Echtra Cormaic

The tale bears the full manuscript title "(Scel na Fir Flatha,) Echtra Cormaic i Tir Tairngiri ocus Ceart Claidib Cormaic in the text edited by Whitley Stokes, translated as "The Tale of the Ordeals, Cormac’s Adventure in the Land of Promise, and the Decision as to Cormac’s Sword".

[2] The two texts exhibit only minor differences, and are together classed as the first recension, whose composition 1150–1200 on linguistic evidence, based on some earlier exemplar which is thought to have existed.

[6] The story is also known as Fagháil Chraoibhe Cormaic,[7] and has been edited by Standish H. O'Grady, and translated as "How Cormac mac Airt Got his Branch".

[9] The chapter "His Three Calls to Cormac" is a retelling of the narrative by Lady Augusta Gregory in her book, Gods and Fighting Men.

The host reveals himself to Manannán mac Lir, god of the sea and the true form of the stranger with the Silver Branch, who placed these trials for Cormac so that he may travel to his kingdom Tir na nÓg.