Manannan Mac Lir

Manannan (Manannan Mac Lir, Manavidan) is the son of the God of the seas, Lir. Manannan is the god of the sea, wizard and healer, lord of the Isle of the Blessed, where he lives in the castle of Emhain ("apple trees").

He is responsible not only for the powers of the sea, but also for the passages to the Other World, of which he is the powerful guardian. His names are also “Lord of the Mists”, “Lord of the Land of Women”, “Lord of the Lands under the Waves”.

He is the father of many children from Goddesses and earthly women - one of his mortal sons, Mongan, who inherited his father's supernatural abilities, eventually became a great king and a mighty warrior. Manannan's wife was named Fand, but in Welsh mythology mentioned the famous Goddess Rhiannon.

Usually Manannan is portrayed on his magical horse Aonabrre (Luxurious Mane), capable of overtaking the spring winds and racing both over land and over the waves. He was called "the rider of the surging waves of the sea", and the waves themselves - "his horses." Elsewhere it is said that when the sea is in storm, it is "the long curls of Manannan's wife are rising and falling".

In addition to the amazing horse, Manannan had a magic boat, “flying on the waves”, which obeyed the thoughts of the one who sits in it. He also had a magical arsenal. Two spears - the Yellow Shaft and the Red Dart, a sword called the Avenger that never stopped crushing enemies, and two other swords called the Big Demon and the Small Demon. Even the most formidable weapon could not break his magic chain mail and enchanted shell.

Today, Manannan is worshiped by those whose life is somehow connected with the sea - sailors, fishermen, merchants and just aesthetes, whose hearts belong to the ocean and its waves. Mac Lir is a harsh, strong and powerful god, just like the very element of water.