The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man

What It's About

A systematic survey of the Isle of Man's oral and customary traditions, gathered in the late nineteenth century before they were lost entirely to modernisation. Moore works through the island's mythology — centred on the sea-god Manannan mac Lir and the heroic sagas — before moving into the everyday fabric of Manx folk belief: fairies, mermaids, hobgoblins, witchcraft, charms against evil, weather lore, seasonal rituals, and proverbs. The material is arranged thematically rather than narratively, making it more of a reference collection than a continuous read, but the cumulative picture of a small island's imaginative life is vivid and distinctive. Manx folklore sits at the intersection of Celtic, Norse, and Irish traditions, and that layered heritage comes through clearly in the material Moore records.

About the Author

Arthur William Moore (1853–1909) was a Manx historian, antiquarian, and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Keys. He devoted much of his scholarly energy to documenting Manx language, history, and culture at a time when both the language and the oral traditions associated with it were in serious decline.