The Voyage of Máel Dúin

Mael Dúin is the protagonist of Immram Maele Dúin, a Christian tale written in Old Irish around the end of the first millenium. He is the son of Ailill Edge-of-Battle, whose murder provides the initial impetus for the tale.

In the story, the hero sets out on an immram, or voyage, to avenge his father's death at the hands of marauders from leicis (Old Irish fir leicis - 'men from over the sea'). Mael Dúin seeks the advice of a druid who tells him how to get there and in what manner. Mael Dúin follows the druid's advice up to a point, except that he allows his foster brothers to join him, thus exceeding the number of people the druid stipulated should be allowed accompany him on his immram. Because of this Mael Dúin is blown off course and into a great voyage where he has a number of peculiar experiences both from within his boat, where generally he sees fantastic things, and on a series of islands he elects and his crewmen elect to visit.

During his immram, Mael Dúin has a Christian conversion experience. He also loses his three foster brothers at different points along the way, allowing him to finally reach the marauders who killed his father and whom he initially set out to kill in revenge. However, as he has incorporated a new, Christian element into his personality he does not kill them but instead forgives them before returning home.