Bran Mac Febail receives a visit to his castle from a mystical woman from the Otherworld, who makes wonderful music sound with a silver branch. She tells him that this branch comes from the apple tree in the land of Emain Ablach, the paradise island in the ocean. After her disappearance, Bran equips a boat and sets off in search of the island with three times nine companions. On the third day they meet Manannan Mac Lír, who tells Bran about the birth of his son and directs them to a world of everlasting happiness. There, however, Bran cannot learn anything about his further journey, as all the inhabitants only laugh all the time, and even a messenger sent by him eventually remains laughing on the island. Later, they land on the shore of an island inhabited only by women, where they live happily for many years – this time, however, seems like a single year.
Bran’s companion Nechtan Mac Collbran, however, becomes insatiably homesick and persuades him to return. They are warned by the island queen not to set foot on Ireland’s soil ever again. But Nechtan’s longing for home is so great that he forgets the prohibition and, upon arrival, immediately jumps out of the boat onto land, where he immediately crumbles to dust. Bran and his other companions remain in the boat, Bran tells his adventures to the Irish gathered on the beach, and they head back out into the ocean.
This original composition “The Voyage of Bran Mac Febail” by Sara van de Wijer presents the magical atmosphere of the Celtic myth. More stories can be found in the novelty catalogue of the publisher Molenaar.
