Manannán – 1st King of Man
Isle of Man. 5 Pounds. 2019. Silver .999. ca. 3 oz. 55 mm. Antique Finish. Mintage: 999 pcs. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description
The reverse is dedicated to King Manannán: it shows him in front of the Celtic cross in full armor, down on one knee, the head humbly lowered. In front of him, he holds his sword Fragarach, on which the triskelion of the Isle of Man can be seen. On the left arm, he carries the victory-bringing shield. Above the inscription MANANNÁN / 1st KING OF MAN.
Story
In 2019 the Isle of Man dedicates a spectacular commemorative coin to their name-giving hero, the godly warrior-king Manannán. Manannán is the trickster of Celtic mythology, the hero who, with his great ideas, inspires even the gods to succumb. As the son of the sea god Ler, he disposes of an abundance of magical objects, which he generously lends to the heroes leaving for battle. His sword named Fragarach (“The Answerer”); his horse Enbarr of the flowing mane; his ship Scuabtuinne (“Wave Sweeper”), that flies over the sea without sail and oar; and his coat, that with the help of the magical fog Feth fiada (“Mist of the Lord”) renders one invisible and invulnerable. Those are the presents that allow the Irish hero Lugh to be victorious over the Fomorians.
Manannán is a hero that appears in many Celtic myths and often introduces a decisive turn of events but seldom plays the central part. Even if he guards the way to the world-beyond and supports the dead on their way to the afterworld, he does not play off his power but humbly steps back to leave the stage to others. The depiction of him on the commemorative coin – kneeling, head lowered, face concealed by his helmet – is thus absolutely appropriate.
Thanks to smartminting technology, the sculpture of the hero of Eirinn and the first king of Mannin (the Isle of Man) has become a small, three-dimensional piece of art that inspires the viewer to dream of mythical times. During which a single honest man, with the help of the gods, was able to turn the destiny of the world towards the better.
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