1) This Irish legend tells the story of the Children of Lir who were transformed into swans by their stepmother Aoife. 2) Aoife placed a curse on the children that they would spend 900 years as swans in different lakes and seas in Ireland. 3) In their final resting place on Inish Glora, a monk named Mochua built a bell and when it tolled, the spell was broken and the children returned to human form but rapidly aged and died as the last of the Tuatha De Danann pagan tribe.

1. An IRISH TALE

2. THE CHILDREN OF LIR
A Celtic legend from Ireland.

3. There was a time in ancient Ireland when people
believed in magic, druids and spells. These were the
days of the Tuatha De Danann pagan tribe, the
Goddess Danu and Lir, Lord of the sea.
Lir's wife, Eva, had given him four beautiful
children. One day, the two eldest, Fionnuala and
Aodh, went swimming in a small lake. They enjoyed
swimming because they possessed gills for
breathing and webbed feet. They were, after all, the
offspring of the Lord of the sea.
Spells Hechizos
Gills Branquias
Breath Respirar
Webbed feet Aletas
Offspring Descendientes

4. Suddenly, a messenger came and told them that
they were wanted by their father. They went home
immediately only to find their father disturbed.
'What is wrong father?' they enquired.
'Your mother has given birth to twins' , he replied,
´and has gone off to rest'
'What do you mean father?' they asked.
Lir explained that this was what humans called
'death’. The children kissed their mother for the last
time and then went to look after the new brothers,
Fiachra and Conn.
Enquire Preguntar
Recover Recuperarse

5. As the children grew, Lir's spirits declined until one
day he met Aoife, the sister of his wife. Aoife was
possessed of magical powers and she married Lir.
Soon guilt and jealousy about the children's real
mother made Aoife fall into sickness for a year.
She recovered and, one day, she suggested that
she and the children should visit their grandfather.
On the journey they stopped by a lake and she
encouraged the children to go for a swim.
The four children played happily, not noticing that
their stepmother was standing wearing her father’s
magical cloak.
Guilt Culpa
Jealousy Celos
Sickness Enfermedad
Encourage Animar
Notice Darse cuenta
Cloak Capa

6. 'For too long you children have stood between
your father and I, but not for much longer!' she cried.
'We cannot be killed by you...' Aodh replied,
'...we are the Children of Lir and if you harm us our
ghosts will haunt you!‘
‘I’m not going to kill you...' she shouted
'...but I am going to change you!'
Too long Demasiado tiempo
Harm Hacer daño
Haunt Atormentar

7. The children looked at each other in fear as they
saw a red and golden circle around them on the water.
They saw Aoife open up her cloak from which a great
light of a fireball emerged.
The fireball hit the water and caused steam to rise
about the children and they soon lost all feeling in
their legs, arms, shoulders and head.
Aodh turned to look at his brothers and sister only
to see that they had all been turned by their
stepmother into the most beautiful swans ever seen.
Steam Vapor
To rise Elevarse
Turn Girar
Turn into Convertirse en
Swan Cisne

8. Aoife told them that they had to spend nine
hundred years as swans, three hundred on Lough
Derravaragh, three hundred on the Straits of Moyle
and three hundred on the Isle of Inish Glora.
To end the spell they would have to hear the bell
of the new God.
'I will leave you with your voice however, and the
most beautiful singing ever heard' she said.
Lir searched for his children but Aoife told him that
they had been attacked and killed by wild boars.
Fionnuala, now in swan form, approached her father
and told him what Aoife had done. Lir was furious and
sent Aoife into exile as an evil demon of the air.
Bell Campana
Search Buscar
Evil Malvado

9. Lir faithfully visited his children and his love
ensured that their time on Lough Derravaragh was
not so hard. 300 years later the next time of the spell
was about to begin.
The swans left for the Straits of Moyle, never to
see their father again.
Their time on the Northern Straits of Moyle was
not so joyous, with frequent storms separating
them, only for they to join up again. Another 300
years passed but they had survived.
Faithfully Fielmente
Ensure Asegurar
Phase Fase
Join up Reunirse

10. They departed and made their way towards Lough
Derravaragh. They flew over the land, hoping to find
their father's fort, but it was now nothing more than
ruins. Then they knew the time of the Tuatha De
Dannan was gone.
They travelled West to the waters of Inish Glora
and found refuge on a small saltwater lake where time
passed slowly.
One day an old man named Mochua visited the
lake and the children asked him if he was a follower of
the new God. The startled man asked if they were the
children of Lir and they told him that they were.
Towards Hacia
Saltwater lake Lago de agua salada
Startled Asombrado

11. The children knew that to break the spell they
would have to hear the bell of a new God in their own
land. Mochua told them all about his new God and all
about Saint Patrick who had brought his faith to
their country.
The children became excited as they knew that
this was the new God their stepmother had told them
of. They stayed with Mochua for many years in a
small chapel which he had built.
Holy Santo
Own Propio
Faith Fe
Chapel Capilla

12. The old man felt sorry for the children and he
started to make a bell. He collected old swords,
shields and other metal to make it. The bell was soon
completed and was about to be rung when another
disaster ocurred.
A warrior dressed in armour entered the chapel.
He had come for the children who were famed for
their wonderful singing.
'I am Liargren, King of Connaught' he shouted,
'My wife desires those swans and I will have them”.
Sword Espada
Shield Escudo
About A punto de
Warrior Guerrero
Desire Desear

13. Liargen ordered his men to take the children away.
They were being loaded onto a carriage when,
suddenly, the church bell tolled loudly.
Time seemed to stand still, but in another instant a
great white mist enveloped the children as it had done
900 years before. Then the mist changed into all of the
colours of the rainbow.
Agree Estar de acuerdo
Amazed Sorprendido
Load Cargar
Stand still Pararse
Mist Bruma

14. The spell was broken and the children of Lir had,
at last, been transformed back into human form.
Liagren ran away immediately, never to return.
Mochua baptized the beautiful children who had
begun to age rapidly.
And so the children of Lir, the last of the Tuatha De
Danann pagan tribe, died soon afterwards.
THE END
Run away Huir
Age Envejecer

15. From http://www.ireland-information.com
Ana Almarza 2012