Manx folklore The culture of the Isle of Man is influenced by its Celtic and, to a lesser extent, its Norse origins, though its close proximity to the United Kingdom, popularity as a UK tourist destination, and recent mass immigration by British migrant wor ...

, a (or ''boagane'') was a huge

ogre An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the world ...

-like creature native to the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

. Some have considered them akin to the

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...

Manx folklore

shapeshifter In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shapeshifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through unnatural means. The idea of shapeshifting is found in the oldest forms of totemism and shamanism, as well as the oldest exist ...

, the buggane is generally described as a malevolent being that can appear as a large black calf or human with ears or hooves of a horse. It was large enough to tear the roof off a church. Its natural form is described as "covered with a mane of coarse, black hair; it had eyes like torches, and glittering sharp tusks". Another tale describes it as a huge man with bull's horns, glowing eyes and large teeth. As magical creatures, bugganes were unable to cross water or stand on hallowed ground.

St Trinian's Church

The most famous story recounts a buggane who found himself an inadvertent stowaway on a ship bound for

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Determined to return to the Isle of Man, he caused a storm and guided the ship towards the rocky coast of Contrary Head. His plan was interdicted through the intervention of St. Trinian. Invoked by the captain with a promise to build a chapel in his honour, the saint guided the ship safely into Peel Harbour. Incensed, the buggane screamed, "St. Trinian should never have a whole church in Ellan Vannin."Callow, Edward. "The Buggane's Vow", ''The Phynodderre and Other Legends of the Isle of Man'', J. Dean and Son, London, 1882
/ref> When the chapel came to be built, three times the local people put a roof on, and three times the buggane tore it off. The ''Buggan ny Hushtey'' lived in a large cave near the sea and was known for having no liking for lazy people. However, it should not be confused with the Cabbyl-ushtey, the Manx

water horse A water horse (or "waterhorse" in some folklore) is a mythical creature that appears in multiple forms in Celtic and Scandinavian folklore, such as the , , the , each-uisge, and kelpie. Name origin The term "water horse" was originally a n ...

. Bugganes were occasionally called upon by the

fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

to punish people that had offended them. The buggane of Glen Maye would have pitched a lazy housewife into a waterfall for putting off baking until after sunset, had she not cut loose the strings of her apron to escape. The buggane from Gob-na-Scuit was known for tearing the thatch off the haystacks, puffing the smoke down chimneys, and pushing sheep over the edge of the brooghs (a steep bank or grassy cliff).

Finn MacCool and the Buggane

In Manx legend, the Irish giant

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer a ...

(Finn MacCool) crossed over to Mann and settled near

Cregneash Cregneash or Cregneish () is a small village and tourist destination in the extreme south-west of the Isle of Man, about from Port Erin. Most of the village is now part of a living museum run by Manx National Heritage. There are also a num ...

. The buggane from Barrule came to do battle, but Fionn did not want to fight. Fionn's wife, Oonagh, disguised Fionn as a baby and tucked him into a cradle. When the buggane saw the size of the 'baby', he thought that its father, Fionn, must be a giant among giants, and so he left. They eventually met near Kirk Christ Rushen and fought from sunrise to sunset. Fionn had one foot in the Big Sound, and so made the channel between the

Calf of Man Calf of Man ( ) is a island, off the southwest coast of the Isle of Man. It is separated from the Isle of Man by a narrow stretch of water called the Calf Sound. Like the nearby rocky islets of Chicken Rock and Kitterland, it is part of th ...

and Kitterland, and the other foot was in the Little Sound, and so he made the narrow channel between Kitterland and the main island. The buggane was standing at

Port Erin Port Erin ( 'lord's port' or originally 'Irish port') is a seaside village in the south-west of the Isle of Man, in the historic parish of Rushen. It was previously a seaside resort before the decline of the tourist trade. Administratively it ...

. He came off victorious and slashed Fionn awfully, so that he had to run to Ireland. Fionn could walk on the sea, but the buggane could not, so he tore out a tooth and threw it at Fionn. It hit him on the back of the head, and then it fell into the sea and became what is now called Chicken Rock. Fionn turned round and roared a mighty curse, "My seven swearings of a curse on it!" "Let it lie there for a vexation to the sons of men while water runs and grass grows!" And so it has. The Irish version of the story has Fionn's adversary a giant from

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

In popular culture

* Bushys (Mount Murray Brewing) of

Douglas, Isle of Man Douglas (, ) is the Capital (political), capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, Isle of Man, River Douglas, and on a sweepi ...

brews a light brown English bitter called "Bushy's Buggane"."Bushy's Buggane", Ratebeer.com
/ref> * Stories from the Isle of Man: The Buggane of St. Trinian's, featured in Season 6 (8 August 1969) of the BBC children's television series ''

Jackanory ''Jackanory'' was a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in Reading (activity), reading. The programme was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the ...

''. * In the ''

Spook's ''Spook's'', published as ''The Last Apprentice'' in the United States, is a children's dark fantasy series by English author Joseph Delaney. It is published by imprints of Penguin Random House in the United Kingdom and HarperCollins in the Un ...

'' series by Joseph Delaney, a buggane features prominently in the seventh book, ''The Spook's Nightmare'' ( UK title)''/Rise of the Huntress'' ( US title). * Buggane is featured in the fantasy novel '' The Road To Fero City'' by Morat, in which he is imprisoned for vandalising churches. * In the

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game The ''Pathfinder Roleplaying Game'' is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) that was published in 2009 by Paizo Publishing. The first edition extends and modifies the System Reference Document (SRD) based on the revised 3rd edition ''Dungeons ...

, Buggane make an appearance in the Bestiary 4 as a race of blind giants distantly related to ogres. Their appearance is inspired by that of the

naked mole-rat The naked mole-rat (''Heterocephalus glaber''), also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing rodent native to the Horn of Africa and parts of Kenya, notably in Somali regions. It is closely related to the blesmols and is the only species in th ...

. *In the 2009

Lemon Demon Lemon Demon is a musical project and band created by American comedian and musician Neil Cicierega in 2003 in Boston, Massachusetts. Lemon Demon's studio work is performed solely by Cicierega, who is the project's sole official member. Live per ...

song "Eighth Wonder" (about Gef the talking mongoose) on the 2016 album '' Spirit Phone'', buggane are referenced in the lyrics as they both originate on the Isle of Man.

References

External links

{{Fairies Aos Sí Fairies Irish folklore Irish legendary creatures Manx legendary creatures Ogres Shapeshifting Supernatural legends Tuatha Dé Danann