Seonglae ChoHy-Brasil is a legendary island believed to lie somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. Although the name resembles “Brazil,” it is not directly related to the country in South America.
Key points:
- It was frequently depicted on medieval European maps as if it were a real island.
- It was generally thought to be somewhere off the west coast of Ireland.
- A common legend says it is shrouded in mist and appears only once every seven years.
- It is associated with Celtic/Irish mythic imagery such as a “blessed island,” an “ideal realm,” or a “land of immortality.”
- Explorers attempted to find it, but it was never discovered.
- By around the 19th century, it disappeared from maps.
In short, it feels like an Irish Atlantis—a mysterious utopian island.
The “Brasil” in Hy-Brasil is often traced not to Portuguese “Brazil,” but to Irish legendary names/etymology such as Breasal / Uí Breasail. This leads to the question of whether Brazil was named after the island; however, the name of the South American Brazil is usually explained as coming from brasilwood, a reddish dye-producing tree.
