Black Horse

The Children of Lir

In short: Explore the Irish story of four siblings turned into swans through two Irish-language editions.

The Children of Lir · The swans’ voices FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 100 The Children of Lir Explore the Irish story of four siblings turned into swans through two Irish-language editions. Origin Dublin, Ireland Atlas record 1883 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The swans’ voices Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 2 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Dublin, Ireland

The spell changes the four siblings’ bodies and leaves them their voices. Across the years they spend on different waters, their voices keep them connected. The 1883 Dublin edition and Ó Conaire’s version for young readers show the legend reaching different audiences.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1883 · Dublin, Ireland
    Oidhe Chloinne Lir · National Library of Ireland
  2. c. 1924 · Dublin, Ireland
    Pádraic Ó Conaire · Trí truaighe na sgéalaidheachta

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. The Children of Lir. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-children-of-lir/