The legend of Hy-Brasil and its giant black rabbits is a fascinating one!
I came across this tale years ago and was captivated right from the start. I mean, what bunny lover wouldn’t want to visit a mysterious island that has giant black rabbits!
Hy-Brasil, known by a number of other names (Hy-Brasail, Breasal, Brazil, O’Brasil…mainly alternative spellings) is a mythical island that is said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean just west of Ireland. It’s been charted on numerous maps throughout the ages with the oldest known map from 1325. It is shown as circular in shape with a central river running through it from east to west. According to myth, this island is cloaked in mist and only becomes visible for one day every seven years.
Hy-Brasil and Captain John Nesbit
Captain John Nisbet claimed to have visited the island in 1674. He stated that he and his shipmates entered a deep fog and their ship landed on a beach in shallow waters. When they got off the ship to explore, they were greeted by large black rabbits and a wise magician. He told them he lived in a large stone castle by himself and had enchanted the island so nobody could see it. Somehow the spell was now broken. The wizard then gifted them gold and silver and sent them on their way.
In a different version, the crew disembarked the ship to explore and came across an old castle that seemed to be completely uninhabited. After going to sleep that night, they woke up to giant black rabbits alongside a wise man coming towards them. This wizard was a very ancient gentleman and had ten bareheaded men following him. He invited the explorers to the castle, threw a feast and told them his ancestors were the princes of the island. Apparently the wizard and his men had been tyrannically shut up in the castle. By knocking on the door, the captain broke the spell. The wise man then gifted them gold and silver.
A third slightly different version states that Captain Nisbet found the castle, entered it and found everything covered in dust. They encountered three old menacing men leaning on staffs that spoke an ancient language. Captain Nesbit and his men fled the island and watched it sink. In this version there were no giant black rabbits so personally I don’t care for this one, lol.
Whatever version of Captain Nisbet’s story is “true”, apparently a follow up expedition was led by captain Alexander Johnson who also claimed to have found Hy-Brasil, confirming Nisbet’s findings.
Now, the island is said to appear once every 7 years. In the case Of Captain Nisbet and his crew, by continually adding 7 years to 1325, it actually places him a year off of that theory. Could it be the map from 1325 was drawn based on a 1324 voyage making the dates work correctly? Or is it just a myth?
There have been other prior “sightings” of Hy-Brasil as well. In the 11th century a monk was purported as saying he visited Hy-Brasil and then it sank as he departed. In the 1480’s several expeditions left Bristol, England in search of Hy-Brasil. According to the “7” year theory, they would have come across it in 1487. By most accounts the men failed to find it, but a letter corresponding to the voyage of John Cabot states the island was found during that time frame by men from Bristol. The last report was in 1872 by T.J. Westropp who claimed to have brought his whole family with him. None of these other claims mentioned the giant black rabbits.
There are many other interesting myths and legends tied to the island of Hy-Brasil, but in my opinion none are as exciting to think about as giant black bunnies!
Although the legend of Hy-Brasil is a captivating one, inspiring writers, artists and explorers, nobody in modern times has actually found it. One has to wonder if this legend is all based on people’s imaginations or is there a thread of truth to the story? I firmly believe in the latter that there is some truth in every legend and folktale. Hopefully one day this elusive island will reappear so we can all see these giant black rabbits!
For more Facts & Lore, check out this page!
