The Irish myth of the Giant's Causeway

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On the coast of Northern Ireland, a vast plateau of basalt slabs and columns called the Giant's Causeway stretches into the ocean. The scientific explanation for this is that it's the result of molten lava contracting and fracturing as it cooled in the wake of a volcanic eruption. But an ancient Irish myth has a different accounting. Iseult Gillespie recounts the Giant's Causeway myth.

Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, TED-Ed Animation by Dylan Glynn.

On the coast of Northern Ireland,

a vast plateau of basalt slabs
and columns

called the Giant’s Causeway

stretches into the ocean.

The scientific explanation for this

is that it’s the result of
molten lava contracting and fracturing

as it cooled in the wake
of a volcanic eruption.

But an ancient Irish myth
has a different accounting.

According to legend,

the giant Finn MacCool lived happily
on the North Antrim coast

with his wife Oonagh.

Their only disturbance came from
the taunts and threats

of the giant Benandonner,

or the red man,
who lived across the sea in Scotland.

The two roared insults
and hurled rocks at each other

in dramatic shows of strength.

Once, Finn tore up a great clump of land
and heaved it at his rival,

but it fell short of reaching land.

Instead, the clump became the Isle of Man,

and the crater left from the disturbed
earth filled with water

to become Lough Neagh.

The giants’ tough talk continued,

until one day Benandonner challenged
Finn to a fight, face to face.

And so the Irish giant tossed
enough boulders into the sea

to create a bridge of stepping
stones to the Scottish coast.

Finn marched across in a fit of rage.

When Scotland loomed before him,

he made out the figure
of Benandonner from afar.

Finn was a substantial size,

but at the sight of his colossal
enemy thundering towards him,

his courage faltered.

With one look at Benandonner’s thick neck
and crushing fists, Finn turned and ran.

Back home, with Benandonner
fast approaching,

Finn trembled as he described
his enemy’s bulk to Oonagh.

They knew that if he faced
Benandonner head on,

he’d be crushed.

And so Oonagh hatched a cunning plan -

they needed to create an illusion of size,

to suggest Finn was a mountain
of a man whilst keeping him out of sight.

As Benandonner neared
the end of the bridge,

Oonagh stuffed her husband
in a huge cradle.

Disguised as an enormous baby,

Finn lay quiet as Benandonnner
pounded on the door.

The house shook as he stepped inside.

Oonagh told the enraged visitor
that her husband wasn’t home,

but welcomed him to sit
and eat while he waited.

When Benandonner tore into the cakes
placed before him,

he cried out in pain

for he’d shattered his teeth
on the metal Oonagh had concealed inside.

She told him that this
was Finn’s favorite bread,

sewing a seed of doubt
in Benandonner’s mind

that he was any match for his rival.

When Finn let out a squawk,

Benandonner’s attention was drawn
to the gigantic baby in the corner.

So hefty was the infant swaddled
under piles of blankets,

Benandonner shuddered at the thought
of what the father would look like.

He decided he’d rather not find out.

As he fled, Benandonner tore up the rocks
connecting the shores,

breaking up the causeway.

What remains are two identical
rock formations:

one on the North Antrim coast of Ireland

and one at Fingal’s Cave in Scotland,
right across the sea.