The Voyage of Máel Dúin (Old Irish: Immram Maele Dúin, Modern Irish: 'Iomramh Maoile Dhúin') is the tale of a sea voyage written in Old Irish around the end of the 1st millennium AD. The protagonist is Máel Dúin, the son of Ailill Edge-of-Battle, whose murder provides the initial impetus for the tale.

Alternative transliterations of the name include Maildun (Patrick Joyce's translation) and Maeldune (Tennyson's poem).

Sources

The story belongs to the group of Irish romances, the Navigations (Imrama), the common type of which was possibly drawn in part from the classical tales of the wanderings of Jason, Ulysses, and Aeneas.

The text exists in an 11th-century redaction, by a certain Aed the Fair, described as the "chief sage of Ireland," but it may be gathered from internal evidence that the tale itself dates back to the 8th century. Imram Curaig Mailduin is preserved, in each case imperfectly, in the Lebor na hUidre, a manuscript in the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin; and in the Yellow Book of Lecan, MS. H. 216 in the Trinity College Library, Dublin; fragments are in Harleian MS. 5280 and Egerton MS. 1782 in the British Museum.

  • In both Máel Dúin and the Voyage of Brendan three additional people join the crew. Máel Dúin is joined by his foster brothers; Brendan by three extra monks. In both instances these additions upset the equilibrium of the voyage, and it is when the extra persons are no longer on board, can each voyage be completed. and to paragraph 65 of The Voyage of Bran when one of the crew leaps from the ship and turns to ash once he touches dry land.
  • Chapter 18 of Máel Dúin: The crew hears "a great cry and chant" coming from the north-east direction after they sail away from an island. They row for almost two days to find the sound, which is described as sounding like psalms being sung. Eventually, they locate the source, and discover a mountainous island full of colorful birds making loud noises. This event is similar to an event in the "Voyage of Saint Brendan". Brendan and his crew also hear sounds like psalms being sung, and also discover an island full of birds. A major difference between the two events is that in Brendan's tale, these birds are described as praising the Lord directly, whereas in Máel Dúin's tale, the birds are initially described as making psalm like sounds, but ultimately are determined to be just "shouting and speaking loudly". There is less of a religious influence found in the Máel Dúin version of the event compared to Brendan's rendition.

Christian elements

Hans Oskamp suggests that Máel Dúin is the earliest imramm to use Christian and non-Christian elements indiscriminately. Elva Johnston pointed out that the delay caused by the extra passengers gives Máel Dúin time to reconsider his intended revenge, and is therefore instrumental in his salvation. Mael Dúin's gratitude to God for preserving him in the face of the many dangers encountered on the voyage transcends his need for vengeance.

Adaptions and derivative works

thumb|upright|"The mill of Grudging" by [[John D. Batten, in Joseph Jacobs' The Book of Wonder Voyages]]

  • Tennyson's Voyage of Maeldune, suggested by the Irish romance, borrows little more than its framework.
  • Thomas Wentworth Higginson loosely adapted the tale into a short story Maelduin's Voyage with 'Maelduin' as an Irish Knight sent on a voyage by a wizard.
  • Joseph Jacobs edited a faithful version of the tale suitable for children, illustrated by John D. Batten, in the Book of Wonder Voyages.
  • 'James' (John Morris) Reeves adapted and abridged Patrick W. Joyce's 19th-century translation as a short children's novel, Maildun the Voyager (Hamish Hamilton, 1971), illustrated by John Lawrence.
  • Irish writer Patricia Aakhus created a novelised account of the story, The Voyage of Mael Duin's Curragh, published 1989.
  • A Celtic Odyssey by Michael Scott is a modern retelling of this story.
  • Máel Dúin is the inspiration of "Maeldun", a sorcerer mentioned in the Myth series of computer games.
  • Scots harpist and storyteller Robin Williamson recorded his own adaptation of "The Voyage of Maelduin" on his CD