If his story is to be believed, he was over seventy years old when he embarked on the journey that has made his name famous worldwide. Musical works, films, novels, and numerous paintings are associated with him and his story, and in Ireland, where he was born in the late fifth century, his character is shrouded in myths and legends. His name was Naomh Bréanainn, but he is best known as Brendan the Navigator.
Brendan was a contemporary of the notable cleric and missionary Columba, and his biography, “Vita Sancti Columbae,” is the oldest surviving source (679 AD) that mentions Brendan. However, the main source is his own biography, “Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis,” whose author and date of writing are unknown. The oldest manuscript of this is from the 12th century.
Seven Years at Sea for Brendan and His Men
In his old age, after serving as an abbot for many years, Brendan decided sometime between the year 512 and 530 AD to embark on a journey in search of the “Island of the Blessed,” which was believed to lie west of Ireland. Accompanying Brendan were 14 monks and 3 servants, all of whom died during the journey, and their vessel was a currach—an Irish type of boat with a wooden frame over which animal hides were stretched—that Brendan had built for him on the Kerry coast of south-western Ireland. It was evidently a very sturdy craft, as the journey was a great adventure that lasted for 7 years. Soon after leaving port, the holy men got lost at sea and first arrived on a deserted island where one of the servants lost his life.
Onwards to the Island of the Blessed
From there, they sailed to the Sheep Islands and, after a short stay among the sheep, stranded their boat on the back of a gigantic fish named Jasconius, which they mistook for an island. They barely escaped with their lives when they realized it was a fish and not an island after lighting a fire on its back. They continued to the Island of Birds and then encountered thick fog. When they emerged from the mist, floating crystals appeared before them. Later, they came across an island inhabited by silent monks and another where very strong and large men lived, who threw fiery boulders at them. Finally, they reached the “Island of the Blessed,” where they rested and recuperated before joyfully returning to Ireland.
Thus concluded Brendan’s legendary sea voyage.
Sailing in the Wake of Brendan
In the many books that have been written about Brendan the Navigator, authors often try to make his travel story credible and interpret it in various ways. Some claim that he did not sail north or west but went south towards the Canary Islands and Madeira. Others are certain that the Sheep Islands are the Faroe Islands, the floating crystals were icebergs, and the giants who threw stones at them were volcanoes in Iceland.
As most people know, modern-day seafarer Tim Severin was so convinced that Brendan had sailed the northern seas that he built a similar craft to what Brendan would have needed for his journey and then sailed from Ireland to the Faroe Islands, then to Iceland, and finally west to the shores of North America. By completing the voyage he wanted to support the credibility of the legend of Brendan.
Text : Svanur Þorkelsson
