The Book of Invasions

The Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh

Where was Lugh?

The Battle had now dragged on for the longest time and some, who followed the battle, might wonder, “Where has been this famous Lugh, who was supposed to be so great at everything, during all this time?”

The truth was that Nuada had secretly taken counsel with his advisers the chiefs of the Tuatha de Danaan, and their counsel was that should not to let Lugh go into the battle. “This Lugh is so wise and clever,” they said, “that he should be our next king and if he is injured or possibly is slain, so young, before he can do us this good, we would be devastated. His greatness would be wasted and we the poorer for it, not to mention his death or injury would completely demoralize the warriors fighting in this war.” So they left nine of their men keeping a watch on him and preventing him from entering the Battles.

On the first day of the war few of the kings or princes of the Tuatha de Danaan had gone into the battle, rather their fighters were mostly the common fighting men, and they fierce and proud enough.

However, after a long time the full might of the Fomorians had finally gathered in the forest reinforcing the warriors scattered there. As the day began they surged onto the field in an enormous multitude far outnumbering the Tuatha de Danaan. But as they came toward the Tuatha de Danaan the Tuatha de Danaan retreated and stripped the land of food and produce as they went. The mighty draoi Mathgen and his group of draoithe rained down huge boulders on the advancing Fomorian warriors. Of course many of the Fomorians also were draoi and were able to create spells to shield themselves but few of them had enough power to hurl the boulders back at the Tuatha de Danaan so that most of the boulders thus caught rolled to the side front or back still managing to kill or incapacitate others of the Fomorians. This continued for many days with the numbers of the Fomorians gradually being depleted under the barrage of falling boulders. The supply lines of the Fomorians were also stretched and the Fomorians became wracked with hunger.

The Great Gods Enter the Battle

It was at this moment that the Kings and Princes of the Tuatha de Danaan at last took to the field in their chariots. There rolled Mighty Nuada with his unstoppable sword Claíomh Solais which cut through the Fomorian warriors like a scythe. Even giants fell before him as he hacked at their legs and feet and parried their massive weapons with Claíomh Solais. There also went his father The Dagda and his brother Angus Og and his brother Ogma and where they met with the Fomorians. The Fomorians fell like hewn chaff before them. Even so the Fomorians continued to advance for they were also mighty.

The Thirst Compelled by the Cup-bearers

In the middle of this battle the cup-bearer’s draoithe put a spell on the Fomorians and a great thirst came upon them. They looked for a river where they could find water but the river and lochs were hidden from them and their thirst could not be quenched.

Thus the battle went on from day to day with no great advantage to one or the other side. But there was wonder on the Fomorians on account of one thing. Much of their own weapons were broken or blunted in the fight and lay where they fell, and many of their 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 wounded or even killed or their weapons were broken today, they were as good as before on the morrow.

He then put three stones in his belt and each stone fell from it in turn. As this occurred the girl Sodelb jumped on him and wacked him across the butt. As she did this her curly bush was thus revealed. Quickly they turned to wrestling on the ground and the Dagda became aroused. Soon their struggles became amorous and the Dagda gained a new mistress. A mark remains at Beltraw Strand where they coupled.

Dian Cecht and his Children Resurrected the Dead

The well of Slaine lay to the west of Magh Tuireadh to the east of Loch Arboch. Dian Cecht and his son Cú 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, even to death in the battle, were brought to the well and put into it. They would come out of it whole and sound, through the power of the spells. 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.

The Weapons Makers

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. 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. Then Creidhne 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.

Ruadan the Son of Bres and Brigit

All this went against the Fomorians, and they sent one of their young warriors to spy about the camp and to 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 and would not be suspected. So he went and beheld all that was done, and came back to the Fomorians.

When the Formorians heard his story they thought, that Goibniu the Smith was the man that hindered them most. So they sent Ruadan back again, and bade him make an end of Goibniu.

So he went back again to the forge, and he asked Goibniu if he would he give him a spear-head. And then he asked rivets of Creidhne, and a shaft of the carpenter, and all was given to him as he asked. Also there was a woman there, Cron, mother to Fianlug, grinding and sharpening the spears and she sharpened his.

After the spear was given to Ruadan, he turned and threw it at Goibniu, so 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 Fomorians, beheld him die. Then Brigit came and wept for her son with shrieking and with crying.

As for Goibniu, he went into the well and was healed.

