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Brasil (mythical island)

Brasil, also known as Hy-Brasil and several other variants,[2] is a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean[3] west of Ireland. Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years, when it becomes visible but still cannot be reached.

Brasil
Native name:
Hy-Brasil, Hy Brasil, Hy Breasil, Hy Breasail, Hy Breasal, Hy Brazil, I-Brasil
Brasil (far left) as shown in relation to Ireland on a map by Abraham Ortelius (1572)
EtymologyUí Breasail: in honour of the descendants of Bresail[1]
Geography
LocationMythical, Atlantic Ocean

Etymology edit

The etymology of the names Brasil and Hy-Brasil is unknown, but in Irish tradition it is thought to come from the Irish Uí Breasail (meaning "descendants (i.e., clan) of Bresail"), one of the ancient clans of northeastern Ireland. cf. Old Irish: Í: island; bres: beauty, worth, great, mighty.[1]

Despite the similarity, the name of the country Brazil (Portuguese: Brasil) has no connection to the mythical islands (although J. R. R. Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Stories" linked them[4]).

Appearance on maps edit

Nautical charts identified an island called "Bracile" west of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean as far back as 1325, in a portolan chart by Angelino Dulcert. It also appeared on the Catalan Atlas, in 1375.[5]

One of the earliest appearances was on the Rex Tholomeus portolan chart dated to circa 1360.[6] [7]

Later it appeared as Insula de Brasil in the Venetian map of Andrea Bianco (1436), attached to one of the larger islands of a group of islands in the Atlantic.[citation needed] This was identified for a time with the modern island of Terceira in the Azores, where a volcanic mount at the bay of its main town, Angra do Heroismo, is still named Monte Brasil.[citation needed]

A Catalan chart of about 1480 labels two islands "Illa de brasil", one to the south west of Ireland (where the mythical place was supposed to be) and one south of "Illa verde" or Greenland.[citation needed]

On maps the island was shown as being circular, often with a central strait or river running east–west across its diameter.[citation needed] Despite the failure of attempts to find it, this appeared regularly on maps lying south west of Galway Bay until 1865, by which time it was called Brasil Rock.[citation needed]

Map gallery edit

Searches for the island edit

Expeditions left Bristol in 1480 and 1481 to search for the island; and a letter written by Pedro de Ayala, shortly after the return of John Cabot (from his expedition in 1497), reports that land found by Cabot had been "discovered in the past by the men from Bristol who found Brasil".[8]

In 1674, a Captain John Nisbet claimed to have seen the island when on a journey from France to Ireland, stating that the island was inhabited by large black rabbits and a magician who lived alone in a stone castle, yet the character and the story were a literary invention by Irish author Richard Head.[9] Roderick O'Flaherty in A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught (1684) tells us "There is now living, Morogh O'Ley (Murrough Ó Laoí), who imagines he was personally on O'Brasil for two days, and saw out of it the Aran Islands, Golamhead [by Lettermullen], Irrosbeghill, and other places of the west continent he was acquainted with."

Hy-Brasil has also been identified with Porcupine Bank, a shoal in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Ireland[10] and discovered in 1862. As early as 1870 a paper was read to the Geological Society of Ireland suggesting this identification.[11] The suggestion has since appeared more than once, e.g., in an 1883 edition of Notes and Queries.[12]

In popular culture edit

Irish poet Gerald Griffin wrote about Hy-Brasail in the early nineteenth century.[13]

Mary Burke's short story uses the myth as an allegory of the breach caused by the Northern Irish Troubles. Mary Burke, “Hy-Brasil” in The Faber Best New Irish Short Stories, 2004-5 Ed. David Marcus. London: Faber & Faber, 2005, 101–05.[14]

In The Hollow Hills, part of Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy, several characters believe (incorrectly) that the wizard Merlin has hidden the young Prince Arthur on Hy-Brasil.[15]

In The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry the protagonist and title character is raised on Hy-Brasil. The island plays a main part in the story.[16]

Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Russell has a song named after the island, and casts Hy-Brasil as the spiritual home to which Russell's soul would travel to escape the trauma of the mental abuse she was suffering. It draws on Russell's Scottish heritage and acts as a tribute to her grandmother, Dr. Isobel Roger-Robertson, whom Russell describes as the “brightest light of my childhood”. Her grandmother had often told her stories of the island as a child.[citation needed]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b McKillop, James (1998). "Hy Brasil". A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press.
  2. ^ Hy Brasil, Hy Breasil, Hy Breasail, Hy Breasal, Hy Brazil, I-Brasil
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Brazil, or Brasil" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 438.
  4. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. On Fairy Stories (PDF).
  5. ^ Lišèák, Vladimír: Mapa mondi (Catalan Atlas of 1375), Majorcan cartographic school, and 14th century Asia, Proc. Int. Cartogr. Assoc., pg 3, https://doi.org/10.5194/ica-proc-1-69-2018, 2018.
  6. ^ "A $7.5-million find: Overlooked Getty estate sale map turns out to be 14th century treasure". Los Angeles Times. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  7. ^ "The Oldest Portolan Chart in America and The Fourth-Oldest Surviving "Complete" Portolan Chart of Europe". Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  8. ^ Seaver, K.A. (1995). The Frozen Echo. Stanford University Press. p. 212. ISBN 0-8047-3161-6.
  9. ^ Freitag, Barbara (2013). Hy Brasil: The Metamorphosis of an Island. Rodopi. ISBN 978-9401209106.
  10. ^ Velasco, Francisco; Landa, Jorge; Barrado, Joaquín; Blanco, Marian (2008). "Distribution, abundance, and growth of anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius) on the Porcupine Bank (west of Ireland)". ICES Journal of Marine Science. 65 (7): 1316. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsn130.
  11. ^ Winsor, Justin (1889). Narrative and critical history of America. Vol. 1. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. p. 51.
  12. ^ Frazer, W. (December 1883), "O'Brazile or Hy Brazile", Notes and Queries, s6-VIII (207): 475, doi:10.1093/nq/s6-VIII.207.475a
  13. ^ Griffin, Gerald (1846). "Hy-Brasail—The Isle of the Blest". In MacCarthy, D. F. (ed.). The Book of Irish Ballads. Dublin: James Duffy. p. 34.
  14. ^ "Review: The Faber Book of Best New Irish Short Stories 2004-5". The Guardian. 27 May 2005.
  15. ^ Stewart, Mary (1980). Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN 0688003478.
  16. ^ "The Magician's Daughter by H G Parry". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 8 June 2023.

Further reading edit

  • Freitag, Barbara (2013). Hy Brasil: the metamorphosis of an island: from cartographic error to Celtic Elysium. Amsterdam: Rodopi. ISBN 9789042036413.
  • Lynch, Sean (2010). "Preliminary Sketches for the Reappearance of HyBrazil". Utopian Studies. 21 (1): 5–15. doi:10.1353/utp.0.0003. S2CID 145104066.
  • Hy-Brasail by Gerald Griffin

