Celtic Island Folklore

Welsh folklore tells of the phantom Druid priestesses who sometimes appear on the shore of the Isle of Anglesey. They are a harbinger of tragedy.

As someone who grew up in South Florida in the US, when I think of island culture, I picture palm trees, blistering heat, and bustling cities overpacked with tourists. But imagine this: a misty island that’s only visible once every seven years and is inhabited by big black rabbits. Picture another island of forests and waterfalls. As you wander through the forest, you encounter an ogre-like creature with tusks and claws, Its body covered with black hair. Do you run? Do you try to make contact? Or consider this: an island, once home to Druids, that now is rumored to have phantom priestesses who appear to warn of impending danger. Today’s post explores these islands—and more—from Celtic folklore.

Naturally, you know, Ireland and the Isle of Man are islands. Scotland and Wales co-exist on an island the Romans called Britannia. Many of you, but maybe not all, will know that other islands that are a part of these Celtic nations. For example, the Scottish Hebrides and Ireland’s Aran Islands. The post today focuses on folklore from or about those smaller islands that are connected to the main island. The exceptions are the Isle of Man since I haven’t devoted much blog space to Manx folklore, and a couple of Welsh islands that are located within Wales itself.  Let’s start with the Isle of Man.

A Pinch of Manx Folklore and Folk Customs

The black-haired and tusked being I mentioned above is a Buggane. An elusive race, they live in forests and often are seen near waterfalls. Manx folklore says they will not bother you as long as you don’t bother them. If you see one, I would advise against trying to make contact, no matter how well-meant it is. In addition to having those sharp tusks and claws, Bugganes are magical. So, move along. Quietly.

Stand by Ukraine

Another magical race of the Isle of Man is the Fenodryees. Like the famed Scottish Brownies, Fenodryees are domestic faeries who, for reasons known only to themselves, adopt a human or family to help with household chores, farm work, or fishing. Although small of stature (think of Harry Potter’s Dobby, the House Elf, Fenodryees are tremendously strong and very fast. They can be wonderfully helpful and ask little in return. Just to be treated with respect and appreciation. But it’s never wise to offend a faerie. In the case of Brownies, they’ll leave you forever. Before leaving, they’ll trash your house. The sharp-toothed Fenodryees, on the other hand, will bite your legs off!

The Manx people are said to be descendants of settlers from Scotland and Ireland, so it’s not surprising that they share folklore and many folk customs in common. For example, the Isle of Man is named after Manannan Mac Lir, the Irish god of the Otherworld. However, the Manx have some customs and holidays that are unique to them. One of those holidays is Oie Noo Markys, aka St. Mark’s Day.

Taking place on April 24^th, it is a time, like Samhain, when the veil between the worlds is thin. It’s also a good time for divination. One activity associated with this holiday is a phantom parade. Folklore says that, if you sit on a church porch between 11 PM and 1 AM on the night of Oie Noo Markys, you can watch an otherworldly procession of the souls of those who will die in the coming year. This entertainment—if you can call it that—comes with a risk. You could see yourself marching among those destined to die!

Ireland’s Hy-Brasil and Aran Islands: Two Different Worlds

I mentioned in the introduction a mysterious island that only appears every seven years. According to folklore, this island to the west of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean, is called Hy-Brasil. And it truly is a mystery because no one knows for sure whether it is simply the stuff of folktales or if such an island actually existed. Hy-Brasil was listed on European navigation maps from the 14^th century up until the 19^th century. Throughout history, some people have claimed to have seen  it. Others have sworn they’ve been there even though the lore says the island can sometimes be seen but never reached by humans.

The Aran Islands of Ireland are renowned for their handmade sweaters, just one of the traditional crafts still practiced by the residents of the three islands.

Hy-Brasil, according to Irish mythology, is a part of the Otherworld and is occupied by gods and goddesses. Other writings say it is inhabited by priests and monks who practice advanced magic. Still others claim it is an island of big black rabbits and a strange magician. What is the truth? It’s hard to say, especially since the island has disappeared from sight—and from navigation maps.

The Aran Islands, off the coast of mainland Ireland and just west of County Galway, are absolutely real. Part of the Gaeltacht (regions of Ireland where Irish is the primary language), the Aran Islands group is composed of three islands. They are Inis Mór (Inishmore), Inis Meáin (Inismaan), and Inis Oirr (Inisheer). Inis Mór is the largest and most populous island. At the time of this writing, it was home to about 800 people. Although improved technology and tourism have begun to have a modernizing effect on the culture of these islands, the residents have continued to practice traditional crafts and have safeguarded Ireland’s traditional cultural heritage.

