Growing up in Butte, we all know the story of St. Patrick but how well do YOU know some other famous Irish legends? In celebration of the upcoming St. Patrick’s day holiday, I thought I would share one classic Irish legend with you…
Tir na nOg (or ‘land of the young’) is an otherworldly realm in Irish mythology whose inhabitants are gifted with everlasting youth, beauty, health and happiness. It was said to be the home of the Tuath De, the ancient gods, as well as the fairies, and forbidden from mortal humans. The only way a mortal man or woman could enter the land was by invitation, since it was not part of their own world. Tir na nOg features in many Irish stories, but the most famous one stars Oisin, son of the mythological hero and leader of the Fianna, Fionn MacCumhaill.
Oisin was out hunting with the Fianna one day when they noticed something rapidly moving across the ocean on the crest of a wave. Fearing an invasion, they hurried to the coast and prepared for a battle, only to find the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen galloping along the waves on a pristine white horse. She approached the men and introduced herself as Niamh, daughter of the God of the Sea, and said she had travelled from Tir na nOg. Many of the men feared her as they believed her to be a fairy woman, but Oisin introduced himself. The two instantly fell in love and were inseparable for days on end, travelling around Connemara together. However, Niamh was bound to return to Tir na nOg. Unable to bear leaving her beloved Oisin, she invited him to come back with her. Oisin was so in love that he couldn’t possibly refuse, and jumped on top of the white horse without much thought, leaving his family and fellow warriors behind.
Once they crossed back over the sea to the realm of Tir na nOg, Oisin received all of the gifts it was famous for; everlasting beauty, health, and of course, the ultimate happiness with his new love. After a few months however, he began to miss the family he left behind. The ever caring Niamh gave him her horse so he could travel back to see them, but warned him not to touch the ground or he would become mortal again and would not be able to make the journey back. Oisin galloped across the water and straight to his former home, only to find it empty. He searched for his fellow Fenians too, but could find nobody he knew. Eventually he came across three men attempting to move a great boulder down a road. He asked them where his people were, and they told him they had all died many years ago. Realising that time passes much slower in Tir na nOg than on earth and that he had in fact been away for centuries, Oisin became despondent. He fell from the horse, hit the ground, and instantly aged into a bent over old man. Trapped in an unfamiliar land where he knew nobody and was unable to travel back to his love in the other realm, poor Oisin died of a broken heart soon after. His horse galloped back to Tir na nOg where his wife Niamh would learn that he was never coming back.