The Isle of Man (IOM) is a Celtic nation in the British Isles. It isn’t part of the UK, and is legally a “crown dependency”. We caught a ferry to Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man and spoke to local Manx people, to learn about the Manx language, Manx culture, and Manx history. We even met fluent Manx speakers who are trying to save the Manx language from extinction.

Background about the Isle of Man:

The Manx flag is called the Triskelion, or Three legs of Man. It makes more sense with the Manx motto, "Quocunque Jeceris Stabit", literally translating as 'whithersoever you throw it, it will stand'. This Manx symbol has Scandinavian origins, since there is viking history on the Isle of Man. Vikings set up the Tynwald (parliament) in the 900s. The Tynwald is the longest continuously operating parliament in the world. Eventually, the Isle of Man was transferred to Scottish rulers and, after a series of battles, was eventually captured by the English.

The Isle of Man draws it's name from the Celtic sea god, Manannán mac Lir, and the Manx language is a Goidelic language, on the same Celtic languages branch as Irish Gaelic and Scottish Gaelic. It went extinct when the last native Manx speaker, Ned Maddrell, died. But since then it has been revived, and there are 1,800 Manx language speakers today.

Beyond a unique Manx language & the Manx culture, the Isle of Man even has some unique animals. Manx cats are born without tails, and Manx loaghtan sheep can have up to six horns each. The landscape they live in is also different. The protected Manx National Glens are sheltered folds in the hillsides, where lush forests flourish. All this combines to make the Isle of Man feel distinct from its neighbours, the UK and Ireland.

The Isle of Man seems to be battling change and time, with new “come-overs”, “stop-overs”, and “stay-overs” arriving all the time. The way of life on the island is changing and Local Manx people are fiercely protective of the Isle of Man, hoping to preserve what is left of Manx culture.