained dry. As they looked on in wonder, they realised that they could fish from the arch. Large quantities of salmon fell out of the arch. The voyagers gathered and hoarded as many salmon as they could on their boat, before they left.
The next great sight they saw was a giant, eight-sided silver pillar in the middle of the sea. The pillar was so high that the top disappeared somewhere in the sky. They also found a large silver net hanging on one side of the pillar. Yet, the mesh was so large that their boat easily sailed right through it.
As they passed through the net, Diurán cut out a large piece of the mesh. Diurán explained to his companion that he wished to take some proof back to Erin (Ireland) of what he had witnessed when he returned home. Diurán told them that he would place the silver mesh in the shrine of the church in Armagh, in honour of their God.
They came across another island called Encos or Aonchos, with a single pillar at the centre of the island. They could not find any place to land their boat, so they left.
Related Information
The Queen and her Magic Clew
Then they came to a large island with a large palace. They landed and found that the palace was inhabited by many beautiful maidens. They invited the voyagers to stay with them.
Among the beautiful maidens was a fair queen. The Queen was a widow and these maidens were her children from her previous marriage. As ruler of the island, she had to go to the Great Plain daily to administer justice among her people.
The Queen told the travelers that they no longer had to wander the sea in hardship. On this otherworldly island, they would not age or fall sick.
They stayed in the palace with the queen and her daughters for three months in winter. During that time, Máel Dúin had become the Queen's lover. However, the men became restless and wanted to return home, to Erin. Máel Dúin told them that they shouldn't leave, since no greater kingdom could be found anywhere on Erin. Yet, Máel Dúin refused to stay if his companions wished to leave.
So the following morning, they embarked when the Queen was absent at the Great Plain. As the boat left the shore, the queen rode up to shore with a magic ball of thread (clew) in her hand and threw it to the boat, while holding one end of the thread with other hand.
Máel Dúin caught the ball of thread, and he could not let go of the ball. The Queen easily pulled them back to the harbour. The Queen angrily admonished them for trying to leave. She placed a geis upon the entire crew that if they tried to leave, one of them would always catch the ball of thread, so she could pull them back to the harbour.
So for nine months, they were forced to stay on the island. Each time they tried to leave, she would always bring them back, because Máel Dúin always stood and caught the ball. So finally one day, they decided that someone other than Máel Dúin should catch the ball, when they tried to sail away.
The next morning, they immediately set out for the sea in their boat. The Queen came as usual, mounted on her horse, with the magic ball of thread in her hand. She unerringly threw the ball at the boat. This time, someone else caught the ball in his hand. As the Queen started to pull the thread towards her, Diurán stood up and cut off his companion's hand. The hand still holding the ball of thread fell into the sea, allowing them to finally escape.
When the Queen and her daughters saw them leaving, they wept over the loss of the men from Ireland.
(Please note that this island and their queen were probably the same as the one the story called the Voyage of Bran. See the Isle of Women, if you are interested in it.)
The voyagers sailed through days of fairly rough sea before they reached another island that was deserted. There were tall trees bearing strange fruits that they had never seen before.
It was decided by drawing lots that Máel Dúin would try the fruit before anyone else. The moment he ate the fruit, he fell into a trance-like slumber. The companions grew concerned when they couldn't wake him, and they had difficulty in telling if Máel Dúin was even alive or not.
Máel Dúin woke the next morning. He felt refreshed and told them that he had never eaten any fruit that was so delicious. Máel Dúin ordered his companions to collect the fruits and make wine out of the strange berries. Even the aroma from pressing the fruits caused them to fall into intoxicated sleep. So they had to dilute the wine with a large quantity of water.
They next came upon a large island where they found a hermit. The hermit told them how he was on a pilgrimage with fifteen other followers, following the path of Brendan of Birra. The other pilgrims had died after living a long time on the island. The hermit permitted the voyagers to take what they needed as supplies when they were ready to leave.
The next morning, they witnessed several giant birds that landed on the highest hill. One of the birds was old. The two younger birds plucked off the feathers from the older bird for three days. When the feathers were removed, the old bird bathed itself in a large lake. When the bird emerged from the lake, the ancient bird was transformed into a strong, young bird. Then the great bird flew back where it had come from.
Seeing this phenomena, Diurán decided to bathe in the lake, despite the misgivings of the other members. The others thought that entering the lake would probably have the opposite effect: changing them into old men. Only Diurán didn't hesitate.
