Manannan’s Map of Fantastical Folk of the Isle of Man…

The Isle of Man is unique in many ways, but one of our favourite distinctive features is the fascinating Manx folklore, legends and traditions that are intertwined into everyday life here.

From the ‘Little People’ whom you must say hello to as you pass the Fairy Bridge on the main route between Douglas and the south of the Island – those who fail to greet the fairies may find themselves with some bad fortune! To the ancient Celtic god of the sea Manannan Mac-y-Lierr who is said to protect the Island with his magical cloak of mist, and who our fast craft Manannan is named after.

These captivating stories can be found around every corner of the Isle of Man and help to keep the unique charm and character of the Isle alive.

Manx illustrator Juan Moore is also helping to keep Mann’s magic alive. Juan, who was born and raised on the Isle of Man, has been a freelance illustrator for more than 15 years and worked across many contexts, including editorial, publishing, film, advertising and animation. With Manx folklore being a subject near and dear to his heart, the very first illustration job he worked on was an illustrated poster detailing characters of Manx folklore from around the Island, all the way back in 2005.

Although that map is long out of print, people often ask about it and this inspired Juan to create an updated version; Manannan’s Map of Fantastical Folk of the Isle of Man. This full colour illustration depicts some of the quirky characters of our Island, some of which have never been portrayed in any pictorial form before.

Let's take a closer look

Here’s just a few extracts from Manannan’s Map of Fantastical Folk of the Isle of Man to help give you a flavour of what to expect and learn a little about the strange characters that can be spotted on the map.   

Manannan Mac-y-Leirr

Moddey-Doo

Teeval

The Wren

The White Lady

Would you like to support the project?

If you’d like to support Juan as an artist and help raise awareness of the wonders of Manx folklore, Juan is offering a one-time opportunity to purchase this incredible illustrated poster depicting some of the varied and strange characters and creatures from Manx folklore.

Find out more here

Please note that Manannan’s Map of Fantastical Folk of the Isle of Man is only available to order until 25^th May 2020, when sales will close. Any posters left over will be sold through outlets on the Island, but once they are gone, they are gone.