The Irish Celtic god Manannan mac Lir was a sea god and the ruler of the otherworld. His name may be derived from the name of the Isle of Man, with the ending “mac Lir” indicating that he is the son of the sea god Ler, whose position he seems to have usurped.
Manannan seems to be an ancient god that was associated with Ireland long before the more common tribe of gods, the Tuath De Danann, arrived. But Manannan allied himself with the Tuath De Danann. He fostered the Tuath De Danann god Lugh, gave many important treasures to the gods, and helped them establish their realm in the otherworld when they were expelled from “mortal” Ireland by the Milesians. He also describes himself as the foster son of Dagdu, tying him closer to the Tuath De Danann.
Sea God
Manannan was considered a god of the sea, and in many stories, he is described as controlling water. For example, he had a castle, and each night he would summon the ocean to form a moat around the castle, and he would let the water return during the day.
Manannan was also the ruler of several realms.
Lord of Emain Albach and Tir Tairngire
Manannan is described as the ruler of Emain Albach, the place of apples. The reference to apples may be significant for youth and vitality. In Norse mythology, the gods ate apples of youth cared for by the goddess Idunn. The apples of Email Albach may have had similar powers.
Manannan also held the Feast of Goibniu, which conferred eternal youth, and fed them Manannan’s Swine, which provided an inexhaustible food supply. This also parallels Norse mythology. Odin also had a pig that provided endless meat for the fallen warriors that dwell in Valhalla. Manannan brings his pigs back to life by placing their bones in a sty, mirroring the way that Thor brings his goats back to life.
It was in Emain Albach that Manannan raised the god Lugh as a foster son. He also gave Lugh the spear that he used to kill the Formian Balor.
He also ruled over Tir Tairngire, the Land of Promise, an island paradise of everlasting youth, beauty, joy, and abundance. It is possible that these are alternative names for the same place.
Ruler of the Otherworld
When the Tuath De Danann were defeated by the Milesians, they divided Ireland between them. The mortal realm above was taken by the Milesians, and the otherworld below the ground was given to the Tuath De Danann. It was Manannan who led the Tuath De Danann into the otherworld
Manannan divided up the otherworld between the gods and allotting them their sidhe or fairy mounds that acted as doorways between the world of the mortal and the world of the gods. He conceals their location using feth fiada, which is a mist of invisibility. As the controller of these mists, he is also a guide between the realms.
Manannan rarely visits the world of the living, but when he does, he rides in a chariot that floats across the waves. The chariot wheel is the source of the triskelion symbol associated with Manannan, which mirrors the triskelion associated with the Norse god Odin.
Keeper of Magical Objects
Many magical objects, used by Celtic gods and heroes, seem to have been made by or possessed by Manannan. They were associated with him as a trickster and master of illusion.
He owns a self-navigating boat named Sguaba Tuinne (wave-sweeper), a horse called Aonbharr, which can run on water as well as land, and a sword called Fragarach, which always strikes mortal blows. These mirror several Norse treasures. Freyr had a boat Skidbladnir, that always had a good wind and could be folded up like a piece of paper and carried in your pocket. Odin had a steed Sleipnir, with eight legs that could run equally fast over land, water, or through the air. Freyr also had an unbeatable sword that could fight on its own.
Manannan loaned his boat and horse to Lugh to fight with the Fomorians, and also gave him a full array of armour and weapons. Lugh wore a helmet from Manannan helmet called Cathbarr, which was set with two precious gems, one on the front and one on the rear. He also wore body armour and a breastplate provided by Manannan. He commissioned the craftsman Lucra to make him a shield made of wood.
The god is the owner of the corrbolg (crane bag) full of treasures. He was sent a woman called Aiofe who was transformed into a crane for 200 years by a jealous love rival. When she died, he crafted her skin into a magical treasure bag, the contents of which are only visible during full tide. The bag appears empty at low tide. Inside the bag are a shirt, knife, smith’s hook and belt of the god Goibniu, the shears of the king of Scotland, the helmet of the king of Lochlann, a belt of fish-skin, and the bones of the pig Asal.
Manannan also used magical objects. He shook a cloak of forgetfulness between his adulterous wife and her lover so that they would forget one another. He has a silver branch with golden apples that produces soothing music that could put anyone to sleep. He also had a goblet of truth and lies, which he gave to Cormac mac Airt.
A Trickster
In many stories, Manannan is known as a trickster, in the style of the Norse god Loki. For example, in one story, he goes to visit a king who has been disrespecting his gods to teach him a lesson. Like the shape-shifting Norse god Loki, he used a magical cloak to change his appearance.
He makes a menace of himself at the king’s court, and the king orders him to be hanged. He is seized by the king’s men and hung up. But, the next day, when the king is satisfied that they have dealt with the troublemaker, Manannan appears and asks the king why he has killed his best warrior. He looks at the hanging man and sees that it is not the troublemaker, but indeed his best warrior. They seize Manannan and hang him again, but as you can imagine, the same thing happens. It happens a third time, and then Manannan revives the dead, the lesson learned.
Manannan and Christianity
Some oral folklore pit Manannan against Saint Patrick to represent the struggle between paganism and Christianity.
According to one tale, Manannan invites St Patrick to his castle for a feast, but Patrick is warned by a servant not to eat the food because it is poisoned. In retaliation, Patrick turns Manannan into a giant eel or salmon, or he is placed in a bottle and sent to the bottom of the ocean to guard his iron treasure chest until the end of time.
In another story, Manannan is a druid who challenges St Patrick over whose god is more powerful. Manannan covered the land in darkness, but Parick prayed to god and expelled the darkness.
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