An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai), is a type of pre-Christian
Old Irish literature
Early Irish literature is one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe, though inscriptions utilising Irish and Latin are found on Ogham stones dating from the 4th century, indicating simultaneous usage of both languages by this per ...
about a hero's adventures in the
Otherworld
The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...
or with otherworldly beings.
Definition and etymology
In Irish literature ''Echtrae'' and ''
Immram
An immram (; plural immrama; ga, iomramh , 'voyage') is a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld (see Tír na nÓg and Mag Mell). Written in the Christian era and essentially Christian in aspect, they pres ...
'' are tales of voyages to an
Otherworld
The concept of an otherworld in historical Indo-European religion is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other Earth/world"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherwor ...
. 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.
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 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
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 ...
''; in a journey underneath a lake in ''
Echtrae Laegairi''; or into a fairy mound (''
Sidhe'') in ''
Echtrae Nerai''; alternatively the story may not include such a journey but instead involve an interaction with otherworldly beings : in ''
Echtrae Nerai'', set on
Samhain
Samhain ( , , , ; gv, Sauin ) is a Gaelic festival on 1 NovemberÓ hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year ...
, the hero
Nera sees prophetic visions whilst in the presence of a hanged man;
whilst in ''
Echtra Mac nEchach Muid-medóin'', the hero
Níall gains the sovereignty of Ireland by kissing a hag guarding a well.
Works
Lists compiled from , :
*''
Echtra Condla'' (or ''Echtrae Chonnlai'', adventure of Conle)
*''
Echtrae Cormaic maic Airt i Tir Tairngiri''
*''
Echtrae Laegairi maic Crimthann
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 Nerai'' (aka Táin Bó Aingen)
*''
Ectra Airt maic Cuinn''
*''
Echtrae mac nEchach Mugmedoin''
;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
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''
*''
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 Em ...
''
*''
Serglige Con Chulainn''
*''
Siaburcharpat Con Culaind''
*''
Imram Bran
The Voyage of Bran ( sga, Immram Brain [], meaning "The Voyage of Bran [son of Febail]") is a medieval seventh- or eighth-century Irish language narrative.
Source
The date of composition has been assigned to the late 7th or early 8th century, ...
''
;Lost tales
*''
Echtrae Con Culainn
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 Chrimthaind Nia Nair
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 Fiamain
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 Con Roi
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 Chonaill
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 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''
*''
Echtrae Aedain maic Gabrain''
*''
Echtrae Mael Uma maic Baitain''
*''
Echtrae Mongain maic Fiachna''
*''
Echtrae Fergussa maic Leti''
*''
Echtrae Oengusae maic Fergusa Finn''
*''
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'', and ''
Compert Con Culainn
''Compert Con Culainn'' ( en, The Conception of Cú Chulainn) is an early medieval Irish narrative about the conception and birth of the hero Cú Chulainn. Part of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, it survives in two major versions.
Manuscri ...
''
References
Sources
*
*
*
{{refend
Early Irish literature
Irish mythology
Voyagers in Celtic mythology
Medieval literature