An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian
Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the
Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''
Immram'' are tales of voyages to an
Otherworld. In general the ''"Echtrae"'' are set in a pagan context. In contrast the ''Immram'', though containing mythological story elements, are set in post-pagan Ireland, and the main protagonist is Christian,
and the journey is usually by sea.
A point of contention in absolute definition exists in the case of ''"
Immram Brain maic Febail"''. Despite the naming this tale is considered to form part of the ''Echtrae'' milieu, and may have been named as an Immram due to a conflation of Bran (Brain) and
St. Brendan
Brendan of Clonfert (c. AD 484 - c.577), is one of the early Celtic Christianity, Irish monastic saints and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. He is also referred to as Brendan the Navigator, Brendan the Voyager, Brendan the Anchorite, Br ...
.
Generally, ''echtra'' was the
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
word for "adventure" (literally meaning an "outing".), as well as a cognate for the Latin ''extra'', The modern and middle
Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
word is ''eachtra''.
The
Dictionary of the Irish Language
''Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials'' (also called "the DIL"), published by the Royal Irish Academy, is the definitive dictionary of the origins of the Irish language, specifically the Old Irish, M ...
notes alternative usage meanings in addition to the primary "expedition, voyage, journey" - these include "a warlike expedition", and the more general "tale", or "history".
Description
Though Echtrai often involve a journey to an otherworld, the exact destination or journey can vary - voyages take place by sea in ''
Echtrae Conli''; in a journey underneath a lake in ''
Echtrae Laegairi
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
''; or into a fairy mound (''
Sidhe'') in ''
Echtrae Nerai
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
''; alternatively the story may not include such a journey but instead involve an interaction with otherworldly beings : in ''
Echtrae Nerai
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
'', set on
Samhain, the hero
Nera Nera may refer to:
People
* Nera Smajic (born 1984), Bosnian-born Swedish footballer
* Nera Stipičević (born 1983), Croatian actress
* Nera White (1935–2016), American basketball player
* André António Ribeiro Novais (born 1988), Portugue ...
sees prophetic visions whilst in the presence of a hanged man;
whilst in ''
Echtra Mac nEchach Muid-medóin
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
'', the hero
Níall gains the sovereignty of Ireland by kissing a hag guarding a well.
Works
Lists compiled from , :
*''
Echtra Condla
''Echtra Condla'', ("The adventure of Connla") is an Old Irish ''echtra'' tale known in two variants from eight manuscripts, the earliest of which has been dated to the 12th C. - the tale may have been written down first as early as the 8th C. Th ...
'' (or ''Echtrae Chonnlai'', adventure of Conle)
*''
Echtrae Cormaic maic Airt i Tir Tairngiri''
*''
Echtrae Laegairi maic Crimthann''
*''
Echtrae Nerai
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
'' (aka Táin Bó Aingen)
*''
Ectra Airt maic Cuinn ECTRA may refer to:
* Eastern Competitive Trail Ride Association (see competitive trail riding)
Ectra may refer to:
* Echtra
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Oth ...
''
*''
Echtrae mac nEchach Mugmedoin
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
''
;Tales not titled Echtra, but considered part of milieu
*''
Baile in Scáil
Conn Cétchathach (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irel ...
'' (The Phantom's Frenzy)
*''
The Five Lugaids''
*''
Tochmarc Emire
''Tochmarc Emire'' ("The Wooing of Emer") is one of the stories in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology and one of the longest when it received its form in the second recension (below). It concerns the efforts of the hero Cú Chulainn to marry Eme ...
''
*''
Serglige Con Chulainn''
*''
Siaburcharpat Con Culaind''
*''
Imram Bran''
;Lost tales
*''
Echtrae Con Culainn''
*''
Echtrae Chrimthaind Nia Nair''
*''
Echtrae Fiamain''
*''
Echtrae Con Roi''
*''
Echtrae Chonaill''
*''
Echtrae Chonchobair
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
''
*''
Echtrae Machae ingine Aeda Ruaid''
*''
Echtrae Nechtain maic Alfroinn''
*''
Echtrae Ailchm d maic Amalgaid''
*''
Echtrae Find i nDerc Ferna
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and '' Immram'' are tales of ...
''
*''
Echtrae Aedain maic Gabrain''
*''
Echtrae Mael Uma maic Baitain
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and '' Immram'' are tales of ...
''
*''
Echtrae Mongain maic Fiachna
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''Immram'' are tales of voy ...
''
*''
Echtrae Fergussa maic Leti
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and '' Immram'' are tales of ...
''
*''
Echtrae Oengusae maic Fergusa Finn
An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and '' Immram'' are tales of ...
''
*''
Echtrae Chuinn Chetchathaig''
*''
Echtrae Muirquertoig maic hErco''
There are also visits to the otherworld undertaken by the hero
Cuchulainn, including : ''
Forfess Fer Fálgae'', ''
Fled Bricrenn ocus Loinges mac nDuil Dermait
''Fled'' is a 1996 American buddy action comedy film directed by Kevin Hooks. It stars Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin as two prisoners chained together who flee during an escape attempt gone bad.
Plot
An interrogator prepares a man ...
'', and ''
Compert Con Culainn''
References
Sources
*
*
*
{{refend
Early Irish literature
Irish mythology
Voyagers in Celtic mythology
Medieval literature