The Legend of The Children of Lir

Friday, May 26th, 2017

The Children of Lir is a well known Irish Legend.  So well known in fact that there’s hardly an Irish person who can see swans gliding on the waterways of Ireland without thinking of King Lir and his four children.  At JMH the grace and beauty of the swan, and well as their connection to Irish folklore appealed greatly to us, and we introduced this stunning Celtic pendant to represent Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn.  Creating beautiful Celtic jewellery is our passion, and we are so happy to share it with you.  Read their story here:

The Children Of Lir Legend.

In ancient Ireland there lived a King called Lir.  He had four children Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra and Conn. Their stepmother, Aoife, felt a great jealousy for the love Lir showed the children. She devised a plan with a local druid to cast a spell over them that would turn them into swans. 

She told them that they would be swans for 900 years, and that they would spend the first 300 years in Lough Derravaragh, the next 300 years in the Sea of Moyle and the last 300 years on the Isle of Inish Glora in the West of Ireland.  To end the spell they would have to hear the bells of prayer. 

For the next 900 years the Children of Lir glided across the waterways of Ireland, their lonely calls haunting the lands in which they lived.

Finally when the spell was coming to an end, they heard the toll of Christian bells in the west of Ireland.  A mist descended upon them, and when it had lifted the swans had turned back to children who began to age quickly.

A holy man heard their story and baptised them before they were released from this life to join their father forever more.