The best-known traditional craft of the islands is the art of making Aran sweaters (or jumpers). These aren’t any old run-of-the-mill wool pullovers to keep you warm. The sweaters are handmade with a pattern of about 100,000 stitches of different kinds. Each jumper takes about six months to create. Every type of stitch is symbolic. For example, the diamond stitch represents wealth and success, while the zig-zag stitch is said to symbolize the islands’ winding cliff paths. The varying stitches create a pattern. Each family has its own pattern, so the sweater patterns are similar to the Scottish tartan.

If you’d like to learn how to make an Aran Island sweater or learn other traditional Irish crafts, there are numerous workshops offered on Inis Oirr. Click here to go to the discoverinisoirr.com website to learn more about the classes and costs.

Any lover of wild beauty, wildlife, and / or Celtic folklore will want to visit Seal Island.

You can view the colony from the coast road on Inis Mór, about one mile from Cill Mhuirbhigh (Kurmurvy) Beach.

What do seals have to do with Celtic folklore? Have you never heard of the Selkies? Well, let me tell you.

You can take a trap and pony ride to view the Seal Colony just off Inis Mór, but are they seals or selkies?

Selkies are faeries from Scottish and Irish folklore who, in their natural form, look like seals. They have the ability, however, to take on human form and walk on land. They accomplish the transformation by removing their skin. The Selkie females, in their human form, look like exquisitely beautiful women. Without their skin, however, they cannot change back into their seal selves. In folklore, human men force Selkie females into marrying them by hiding the skin. In the end, it doesn’t really pay off. No matter how long the Selkie is married to the human and no matter how many children they have together, she will always yearn to return to the sea and constantly will search for her skin. Once she finds it, she will leave husband and children without a second glance.

You can learn more about Celtic shapeshifters by reading my post, “Don’t Believe Your Eyes:

Seven Celtic Shapeshifters.”

So, the question is: when you look at the colony on Seal Island, are you looking at fascinating, adorable sea animals or are you seeing faerie shapeshifters who are watching you back?

Wales: Enchanted and Haunted Islands on an Island

It may sound strange that an island can have islands within it, but Wales does. So does Scotland. They have numerous lakes and rivers, many of which have islands in them. Here's some fascinating lore about two Welsh islands.

According to Welsh folklore, there is an invisible faerie island in the middle of a lake (Llyn Cwm Llwch) in the Brecon Beacons (a mountain range in South Wales). Each year, on Beltane (May Day), a door would appear in a rock on one of the mountain paths. Humans who went through the door were transported to the beautiful island of flowers, butterflies, and songbirds. The faeries welcomed the humans with all hospitality--food, drink, music, and dancing. There was only one condition: the humans couldn't take anything away with them when they left. One Beltane, a man snuck a flower into his pocket and returned home. (There's one in every crowd!) After which, he promptly dropped dead. The enraged faerie queen sealed the door, vowing never again to allow humans on her island. 

Each year, on Beltane, the faerie queen of an enchanted island in a Welsh lake welcomed humans to her island with abundant hospitality until one man incurred her wrath. It didn't end well.

The Isle of Anglesey in Wales was a druid stronghold until the Romans invaded and slaughtered them. This was no easy task. Initially, the sight of the druids and black-robed women frenzied and cursing on the island’s shore paralyzed the battle-hardened Roman soldiers with fear. Their commander eventually persuaded his soldiers to attack. Ultimately, the Romans slaughtered all of the island’s residents. (You can read about Tacitus’ account here.)

Ever since, strange things have happened on the island. Here are two examples.  

A) Phantom priestesses: women robed in black and carrying torches are said to appear on the island's shore just before fierce storms. Sometimes, they appear to individuals as a harbinger of personal tragedy.

B) On the island is an ancient burial chamber (Bryn Celli Ddu). Built in circa 3000 B.C., it is aligned to the sun on the summer solstice. Locals claim that strange lights and shadowy figures often appear at the site near dawn and process through an ancient ritual.

I can’t leave Anglesey without mentioning Cath Palug, a supernatural killer cat that, according to folklore, plagued the island’s residents until Sir Cay, a Knight of the Round Table, finally managed (on his third try) to kill the cat. Or maybe not. There is more lore that says the cat continues to stalk victims who wander near Welsh rivers and lakes. You can read the full story of Cath Palug here.

What About Scotland?

All right. Don’t get in an uproar. I haven’t forgotten about Scotland. In fact, I’m celebrating it! According to the Scottish government, Scotland has approximately 900 islands. Yes, you read that right. Not all of them are inhabited, but 118 of them are. And they’ve produced some wonderful folklore. One of my favorites is the creation myth that tells the story of how the Shetland and Orkney islands were formed by teeth falling out of the mouth of an exploding dragon! So, I’m devoting the next post to the folklore and folk customs of the Scottish islands. Hope to see you then.

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All artwork for this post (except for the Ukranian flag and the GIF) by Christine Dorman via Bing Image Creator.

Slán go fóill

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