Gods and Fighting Men, Lady I. A Gregory [best e books to read TXT] 📗

a wheeled fork it would take eight men to carry, so that the track

he left after him was deep enough for the boundary ditch of a province.

And on his way he saw the Battle-Crow, the Morrigu, washing herself in

the river Unius of Connacht, and one of her two feet at Ullad Echne, to

the south of the water, and the other at Loscuinn, to the north of the

water, and her hair hanging in nine loosened locks. And she said to the

Dagda, that she would bring the heart's blood of Indech, son of De

Domnann, that had threatened him, to the men of Ireland.

 

And while he was away Lugh had called together the Druids, and smiths,

and physicians, and law-makers, and chariot-drivers of Ireland, to make

plans for the battle.

 

And he asked the great magician Mathgen what could he do to help them.

"It is what I can do," said Mathgen, "through my power I can throw down

all the mountains of Ireland on the Fomor, until their tops will be

rolling on the ground. And the twelve chief mountains of Ireland will

bring you their help," he said, "and will fight for you: Slieve Leag and

Denda Ulad, and Bennai Boirche and Bri Ruri, and Slieve Bladma and

Slieve Snechtae, and Slieve Mis and Blai-Slieve, and Nemthann and Slieve

Macca Belgodon, and Segois and Cruachan Aigle."

 

Then he asked the cup-bearers what help they could give. "We will put a

strong thirst on the Fomor," they said, "and then we will bring the

twelve chief lochs of Ireland before them, and however great their

thirst may be, they will find no water in them: Derc-Loch, Loch

Luimnech, Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig,

Loch Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, Mor-Loch. And we will

go," they said, "to the twelve chief rivers of Ireland: the Buas, the

Boinn, the Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the

Sligech, the Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech, the Siuir; and they will

all be hidden away from the Fomor the way they will not find a drop in

them. But as for the men of Ireland," they said, "there will be drink

for them if they were to be in the battle to the end of seven years."

 

And Figol, son of Mamos, the Druid, was asked then what he would do, and

he said: "It is what I will do, I will cause three showers of fire to

pour on the faces of the army of the Fomor, and I will take from them

two-thirds of their bravery and their strength, and I will put sickness

on their bodies, and on the bodies of their horses. But as to the men of

Ireland," he said, "every breath they breathe will be an increase of

strength and of bravery to them; and if they are seven years in the

battle they will never be any way tired."

 

Then Lugh asked his two witches, Bechulle and Dianan: "What power can

you bring to the battle?" "It is easy to say that," they said. "We will

put enchantment on the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth,

till they become an armed host against the Fomor, and put terror on them

and put them to the rout."

 

Then Lugh asked Carpre, the poet, son of Etain, what could he do. "It is

not hard to say that," said Carpre. "I will make a satire on them at

sunrise, and the wind from the north, and I on a hill-top and my back to

a thorn-tree, and a stone and a thorn in my hand. And with that satire,"

he said, "I will put shame on them and enchantment, the way they will

not be able to stand against fighting men."

 

Then he asked Goibniu the Smith what would he be able to do. "I will do

this," he said. "If the men of Ireland stop in the battle to the end of

seven years, for every sword that is broken and for every spear that is

lost from its shaft, I will put a new one in its place. And no

spear-point that will be made by my hand," he said, "will ever miss its

mark; and no man it touches will ever taste life again. And that is more

than Dolb, the smith of the Fomor, can do," he said.

 

"And you, Credne," Lugh said then to his worker in brass, "what help can

you give to our men in the battle?" "It is not hard to tell that," said

Credne, "rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords and bosses

and rims for their shields, I will supply them all."

 

"And you, Luchta," he said then to his carpenter, "what will you do?" "I

will give them all they want of shields and of spear shafts," said

Luchta.

 

Then he asked Diancecht, the physician, what would he do, and it is what

he said: "Every man that will be wounded there, unless his head is

struck off, or his brain or his marrow cut through, I will make him

whole and sound again for the battle of the morrow."

 

Then the Dagda said: "Those great things you are boasting you will do,

I will do them all with only myself." "It is you are the good god!" said

they, and they all gave a great shout of laughter.

 

Then Lugh spoke to the whole army and put strength in them, so that each

one had the spirit in him of a king or a great lord.

 

Then when the delay was at an end, the Fomor and the men of Ireland came

on towards one another till they came to the plain of Magh Tuireadh.

That now was not the same Magh Tuireadh where the first battle was

fought, but it was to the north, near Ess Dara.

 

And then the two armies threatened one another. "The men of Ireland are

daring enough to offer battle to us," said Bres to Indech, son of De

Domnann. "I give my word," said Indech, "it is in small pieces their

bones will be, if they do not give in to us and pay their tribute."

