An Echtra or Echtrae (pl. Echtrai) is one of a category of Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld (see Tír na nÓg and Mag Mell); the otherworldly setting is the distinctive trait of these tales. More generally, echtra was the Old Irish word for "adventure", the Modern Irish word is eachtra. Old Irish is the name given to the oldest form of the Irish language which can be more or less fully reconstructed from extant sources. ... For Irish Mythology, see Other World. ... In Irish mythology, Mag Mell (plain of joy), also called Tír na nÓg (land of the young), Land of the Living, the Many-colored land and the Promised Land, was a mythical realm achievable through death and/or glory. ... In Irish mythology, Mag Mell (plain of joy), also called Tír na nÓg (land of the young), Land of the Living, the Many-colored Land and the Promised Land, was a mythical realm achievable through death and/or glory. ...

The echtra was one of the most popular of Old Irish genres, so much so that the word later came to be used in the titles of any romance, regardless of otherworldy content. Earlier on, however, an echtra's emphasis was on the hero's time in the Otherworld, the journey to which serves merely as a frame story. This distinguishes the echtrai from tales in the category of Immrama, or "Voyages", which focus on the hero's journey rather than the otherworldly destination. As a literary genre, romance refers to a style of heroic prose and verse narrative current in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. ... An Immram (pl. ...

The hero of the echtra is usually invited to the Otherworld by a beautiful maiden or a great warrior, and he must cross either the western ocean or a plain blanketed by a mystical fog. The host is revealed to be one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, or fairy folk, and Manannan or Lugh often figure into the tale. The hero's fate after his sojourn varies from tale to tale. Sometimes he stays among the fays forever, and sometimes he returns with knowledge and gifts for his people. Sometimes the hero discovers his visit has lasted for years or even centuries though he thought no time had passed. He is warned that if he ever touches his home soil again, he will surely perish. In the Voyage of Bran, the heroes describe their adventure to the people on shore, then sail off into oblivion. Oisín touches the ground and instantly aged hundreds of years. He tells his story to St. Patrick and receives a Christian baptism before passing away. This article is about a mythical people of Ireland. ... by Sophie Anderson A fairy is a spirit (supernatural being) found in the legends, folklore, and mythology of many cultures. ... In Irish mythology, Manannan mac Lir was a sea and weather god. ... Lug or Lugh is an Irish sun god and king of the Tuatha Dé Danann whose name means light or brightness. His epithets include Lámfhada (long hand), for his skill with a spear or sling, and Samildánach (multi-talented, skilled in many arts). He is handsome, perpetually youthful... Oisín (or Ossian), son of Fionn mac Cumhail, is a poet and warrior of the fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. ... Statue of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (died March 17, 462, 492, or 493), is the patron saint of Ireland. ...