Hy-Brasil: The True Story of a Mythical Island

Hy-Brasil was an island off the coast of Ireland – seen by many people over a thousand years, visited by a few, and recorded on navigation maps for five centuries. Curiously, the island didn’t remain in one location. Instead it was seen over a vast stretch of coastline – from County Cork to County Antrim. Then it disappeared from maps completely.

The name Hy-Brasil originated from Celtic mythology. According to Irish folklore, Hy-Brasil was a hidden island where an advanced civilization lived in harmony and prosperity. The island was visible from the west coast of Ireland for only one day every seven years, the rest of the time it was obscured by fog or magic. Some legends said that the island was inhabited by gods, fairies, or giants. Others said that it was the home of St. Brendan, the Irish monk who allegedly sailed across the Atlantic in the 6th century.

The first recorded mention of Hy-Brasil dates back to 1325, when a Majorcan cartographer named Angelino Dulcert drew a small island named Bracile west of Ireland on his portolan chart. The island appeared again on several maps in the following centuries, sometimes with different names, such as Hy-Brasail, Breasal, Brazil, O’Brasil, or The Enchanted Island. The island was usually shown as circular, with a central river or strait running across it.

Some explorers claimed to have seen or even visited Hy-Brasil. In 1480, two Venetian brothers, Nicolò and Antonio Zeno, said they reached an island called Frislanda, which some scholars have identified with Hy-Brasil. In 1481, John Jay Jr., an English navigator, reported that he landed on Hy-Brasil with a crew of four men and stayed there for two weeks. He described the island as fertile and inhabited by large black rabbits and a mysterious magician who lived in a stone castle. In 1674, Captain John Nisbet of Killybegs said he anchored at Hy-Brasil and met friendly natives who gave him gold and silver. He also said he saw a large city on the south side of the island.

However, most attempts to find Hy-Brasil were unsuccessful or fraudulent. In 1497, John Cabot , an Italian explorer who sailed for England, searched for Hy-Brasil but found nothing. In 1578, Martin Frobisher , an English explorer who sought the Northwest Passage , claimed to have discovered Hy-Brasil but was later exposed as a liar. In 1676, Robert O’Flaherty , an Irish historian who wrote a book about the history and antiquities of Ireland, admitted that he had fabricated a map of Hy-Brasil based on hearsay and imagination.

By the 18th century, Hy-Brasil began to fade from maps and from public interest. The last map to show the island was published in 1865 by Alexander Keith Johnston , a Scottish geographer who labeled it as Brasil Rock . The disappearance of Hy-Brasil may have been influenced by several factors, such as improved cartography , increased exploration , scientific skepticism , and political changes . Some historians have suggested that Hy-Brasil may have been based on a real island that sank or eroded over time, or that was confused with other islands or phenomena in the Atlantic.

Hy-Brasil remains one of the most intriguing mysteries of cartography and folklore. It has inspired many works of literature and art, such as Jules Verne ’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , James Joyce ’s Ulysses , Flann O’Brien ’s The Third Policeman , J.R.R. Tolkien ’s The Lord of the Rings , Umberto Eco ’s Foucault’s Pendulum , and Neil Gaiman ’s American Gods . It has also been associated with various paranormal phenomena , such as UFO sightings , ley lines , and dimensional portals . Whether Hy-Brasil ever existed or not, it still captures the imagination of those who seek hidden lands and lost worlds.

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasil_(mythical_island) 2: https://blogs.loc.gov/maps/2020/06/hy-brasil-the-supernatural-island/ 3: https://www.belfastentries.com/stories/myths-legends/hy-brasil/ : https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hybrasil : https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/hy-brasil-the-irish-atlantis : https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-europe/hy-brasil-legendary-phantom-island-ireland-003608 : https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20160318-the-mysterious-disappearing-island : https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/mar/25/hy-brazil-island-atlantic-ireland-margaret-elphinstone : https://www.history.com/news/atlantis-ireland-hy-brasil