The Choking of the Well

But after that Octriallach, son of Indech, called to the Fomorians 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 full of stones and the magic water below could not be reached. A cairn was then raised over it, and it is called Octriallach's Cairn. All the work of healing of the Tuatha de Danaan by Dian Cecht and his children was thus greatly hindered and henceforth none could be resurrected from the dead.

It was while Goibniu was making spear-heads for the battle of Magh Tuireadh, a charge was brought against his wife. It was heavy news to him, and jealousy came on him. When he heard the story there was a spear-shaft in his hand, and Nes its name was; and he sang spells over the spear-shaft, and any one that was struck with that spear afterwards, would be burned alive.

The Greatest Battle of the War

At last the day of the great battle came, and the Fomorians came out of their camp and stood in strong ranks. There was not a leader or a fighting man of them who was without good armor to his skin. Each had a fine helmet on his head, a broad spear in his right hand, a heavy sword in his belt, and a strong shield on his shoulder. To attack the army of the Fomorians that day was to strike one’s head against a rock, or to go fighting against a fire.

The king and the princes of the Tuatha de Danaan 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 Dian Cecht. And Badb (The Morrigan) and Macha and Nemain called out that they would go along with them.

It was a hard battle they fought, and for a while it was going against the Tuatha de Danaan; and Nuada their King, and Macha, daughter of Emmass, were felled by Balor, King of the Fomorians. He now came upon the field and he his evil eye swept the warriors of the Tuatha de Danaan. Nuada and Macha were reduced to smoking cinders.. Every warrior his eye fell upon was burned up in its evil glair. Cassmail was felled by Octriallach, and Ceithlenn, the wife of Balor, cast a spear that wounded the Dagda dreadfully, passing entirely through his body.

However, while the battle was going on, Lugh broke away from those that were keeping him, and rushed out to the front of the Tuatha de Danaan. Then there was a fierce battle fought, and Lugh was heartening the men of Inis Fail to fight well, "You shall not be in bonds any longer," he cried, "It is better better for you to die protecting your country than to live under bonds and pay tribute any longer." He sang a glorious song of courage to them, and the hosts gave a great shout as they went into battle, and met the Fomorians. The forces of the Tuatha de Danaan surged against the Fomorian hord.

There was great slaughter, and many were laid low in graves, and many fine warriors fell there in the stall of death. Pride and shame were there side by side, and hardness and red anger, and there was red blood on the white skin of young fighters. The dashing of spear against shield, and sword against sword, and the shouting of the fighters, and the whistling of casting spears and the rattling of scabbards was like harsh thunder through the battle. Many slipped in the blood that was under their feet, and they fell, striking their heads one against another. The river carried away bodies of friends and enemies together.

The Battle of Lugh and Balor

Then Lugh and Balor met in the battle, and Lugh called out taunts to him; and made Balor furious. “Lift up my eyelid,” he commanded “till I behold this chatterer.” Then the warriors raised Balor's eyelid, but Lugh made a cast of his red spear gifted him by the Tuatha de Danaan at Balor. The cast stuck true and brought the eye out through the back of his head, so that it was towards his own army it fell. Three times nine of the Fomorians died when they were caught in is fiery glair. If Lugh had not put out that eye when he did, the whole of Inis Faill might have been burned in one flash. After this, Lugh struck the head off and mighty Balor so he was no more.

The Power of the Morrigan

As for Indech, son of De Domnann, he fell and was crushed in the battle, and blood burst from his mouth, and he called out for Leat Glas, his poet, as he lay there, but he was not able to help him. For then the Morrigan came into the battle, and she was heartening the Tuatha de Danaan to fight the battle well. As she had promised the Dagda, she took the full of her two hands of Indech's blood, and gave it to the armies that were waiting at the ford of Unius. It was called the Ford of Destruction from that day hence.

Bres Pleads for his Life

After that it was not a battle any more, but a rout, and the Fomorians were beaten back to the sea. Lugh and his comrades were following them, and they came up with Bres, son of Elathan, who had no guard with him. “It is better for you to spare my life than to kill me,” said Bres, “if you spare me now, the cows of Ireland shall never go dry.” “I will ask advice from our wise men," said Lugh. So he told Maeltine Mor-Brethach, of the Great Judgments, what Bres had said. But Maeltine said: “Do not spare him for that, for he has no power over their offspring, though he has power so long as they are living.”

