Story Secrets - The Irish Saint Who Inspired Tolkien and C.S. Lewis

Did you know that an Irish saint from the early Middle Ages helped inspire both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis? His name was St. Brendan the Navigator, and his legendary voyage to a mysterious land echoes through some of the greatest fantasy stories ever written.

I’ve been diving deep into early medieval Irish history while writing my own fantasy novel, and the story of St. Brendan has captivated me. His legend tells of a perilous journey across the sea in search of a mystical land—a place of beauty, abundance, and divine presence. It was a voyage of faith, an adventure into the unknown, much like the real-life journeys of Irish monks who set out in small boats with no maps, trusting God to guide them.

Sound familiar?

• Tolkien was inspired by Brendan’s voyage when he imagined the Undying Lands, the far-off paradise across the sea in The Lord of the Rings.
• C.S. Lewis drew from the same legend when he wrote The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Narnia’s adventurers sail toward the edge of the world, seeking Aslan’s country.

And now, St. Brendan’s journey is inspiring me. One of the characters in my fantasy novel—Brendan, a young, sickly novice—dreams of sailing into the unknown. But why? And could his seemingly impossible dream actually come true?

The more I think about it, the more I realize this might not just be a subplot—it could be an entire book. Maybe even a sequel. What do you think? Would you want to read a fantasy story inspired by the real-life voyage of St. Brendan?