Celtic fairy traditions
Manannán mac Lir
Manannán appears as a shape-changing musician and as a divine ruler whose chariot crosses the sea. His disguises bring the Otherworld into contact with human courts. In Cormac’s journey he reveals himself as king of the Land of Promise and explains the fountain, branch, and truth-testing cup. The visitor returns with gifts whose ownership ends at death.
Also known as Manannán
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In the sources
Principal account
ReportedManannán appears as a shape-changing musician and as a divine ruler whose chariot crosses the sea. His disguises bring the Otherworld into contact with human courts.
Further detail
ReportedIn Cormac’s journey he reveals himself as king of the Land of Promise and explains the fountain, branch, and truth-testing cup. The visitor returns with gifts whose ownership ends at death.
Context & interpretation
Evans-Wentz combines named informants, manuscript narratives, and his own psychical theory in a 1911 survey. This entry preserves those distinctions: collected belief and literary tradition do not establish the physical existence of an Otherworld.
Original passages
Source 1
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
(Oisin).^ In Gilla de, who is Manannan mac Lir, the greatest magician of the Tuatha De Danann, disguised as a being who canOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Celtic fairy traditions; active reader leaf 330
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0045-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0045-E001-P0330
- Original scan leaf
- 331
- Recorded leaf number
- 331
- Current Reader position
- 326
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
am * Manannan, son of Ler, king of the Land of Promise ; and to see the Land of Promise was the reason I brought [thee']Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Celtic fairy traditions; active reader leaf 373
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0045-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0045-E001-P0373
- Original scan leaf
- 374
- Recorded leaf number
- 374
- Current Reader position
- 369
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Silver Apple Branch
An Otherworld token whose music brings sleep and delight.
Same subject and traditionAengus Óg
The youthful god associated with the enchanted palace of the Boyne.
Same subject and traditionDagda
Divine king who assigns the Sidhe palaces and negotiates with conquerors.
Same subject and traditionDana
The goddess whose name defines the Tuatha Dé Danann in Evans-Wentz’s survey.