(Notice the Anglicization in this article)
St Brendan's Isle
Or: Who Really Discovered America?

Maps of Columbus's time often included an island called St. Brendan's =
Isle that was placed in the western Atlantic ocean. Map makers of the =
time had no idea of it's exact position but did believe it existed some =
where west of Europe. It was mentioned in a Latin text dating from the =
ninth century titled Navigatio Santi Brendani Abatis (Voyage of Saint =
Brendan the Abbot). It described the voyage as having taken place in the =
sixth century. Several copies of this text have survived in monasteries =
throughout Europe. It was an important part of folklore in medieval =
Europe and may have influenced Columbus.=20

Historians relate that Brendan was born about 484 A.D. near Tralee in =
County Kerry. He was ordained by Bishop Erc and sailed about northwest =
Europe spreading the Christian faith and founding monasteries, the =
largest at Clonfert, County Galway, where he was buried in 577 A.D. at =
the age of 93.=20

The account of Brendan=92s voyage contained a detailed description of =
the construction of his boat which was not unlike the currachs still =
made in County Kerry today. Skeptics could not accept that such a =
fragile vessel could possibly sail in the open sea. Several passages in =
the legend also seemed incredible=97they were =93raised up on the back =
of sea monsters=94, they =93passed by crystals that rose up to the =
sky=94, and were =93pelted with flaming, foul smelling rocks by the =
inhabitants of a large island on their route=94. They finally arrived at =
the beautiful land they called =93Promised Land of the Saints.=94 They =
explored until they came to a great river that divided the land. The =
journey of Brendan and his fellow monks took seven years. The return =
trip was probably the longest part of the odyssey.=20

In 1976, Tim Severin, a British navigation scholar, embarked from =
Brandon Creek on the Dingle peninsula in a carrach that he constructed =
using the details described by Brendan. His goal was to determine if the =
voyage of Brendan and his fellow monks was possible. They tanned =
ox-hides with oak bark, stretched them across the wood frame, sewed them =
with leather thread and smeared the hides with animal fat which would =
impart water resistance. Examination of nautical charts led Severin to =
believe that Brendan's route would be governed by the prevailing winds =
that would take him across the northernmost part of the Atlantic. This =
would take him close to Iceland and Greenland with a probable landfall =
at Newfoundland (St. Brendan's Isle). This would be the route that Leif =
Erickson would have taken in the tenth century. Many of Brendan's stops =
on his journey were islands where Irish monks had set up primitive =
monasteries. Norsemen that traveled on these waters visited these =
islands and recorded their meeting with "Papers" (fathers).

Severin and his crew were surprised at how friendly the whales were that =
they encountered. The whales swam around and even under their boat. It =
could have been recognized as another whale by the giant mammals. The =
whales could have been even friendlier in Brendan's time, before =
motorized ships would make them leery of man. So friendly that they may =
have lifted the monk,s boat in a playful gesture.

After stopping at the Hebrides islands Severin proceeded to the Danish =
Faroe Islands. At the island of Mykines, they encountered thousands of =
seabirds. Brendan called this island "The Paradise of Birds. "He =
referred to the larger island as the "Island of Sheep." The word Faroe =
itself means Island of Sheep. There is also a Brandon Creek on the main =
island of the Faroes, that the local people believe was the embarkation =
point for Brendan and his crew.=20

Severin's route carried them to Iceland where they wintered, as did =
Brendan. The volcanoes on the island have been active for many centuries =
and might well have been erupting when the monks stayed there. This =
could have accounted for the "pelting with flaming, foul smelling =
rocks", referred to in the ninth century text. The monks had never seen =
icebergs before, so their description of them as "towering crystals" =
would make sense.=20

Severin's boat was punctured by floating ice off the coast of Canada. =
They were able make a repair with a piece of leather sewn over the hole. =
They landed on the island of Newfoundland on June 26, 1977. This might =
well have been Brendan's "Land promised to the Saints" referred to in =
the Navigatio.=20

Severin's journey did not prove that Brendan and his monks landed on =
North America. However it did prove that a leather currach as described =
in the Navigatio could have made such a voyage as mapped out in the =
text. There is also no doubt that the Irish were frequent seafarers of =
the North Atlantic sea currents 900 years before the voyage of Columbus. =


More conclusive evidence of Irish exploration of North America has come =
to the fore in West Virginia. There, stone carvings have been discovered =
that have been dated between 500 and 1000 A.D. Analysis by archaeologist =
Dr. Robert Pyle and a leading language expert Dr. Barry Fell indicate =
that they are written in Old Irish using the Ogham alphabet. According =
to Dr. Fell, "the West Virginia Ogham texts are the oldest Ogham =
inscriptions from anywhere in the world. They exhibit the grammar and =
vocabulary of Old Irish in a manner previously unknown in such early =
rock-cut inscriptions in any Celtic language." Dr. Fell goes on to =
speculate that, "It seems possible that the scribes that cut the West =
Virginia inscriptions may have been Irish missionaries in the wake of =
Brendan's voyage, for these inscriptions are Christian. The early =
Christian symbols of piety, such as the various Chi-Rho monograms (Name =
of Christ) and the Dextra Dei (Right Hand of God) appear at the sites =
together with the Ogham texts."=20

The lack of any written account of this exploration could be explained =
by the explorers not being able to return to their homeland. If they =
indeed did reach what is now West Virginia, it would be extremely =
doubtful that they could manage to return to Ireland from a embarkation =
point that far south. The design of their currach required favorable =
winds and currents in the right direction in order to navigate. Severin =
discovered that it was extremely difficult to tack as other sailing =
ships were able to do. Perhaps that is the reason that it took Brendan =
seven years for his journey.=20

We can conclude that the voyage of St.Brendan was not a mere medieval =
fantasy but a highly plausible tale. These were special men. They sought =
the lands beyond the horizon, the wondrous realms to be revealed by God, =
"the Promised Lands."






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