Nera (mythology)
Encyclopedia
Nera is a warrior of Connacht
in the Ulster Cycle
of Irish mythology
.
One Samhain
night when the warriors of Cruachan
were feasting, King Aillil
offered a prize to any man who was brave enough to put a wicker band around the ankle of a corpse that had been hanged. Because Samhain was considered to be a night when the dead have power, only Nera was courageous enough to volunteer. When he placed the wicker band around the corpse's ankle, it moved and asked him for water. Nera allowed it to climb on his back and he carried it to a house, but flames sprang up around the house when they approached. They tried a second house, which was then surrounded by water. On their third attempt, they were able to enter the house, and the corpse drank three cups of water, spitting the last out on the householders and killing them. Nera returned the corpse to the gallows, but when he went back to court the hall was on fire and all of the inhabitants had been decapitated. He thought he saw an army going into the Hill of Cruachan, so he followed them. Inside the hill, he met a woman of the sidhe
who told him that the destruction that he had seen was only a vision of what would happen on the next Samhain
night unless the warriors of Medb
and Aillil destroyed the Hill of Cruachan and defeated the sidhe army. Nera went back to tell Medb and Aillil what he had heard and found that no time had passed since he had left the hall to put the wicker band around the corpse's foot. Nera warned the people of Cruachan of the danger and then escaped with the woman of the sidhe before Medb and Aillil called on Fergus mac Roich
to destroy the Hill of Cruachan.
In some versions of the legend, Nera spends a whole year in the hill and convinces Medb and Aillil of the truth of his story by bringing them summer flowers.
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
in the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
.
One Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
night when the warriors of Cruachan
Cruachan, Ireland
Rathcroghan is a complex of archaeological sites near Tulsk in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is identified as the site of Cruachan, the traditional capital of the Connachta. While it is debatable whether this was a place of residence, it had huge importance as a cemetery and also hosted some of...
were feasting, King Aillil
Ailill mac Máta
Ailill mac Máta is the king of the Connachta and the husband of queen Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Cruachan .-Family background, marriage and offspring:...
offered a prize to any man who was brave enough to put a wicker band around the ankle of a corpse that had been hanged. Because Samhain was considered to be a night when the dead have power, only Nera was courageous enough to volunteer. When he placed the wicker band around the corpse's ankle, it moved and asked him for water. Nera allowed it to climb on his back and he carried it to a house, but flames sprang up around the house when they approached. They tried a second house, which was then surrounded by water. On their third attempt, they were able to enter the house, and the corpse drank three cups of water, spitting the last out on the householders and killing them. Nera returned the corpse to the gallows, but when he went back to court the hall was on fire and all of the inhabitants had been decapitated. He thought he saw an army going into the Hill of Cruachan, so he followed them. Inside the hill, he met a woman of the sidhe
Sídhe
The aos sí are a supernatural race in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology are comparable to the fairies or elves. They are said to live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans...
who told him that the destruction that he had seen was only a vision of what would happen on the next Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
night unless the warriors of Medb
Medb
Medb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
and Aillil destroyed the Hill of Cruachan and defeated the sidhe army. Nera went back to tell Medb and Aillil what he had heard and found that no time had passed since he had left the hall to put the wicker band around the corpse's foot. Nera warned the people of Cruachan of the danger and then escaped with the woman of the sidhe before Medb and Aillil called on Fergus mac Roich
Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
to destroy the Hill of Cruachan.
In some versions of the legend, Nera spends a whole year in the hill and convinces Medb and Aillil of the truth of his story by bringing them summer flowers.
- NeraNeraNera may refer to one of the following:* Nera , a tributary of the Tiber in Italy.* Nera River , a tributary of the Indigirka in Russia.* Nera River , a tributary of the Danube, flowing through Romania and Serbia....
is also the name of a NorwegianNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
telecommunications company.