 

Now the Men of Dea had determined not to let Lugh go into the battle,

because of the loss his death would be to them; and they left nine of

their men keeping a watch on him.

 

And on the first day none of the kings or princes went into the battle,

but only the common fighting men, and they fierce and proud enough.

 

And the battle went on like that from day to day with no great advantage

to one or the other side. But there was wonder on the Fomor on account

of one thing. Such of their own weapons as were broken or blunted in the

fight lay there as they were, and such of their own men as were killed

showed no sign of life on the morrow; but it was not so with the Tuatha

de Danaan, for if their men were killed or their weapons were broken

to-day, they were as good as before on the morrow.

 

And this is the way that happened. The well of Slaine lay to the west

of Magh Tuireadh to the east of Loch Arboch. And Diancecht and his son

Octruil and his daughter Airmed used to be singing spells over the well

and to be putting herbs in it; and the men that were wounded to death in

the battle would be brought to the well and put into it as dead men, and

they would come out of it whole and sound, through the power of the

spells. And not only were they healed, but there was such fire put into

them that they would be quicker in the fight than they were before.

 

And as to the arms, it is the way they were made new every day. Goibniu

the Smith used to be in the forge making swords and spears, and he would

make a spear-head by three turns, and then Luchta the Carpenter would

make the shaft by three cuts, and the third cut was a finish, and would

set it in the ring of the spear. And when the spear-heads were stuck in

the side of the forge, he would throw the shaft and the rings the way

they would go into the spear-head and want no more setting. And then

Credne the Brazier would make the rivets by three turns and would cast

the rings of the spears to them, and with that they were ready and were

set together.

 

And all this went against the Fomor, and they sent one of their young

men to spy about the camp and to see could he find out how these things

were done. It was Ruadan, son of Bres and of Brigit daughter of the

Dagda they sent, for he was a son and grandson of the Tuatha de Danaan.

So he went and saw all that was done, and came back to the Fomor.

 

And when they heard his story it is what they thought, that Goibniu the

Smith was the man that hindered them most. And they sent Ruadan back

again, and bade him make an end of him.

 

So he went back again to the forge, and he asked Goibniu would he give

him a spear-head. And then he asked rivets of Credne, and a shaft of

the carpenter, and all was given to him as he asked. And there was a

woman there, Cron, mother to Fianlug, grinding the spears.

 

And after the spear being given to Ruadan, he turned and threw it at

Goibniu, that it wounded him. But Goibniu pulled it out and made a cast

of it at Ruadan, that it went through him and he died; and Bres, his

father, and the army of the Fomor, saw him die. And then Brigit came and

keened her son with shrieking and with crying.

 

And as to Goibniu, he went into the well and was healed. But after that

Octriallach, son of Indech, called to the Fomor and bade each man of

them bring a stone of the stones of Drinnes and throw them into the well

of Slane. And they did that till the well was dried up, and a cairn

raised over it, that is called Octriallach's Cairn.

 

And it was while Goibniu was making spear-heads for the battle of Magh

Tuireadh, a charge was brought against his wife. And it was seen that it

was heavy news to him, and that jealousy came on him. And it is what he

did, there was a spear-shaft in his hand when he heard the story, Nes

its name was; and he sang spells over the spear-shaft, and any one that

was struck with that spear afterwards, it would burn him up like fire.

 

And at last the day of the great battle came, and the Fomor came out of

their camp and stood in strong ranks. And there was not a leader or a

fighting man of them was without good armour to his skin, and a helmet

on his head, a broad spear in his right hand, a heavy sword in his belt,

a strong shield on his shoulder. And to attack the army of the Fomor

that day was to strike the head against a rock, or to go up fighting

against a fire.

 

And the Men of Dea rose up and left Lugh and his nine comrades keeping

him, and they went on to the battle; and Midhir was with them, and Bodb

Dearg and Diancecht. And Badb and Macha and the Morrigu called out that

they would go along with them.

 

And it was a hard battle was fought, and for a while it was going

against the Tuatha de Danaan; and Nuada of the Silver Hand, their King,

and Macha, daughter of Emmass, fell by Balor, King of the Fomor. And

Cass-mail fell by Octriallach, and the Dagda got a dreadful wound from a

casting spear that was thrown by Ceithlenn, wife of Balor.

 

But when the battle was going on, Lugh broke away from those that were

keeping him, and rushed out to the front of the Men of Dea. And then

there was a fierce battle fought, and Lugh was heartening the men of

Ireland to fight well, the way they would not be in bonds any longer.

For it was better for them, he said, to die protecting their own country

than to live under bonds and under tribute any longer. And he sang a

song of courage to them, and the hosts gave a great shout as they went

into battle, and then they met together, and each of them began to

attack the other.

 

And there was great slaughter, and laying