Hy-Brasil

 

Hy-Brasil the Real Mysterious Island

Legends of lost and mysterious islands have circulated since man first took to the seas.
Stories of advanced civilizations, magicians, and Eden-like paradises have been told and re-told by sailors. Some of these sailors claim to have seen and even gone to shore on these magical islands.
However, over time these legends have been proved to be false, or the evidence of their existence is so circumstantial that it is nearly impossible to prove those legends true.
The most famous of these legendary islands is, of course, Atlantis. The existence of Atlantis is hotly debated, and people continue to search for proof that it was real.
However, there is another such island, though much lesser-known, called Hy-Brasil.
The Legend of Hy-Brasil
One of the earliest known reference of the island stems from Irish myths. Supposedly the island was roughly 200 miles off of the coast of Ireland in the Atlantic Ocean.
It was said to be shrouded in mist, making it invisible to passing sailors. The mist lifts for only one day every seven years.
From there, the legends expound in every direction. In some renditions of the legend, the island is the home of the Gods of Irish lore. In other retellings, Hy-Brasil is inhabited not by gods, but rather by priests or monks.
These monks were rumored to hold a vast and ancient knowledge which allowed them to create an advanced civilization where the inhabitants led a luxurious and near effortless way of life.
No matter which version of the ancient Hy-Brasil story is retold, the two main components that remain the same are the rough location and the element that it was a paradise.
More recently, many individuals have associated the Hy-Brasil legend with Ufology. Some UFO researchers contend that the island was not the home of Celtic gods, but instead an alien outpost.
These researchers point to the Celtic god Lugh as an example.
Lugh was the Celtic god of war who carried a magic spear capable of creating lightening. UFO researchers believe that Lugh was actually an alien general who possessed a laser or some other type of “death ray.”
They cite several ancient ruins that appeared to have been subject to large concentrated amount of heat. The heat, supposedly, was enough to turn the stone into glass.
Furthermore, claims have been made that aliens have contacted individuals and gave them the coordinates to Hy-Brasil in the form of binary code. Though the idea of an alien outpost in the Atlantic Ocean is pretty tough to swallow, these more recent UFO/Alien additions to the Hy-Brasil legend have propelled it into pop culture.
The Facts about Hy-Brasil
Actual facts about the mysterious island are far and few in between.
The earliest known reference of Hy-Brasil on any map is 1325. From then on, some maps included the island, while others chose not to include it.
As attempts to find the island failed, map-makers started to leave it off most nautical charts. By 1865, it was rarely found on any map at all.
The two locations mostly associated with Hy-Brasil are the Azores and Porcupine Bank. When it comes to mysterious islands in the Atlantic, the Azores is a common “go to” location for origins.

Atlantis researchers commonly point to the Azores as the origin of the Atlantis Legend. The Azores is highly unlikely to be the origin of the Hy-Brasil legend though, due to the fact that the archipelago is well outside of the 200 mile range of Ireland.
A more likely location is an area of the Irish shelf roughly 120 miles west of Ireland known as Porcupine Shoal. The location is currently a flourishing coral reef. However, to date no archaeological evidence has been found that places the reef above seawater, or any signs that civilization had existed there.
Even though, Atlantis is far more famous, whether it existed or not. However, Hy-Brasil is better documented, and has had more eyewitness accounts; giving this mysterious island a hint of plausibility.
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"Hy-Brasil, the other Atlantis"
When discussing underwater lore and legends, Atlantis is an obvious subject of interest. However, the lost island of Hy-Brasil is just as intriguing and has more first-person accounts.
Hy-Brasil is also spelled Hy-Breasal, Hy-Brazil, Hy-Breasil, Brazir and related variations. It may be the reason that the South American country, Brazil, was so named. The central image on the Brazilian flag, a circle with a channel across the center, is the symbol for Hy-Brasil on early maps.
The name of Hy-Brasil may come from the Middle Ages term brazil, which seems to indicate a source of rare red dye. The dye may have acquired its name from the legendary island, or vice versa.
Or, the name Hy-Brasil, also called the Fortunate Island, may originate with the old Irish word, breas, meaning noble or fortunate.
In folklore, this island country takes its name from Breasal, the High King of the World, in Celtic history.
 (He may or may not be related to Bresal Echarlam mac Echach Baethlaim, from the stories of Lugh at Tara. He was not St. Breasal, although pre-Christian folklore may be the foundation for that saint's legends.)
Hy-Brasil was noted on maps as early as 1325, when Genoese cartographer Dalorto placed the island west of Ireland. On successive sailing charts, it appears southwest of Galway Bay.

On some 15th century maps, islands of the Azores appear as Isola de Brazil, or Insulla de Brazil.
After 1865, Hy-Brasil appears on few maps since its location could not be verified.
Regardless of the name or location, the island's history is consistent: It is the home of a wealthy and highly advanced civilization. Those who visited the island returned with tales of gold-roofed towers and domes, healthy cattle, and opulent citizens.
The lore of Hy-Brasil is equally fascinating. For example, it is shrouded in fog or perhaps beneath the ocean, and appears only briefly, once every seven years.
The island has been visited by many people for centuries. Both Saint Barrind and Saint Brendan found the island on their respective voyages, and returned home with nearly identical descriptions of Hy-Brasil, which they dubbed the "Promised Land."
One of the most famous visits to Hy-Brasil was in 1674 by Captain John Nisbet of Killybegs, Co. Donegal, Ireland. He and his crew were in familiar waters west of Ireland, when a fog came up. As the fog lifted, the ship was dangerously close to rocks. While getting their bearings, the ship anchored in three fathoms of water, and four crew members rowed ashore to visit Hy-Brasil.
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