brasil, mythical, island, this, article, about, mythical, island, island, named, brazilian, island, english, brazilian, island, other, brazilian, islands, list, islands, brazil, australian, house, brasil, avalon, beach, confused, with, brazil, brasil, also, kn. This article is about the mythical island For the island named Brazilian Island in English see Brazilian Island For other Brazilian islands see List of islands of Brazil For the Australian house see Hy Brasil Avalon Beach Not to be confused with Brazil Brasil also known as Hy Brasil and several other variants 2 is a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean 3 west of Ireland Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years when it becomes visible but still cannot be reached BrasilNative name Hy Brasil Hy Brasil Hy Breasil Hy Breasail Hy Breasal Hy Brazil I BrasilBrasil far left as shown in relation to Ireland on a map by Abraham Ortelius 1572 EtymologyUi Breasail in honour of the descendants of Bresail 1 GeographyLocationMythical Atlantic Ocean Contents 1 Etymology 2 Appearance on maps 2 1 Map gallery 3 Searches for the island 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References 7 Further readingEtymology editThe etymology of the names Brasil and Hy Brasil is unknown but in Irish tradition it is thought to come from the Irish Ui Breasail meaning descendants i e clan of Bresail one of the ancient clans of northeastern Ireland cf Old Irish I island bres beauty worth great mighty 1 Despite the similarity the name of the country Brazil Portuguese Brasil has no connection to the mythical islands although J R R Tolkien s essay On Fairy Stories linked them 4 Appearance on maps editNautical charts identified an island called Bracile west of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean as far back as 1325 in a portolan chart by Angelino Dulcert It also appeared on the Catalan Atlas in 1375 5 One of the earliest appearances was on the Rex Tholomeus portolan chart dated to circa 1360 6 7 Later it appeared as Insula de Brasil in the Venetian map of Andrea Bianco 1436 attached to one of the larger islands of a group of islands in the Atlantic citation needed This was identified for a time with the modern island of Terceira in the Azores where a volcanic mount at the bay of its main town Angra do Heroismo is still named Monte Brasil citation needed A Catalan chart of about 1480 labels two islands Illa de brasil one to the south west of Ireland where the mythical place was supposed to be and one south of Illa verde or Greenland citation needed On maps the island was shown as being circular often with a central strait or river running east west across its diameter citation needed Despite the failure of attempts to find it this appeared regularly on maps lying south west of Galway Bay until 1865 by which time it was called Brasil Rock citation needed Map gallery edit nbsp Catalan atlas from 1375 nbsp Piri Reis map of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea from 1513 nbsp Map of Europe from 1570 nbsp Abraham Ortelius map of Europe from 1595 nbsp Gerardus Mercator s map from 1595Searches for the island editExpeditions left Bristol in 1480 and 1481 to search for the island and a letter written by Pedro de Ayala shortly after the return of John Cabot from his expedition in 1497 reports that land found by Cabot had been discovered in the past by the men from Bristol who found Brasil 8 In 1674 a Captain John Nisbet claimed to have seen the island when on a journey from France to Ireland stating that the island was inhabited by large black rabbits and a magician who lived alone in a stone castle yet the character and the story were a literary invention by Irish author Richard Head 9 Roderick O Flaherty in A Chorographical Description of West or H Iar Connaught 1684 tells us There is now living Morogh O Ley Murrough o Laoi who imagines he was personally on O Brasil for two days and saw out of it the Aran Islands Golamhead by Lettermullen Irrosbeghill and other places of the west continent he was acquainted with Hy Brasil has also been identified with Porcupine Bank a shoal in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 kilometres 120 mi west of Ireland 10 and discovered in 1862 As early as 1870 a paper was read to the Geological Society of Ireland suggesting this identification 11 The suggestion has since appeared more than once e g in an 1883 edition of Notes and Queries 12 In popular culture editIrish poet Gerald Griffin wrote about Hy Brasail in the early nineteenth century 13 Mary Burke s short story uses the myth as an allegory of the breach caused by the Northern Irish Troubles Mary Burke Hy Brasil in The Faber Best New Irish Short Stories 2004 5 Ed David Marcus London Faber amp Faber 2005 101 05 14 In The Hollow Hills part of Mary Stewart s Merlin Trilogy several characters believe incorrectly that the wizard Merlin has hidden the young Prince Arthur on Hy Brasil 15 In The Magician s Daughter by H G Parry the protagonist and title character is raised on Hy Brasil The island plays a main part in the story 16 Canadian singer songwriter Allison Russell has a song named after the island and casts Hy Brasil as the spiritual home to which Russell s soul would travel to escape the trauma of the mental abuse she was suffering It draws on Russell s Scottish heritage and acts as a tribute to her grandmother Dr Isobel Roger Robertson whom Russell describes as the brightest light of my childhood Her grandmother had often told her stories of the island as a child citation needed See also edit nbsp Islands portal nbsp Ireland portal Avalon Etymology of the country Brazil s name Brazil Etymology Name of Brazil Irish mythology in popular culture Inisheer Tech Duinn a mythological island to the west of Ireland where souls go after death Great Ireland a similarly west of Ireland place Irish myths of which are believed to have influenced the Vikings Rocabarraigh a similar mythical island in Scottish Gaelic folklore References edit a b McKillop James 1998 Hy Brasil A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology Oxford University Press Hy Brasil Hy Breasil Hy Breasail Hy Breasal Hy Brazil I Brasil Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Brazil or Brasil Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 4 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 438 Tolkien J R R On Fairy Stories PDF Liseak Vladimir Mapa mondi Catalan Atlas of 1375 Majorcan cartographic school and 14th century Asia Proc Int Cartogr Assoc pg 3 https doi org 10 5194 ica proc 1 69 2018 2018 A 7 5 million find Overlooked Getty estate sale map turns out to be 14th century treasure Los Angeles Times 25 October 2023 Retrieved 3 January 2024 The Oldest Portolan Chart in America and The Fourth Oldest Surviving Complete Portolan Chart of Europe Retrieved 3 January 2024 Seaver K A 1995 The Frozen Echo Stanford University Press p 212 ISBN 0 8047 3161 6 Freitag Barbara 2013 Hy Brasil The Metamorphosis of an Island Rodopi ISBN 978 9401209106 Velasco Francisco Landa Jorge Barrado Joaquin Blanco Marian 2008 Distribution abundance and growth of anglerfish Lophius piscatorius on the Porcupine Bank west of Ireland ICES Journal of Marine Science 65 7 1316 doi 10 1093 icesjms fsn130 Winsor Justin 1889 Narrative and critical history of America Vol 1 Houghton Mifflin and Company p 51 Frazer W December 1883 O Brazile or Hy Brazile Notes and Queries s6 VIII 207 475 doi 10 1093 nq s6 VIII 207 475a Griffin Gerald 1846 Hy Brasail The Isle of the Blest In MacCarthy D F ed The Book of Irish Ballads Dublin James Duffy p 34 Review The Faber Book of Best New Irish Short Stories 2004 5 The Guardian 27 May 2005 Stewart Mary 1980 Mary Stewart s Merlin Trilogy New York William Morrow and Company Inc ISBN 0688003478 The Magician s Daughter by H G Parry www publishersweekly com Retrieved 8 June 2023 Further reading editFreitag Barbara 2013 Hy Brasil the metamorphosis of an island from cartographic error to Celtic Elysium Amsterdam Rodopi ISBN 9789042036413 Lynch Sean 2010 Preliminary Sketches for the Reappearance of HyBrazil Utopian Studies 21 1 5 15 doi 10 1353 utp 0 0003 S2CID 145104066 Hy Brasail by Gerald Griffin Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Brasil mythical island amp oldid 1211874077, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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