Nera (mythology)

Echtrae Nerai [' extreme ' n ʴ eri ] (" Nera's Adventure ") is the title of a Remscéla ( Vorerzählung ) of the Táin Bó Cuailnge in the Ulster Cycle of Celtic mythology of Ireland. The legend is probably in the 10-11. Originated century ( " The Yellow Book of Lecan " ), as well as in a manuscript from the 15th century is recorded in the Leabhar Buidhe Lecain.

Content

On the eve of Samhain (November 1 ) returns Nera, a warrior in the service of the King and Queen Medb and Ailill mac Máta, of a dare to the castle Cruachain ( Rathcroghan in County Roscommon ) back. King Ailill had in fact offered a prize for the brave who dares despite the dangerous Samhain, a hanged man to tie a withe around the ankle. He sees the castle in flames and killed all the inhabitants of a hostile army. He carefully followed the squad, which disappears in a Síd ( Elf Hill ) near the King 's seat. He penetrates and encounters a sidhe ( fairy, elf ) who warns him and simultaneously clears that he had taken a look into the future. It is only to Samhain in the coming year the attack would take place.

Although Nera wants to stay with the fairy, he returns once more after Cruachain and warns the inhabitants from their fate. This is why it is possible to penetrate to Samhain under the leadership of Medb and Ailill in the Síd even before the army of the Other World has formed to defeat it with the help of Fergus mac Róich and plunder the elf hill. Only Nera decides to stay with his fairy in the Other World, and not to return to Cruachain.

In another version Nera is a year in Síd and then returns to Medb back, which he brings as a proof of his adventure a bouquet of freshly picked summer flowers on November 1, from the Otherworld. Battle for the elves hill is not mentioned here.