After Diurán bathed in the lake, he remained young and healthy for the rest of his life.
Máel Dúin and his companions came upon an island with a small town. They saw a crowd of people laughing and having a good time in their pastimes. It was decided by drawing lots that Máel Dúin's third foster-brother should explore the island.
When the young man entered the town, he immediately joined the activity, and couldn't help himself from laughing. Meanwhile, back on the boat, Máel Dúin and his companions worried when he didn't return. Fearing to send anyone after his missing foster-brother, they decided to abandon him on the island.
(This island was similar to the one the Voyage of Bran, where Bran also lost one of his companions. It could even possibly be the same island. See Isle of Women in the Voyage of Bran.)
On the next island, they saw a walled town where the rampart continuously revolved around the small town. There was a gate that revolved around the wall, so whenever the gate was in front of the voyagers, they could see almost the entire town. What they saw was that everyone was well-dressed and happy, attending feasts and singing songs.
Despite the happy mood of the town, they never set foot on the island. (The possibility was that these people were dead and they were residing on the Isle of the Blest, Heaven or the Underworld.)
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Forgiveness and Homecoming
After leaving the Isle of the Blest, their boat came across another hermit. The hermit was on his knees, praying on the rock surrounded by the sea. When they approached this old man, the hermit told a story about why he was on this rock.
The hermit had originally come from the island of Tory, serving as a cook in a monastery. He had secretly stolen gold and silver artefacts from the monastery, and he kept some items while selling others.
One day, he had to bury a man in a graveyard, but the voice warned him not to bury the body there. The voice came from the grave itself, the grave of a holy man. The voice told him that the other body was a body of sinner. In return for not burying the sinner with the holy man, the voice promised to help the digger to gain everlasting life in heaven. So the digger buried the other body in another area of the island.
Some time later he had a curragh or curaig (boat) built. The former cook enjoyed the view of the beautiful island from the sea, so he decided to live on the boat for awhile. The thief took all the stolen treasure with him and lived just off the coast from the island.
He stayed on the boat for a time, before a storm drove him from the island and he became lost. When the storm abated, he was astonished to see an old man standing on water.
When the old man spoke, he recognised the voice as the one who spoke to him in the graveyard. The holy man told him that he was being punished for his thefts at the monastery, as well for his pride, greed and other vices. The holy man told him that unless he did what the holy man said, the thief would be eternally tormented in hell. Left without much choice, he followed the holy man's instructions.
His first task was to throw all the stolen valuables into the sea. The holy man gave him seven pieces of cake and a cup of watery whey. Then when he left the holy man, his boat drifted through the open sea until it stopped upon the first piece of land. But this land was only a rock.
Once he set foot on the rock, the boat immediately drifted away, while the rock he was standing began to grow in height, so the surf didn't wet him. As a hermit, he lived on the rock, surviving on just the seven cakes and the watery whey for seven years. When the cakes and whey ran out, an otter brought salmon for him to eat and firewood each day for another seven years. After this, the otter ceased bringing food to him, but he received half a cake, a slice of fish and cup of ale, each morning.
During all that time on the rock, the hermit spent his hour praying and doing penance for his crimes and sins. The rock had continuously grown daily, until it became a small island.
After his tale, the hermit then gave them the same amount of food that he received each day. Before the voyagers left the hermit, he told Máel Dúin that they would return home safely, but only if Máel Dúin forgave the killer of his father (Ailill Ochair Aga) didn't harm him.
Several days after leaving the hermit on the rock, they saw a falcon commonly seen in Erin (Ireland). They used the falcon as a guide to sail their way home.
After a whole day of hard rowing, heading southeast, until they came upon the same island that they had first seen. The island was where his father's murderer was living. Arriving on the island, he came upon the house where he overheard the pirates' conversation.
They had obviously heard that Máel Dúin had suffered great hardship on the sea. His father's killer told them that if he ever met Máel Dúin, he would ask him to forgive him, and give him a warm reception.
When Máel Dúin heard this, he was no longer angry with the killer. Máel Dúin announced that he had returned and he forgave his father's killer. The pirate joyfully welcomed him, providing a feast for the tired voyagers. They in return told of their adventures and hardship.
When the voyagers decided to sail home, the pirates gave each of them gifts. Máel Dúin and his companions finally reached home, where his mother and foster-parents joyfully greeted them.
As Diurán had promised, he took the silver mesh to the church in Armagh, as a symbol of their great adventure.
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By Jimmy Joe