Then Bres said: “If you spare me, the men of Inis Fail shall reap a harvest of corn every quarter.” But Maeltine said: “The spring is for ploughing and sowing, and the beginning of summer for the strength of corn, and the beginning of autumn for its ripeness, and the winter for using it.”

“That does not save you,” said Lugh. But Bres had been one of them, so to make an excuse for sparing him, Lugh said: “Tell us what is the best way for the men of Inis Fail to plough and to sow and to reap.”

“Let their ploughing be on a Tuesday, and their casting seed into the field on a Tuesday, and their reaping on a Tuesday,” said Bres. So Lugh said, “That shall do. Let him go free therefore.”

The Sword that Revealed the Stories of its Deeds and Other Treasures

It was in this battle Ogma found Orna, the sword of Tethra, a king of the Fomorians, and he took it from its sheath and cleaned it. When the sword was taken out of the sheath, it told all the deeds that had been done by it, for there used to be that power in swords. Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma followed after the Fomorians, for they had brought away the Dagda's harp called Uaitne with them. The three came to a feasting-house, and in it they found Bres and his father Elathan, and there was the harp hanging on the wall. It was in that harp the Dagda had bound the music, so that it would not sound till he would call to it. Sometimes it was called Dur-da-Bla, the Oak of Two Blossoms, and sometimes Coir-cethar-chuin, the Four-Angled Music.

When the Dagda beheld it hanging on the wall, he said: “Come summer, come winter, from the mouth of harps and bags and pipes.” Then the harp sprang from the wall, and came to the Dagda, and it killed nine men on its way.

Then he played for them the three things harpers understand, the sleepy tune, the laughing tune, and the crying tune. When he played the crying tune, their tearful women cried. Then he played the laughing tune, so their women and children laughed. Then he played the sleepy tune, and all the hosts fell asleep. Through that sleep the three went away through the Fomorians that would have been glad to harm them. When all was over, the Dagda brought out the heifer he had got as wages from Bres. She called to her calf, and at the sound of her call all the cattle of Inis Fail the Fomorians had brought away as tribute, were back in their fields again.

Aftermath and Counting the Slain

Cé, the Druid of Nuada was wounded in the battle, and he went southward till he came to Carn Corrslebe. There he sat down to rest, tired from his wounds and with the fear that was on him, and his journey. He beheld a smooth plain before him, and it full of flowers, and a great desire came on him to reach to that plain. He struggled on till he came to it, and there he died. When his grave was made there, a lake burst out over it and flowed over the whole plain, and it was given the name of Loch Cé. There were but four of the Fomorians left in Inis Fail after the battle. They used to go through the country, spoiling corn and milk and fruit, and whatever came from the sea. This lasted till the Morrigu came one Samhain night with Angus Og and they drove them out of Inis Fail. From that time hence the Fomorians never held power over Inis Fail ever again.

After the battle was won, and the bodies were cleared away, the Morrigu gave out the news of the great victory to the hosts and to the royal heights of Inis Fail and to its chief rivers and its invers, and they said: “Peace up to the skies, the skies down to earth and the earth under the skies; strength to everyone.”

As to the number of men that fell in the battle, it shall not be known till we number the stars of the sky, or flakes of snow, or the dew on the grass, or grass under the feet of cattle, or the horses of the Son of Lir in a stormy sea.

Lugh Made King

Lugh was made king over the Tuatha de Danaan, and at Nas he had his court. While he was king, his foster-mother Taillte, daughter of Neit and Magh Mor, of the Great Plain, died. However, before she died she bade her husband, Manannan Mac Lir, that he build the Fort of the Hostages in Teamhair, to clear away the wood of Cuan, in this way there could be a gathering of the people around her grave. So he called to the men of Inis Fail to cut down the wood with their wide-bladed knives and bill-hooks and hatchets, and within a month the whole wood was cut down.

Lugh buried her in the plain of Midhe, and raised a mound over her, that is to be seen to this day. He ordered fires to be kindled, and keening to be made, and games and sports to be held in the summer of every year out of respect to her. The place where they were held got its name from her, as Taillten.

As to Lugh's own mother, who was the tall beautiful Ethlinn, she came to Teamhair after the battle of Magh Tuireadh, and he gave her in marriage to Tadg, son of Nuada. The child that was born to them was Muirne, mother of Finn, the Head of the Fianna of Ireland. Click here to continue.

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