The Voyage of Bran

United States
April 20, 2019 1:58pm CST
There's a TL;DR (too long ; didn't read) for those who can't be bothered to read the whole thing Bran was a high king of a long ago Ireland. He wasn't very content with being King and one day slipped away for a walk. He began to hear music and decided to follow it. It was a haunting melody, and one he could never find. No matter the direction he went, the tune always seemed to be coming from behind him. He soon fell into a slumber and dreamt of a beautiful woman of the otherworld. This woman sang to him of the beauty of her land and how no grief or treachery would ever befall him. He awoke and found that he was holding a silver branch with golden apples on it. He soon returned to his home and ate at a banquet. It was at this banquet that the woman returned to him, and this time everyone could see her. She told him he must find his way to her at the Island of Women. The king wasted no time in building a ship. He set sail with his foster brothers who each brought nine men along with them. They came across the God of the sea who told them while they might see the murky depths of the ocean, they were really sailing above a landscape where war was going on. He left them, claiming he had to visit a king's wife and impregnate her with a son. They soon landed near the Island of Joy where the merry folk gave them no answers to their question of where The Island of Women could be found. One of the shipmates swam to shore where he quickly became disoriented, forgetting his friends in the ship above him. They were forced to sail on without him. They did eventually make it to the Island of Women and enjoyed many long months with them. The plates and bowls never emptied, they were always playing at one sport or another. However, one of the men started to grow weary and homesick. Bran (The King) felt he could do nothing but go home. The Queen of the Island advised him that this would be a bad idea, but if he must go that he should pick his friend up from The Island of Joy, and that they should not touch shore when they return to Ireland. They soon picked their friend up from the Island of Joy and made their way to Ireland. They called out to the people, none of which they recognized. One man spoke of a tale that had been told long ago, but that hadn't been told in quite some time. The tale was of High King named Bran. Upon hearing this, the homesick man flung himself to the beach and instantly disintegrated into ash. Bran carved the account of his voyage in Ogham (Celtic Alphabet) and they sailed on forever more. TL;DR : High King sails for an Island in the Otherworld. He spends many weeks in glee but returns home to Ireland. When he returns he finds that 100 years has passed.
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1 response
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
20 Apr 19
Interesting legend. It reminds me a little of the story of Rip Van Winkle.
• United States
20 Apr 19
It is a bit Rip Van Winkle-esque, isn't it?
1 person likes this