The tale of Saint Brendan, a 6th Century Irish monk, who with his companions may have sailed and rowed their way to North America. The storytelling is illustrated with light and shadow enriched with a musical accompaniment played on the bagpipes.
To view the film go to: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/otherstory
The film is just under 18 minutes long.
Credits
Conceived, produced and performed by Trevor Houghton and Emma Byron
Music conceived and played on the Swayne border pipes by Jack Humphreys
Background
This is our retelling of an ancient Irish epic written down in many versions called the Navigatio Sancti Brendani Abbatis (Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot). All of these texts date to hundreds of years after Saint Brendan’s death. The Navigatio is a typical Irish folk story, full of mythical beasts, strange places, prophesies and convoluted journeys.
Was Brendan a real person?
Various Irish annals record his life. He was born in Tralee in County Kerry circa 484 AD. He came from the Altraige clan and his parents were called Finnlug and Cara. He was certainly a well travelled man as it is recorded he visited the Arran Islands in Galway Bay, Iona, Argyle in Scotland, Wales and Brittany (Armoricia). Brendan founded monasteries and churches throughout the West of Ireland. He is most strongly associated with Clonfert in County Galway where he founded the cathedral. He held the position of prior. His body was interred at Clonfert following his death circa 574 AD.
Is it possible Brendan sailed all the way to North America?
Tim Severin in his book The Brendan Voyage (1978) describes how he re-enacted the voyage in a traditional curragh – an open boat made of a basket-like wooden framework covered in ox hides. These boats can still be found on the west coast of Ireland. Tim Severin interpreted various places described in Navigatio as real locations (e.g. the Isle of Sheep as the Faroes, the Land of Forges as Iceland etc.) and used these as a guide to Brendan’s possible route to N. America. Over two seasons Severin and his crew did successfully journey to Newfoundland from County Kerry and demonstrated it would have been possible to make such a journey in the 6th Century.
Otherstory 