Gods and Fighting Men

air with the King of Ireland, and it was showed to

o give battle to them." But Nuada was not minded to avenge the destruction that was done on Bodb Dearg and not on himself, and Lugh was not well pleased with his answer, and he went riding out of Teamhair westward. And presently he saw three armed men coming towards him, his own father Cian, with hi

is a good help," said Lugh; "but there is a help I would sooner have from you th

oss the plain he saw three armed men before him, that were the three sons of Tuireann, son of Ogma. And it is the way it was between the three sons of Tui

, it is best for me to fall back." Then he saw a great herd of pigs near him, and he struck himself with a

a pity you not to be keeping a better watch over the plains of the open country in time of war," said Brian; "and I know well what happened him, for he struck himself with his Druid rod into the shape of a pig of these pigs, and he is rooting up the gro

beast from a natural beast." And while he was saying that, he struck his two brothers with his Druid rod, an

d: "It is a bad thing you have done to have made a cast at me when you knew me." "It seems to me you have the talk of a man," said Brian. "I was a man indeed," said he; "I am Cian, son of Cainte, and give me your protection now." "I swear by the gods of the air,"

it was in the shape of a pig you had killed me there would only be the blood money for a pig on me; but as it is in my own shape you will kill me, there never was and nev

buried him the depth of a man's body in the earth, and the earth would not receive that murder from them, but cast it up again. Brian said it should go into the earth again, and they put it in the second time, and the second time the eart

led Athluain, and to Bearna nah-Eadargana, the Gap of Separation, and over Magh Luirg, the Plain of Following, and to Corr Slieve na Seaghsa, the Round Mountain of the Poet's Spring, and to the h

to-day, and it rising in the east every other day." "It would be better for us it to be the sun," said t

there is but one half of me of the Tuatha de Danaan, and the other half of yourselves. And give me back now the milch cows of the men of I

he end of that time the Riders of the Sidhe came to him. And Bodb De

e of your delay i

r you I was

s. And they attacked their enemies on Magh Mor an Aonaigh, and their enemies answered them, and they threw their whining spears at one another, and when their spears were broken the

and he made a fierce attack on him and on the men that were

he said, "and I will bring the whole race of the Fomor to fight it out with you in a great

r themselves. "By my word," said Lugh, "if the whole race of the Fomor went under my protectio

them did they see his father in the fight. "We did not," said they. "I am sure he is not living," said Lugh; "and I gi

lace where he and his father parted from one another, and from that to the plac

danger your father was here, Lugh, when he saw the sons of Tuireann before him, and it

is father was buried, and he bade them dig there, the way he wou

er this death, for I can hear nothing with my ears, and I can see nothing with my eyes, and there is not a living pulse in my heart, with grief after my father. And you gods I worship," he said, "it is a pity I not to have come here the time this thing was done. And it i

l take its name from Cian, although he himself is stripped and broken. And it was the sons of Tuireann did this thing," he said, "and there will grief and anguish fall on them from it, and o

him to Teamhair, "But do not tell the

saw the three sons of Tuireann. And those were the three that were beyond all others at Teamhair

"What are your minds fixed on at this time, Men of Dea?" "On yourself indeed," said they. "I have a question to

ouse," he said, "the men that killed him, and they know themselves what way they killed him better than I know it." Then the king said: "It is not a death of one day only I would give the man that

him now, since you are all together in the one place. And if they will not," he said, "I will not break the p

er," said the king, "I would be well con

char and Iucharba. "I am in dread," said Brian, "that it is wanting an acknowledgment from us he is, in the presence of all the rest, and that he

from you that you do not think of," said Lugh, "and I will say here what it is, and if it is too much for you, I will let you off a share of it." "Let us hear it from you," said they. "Here it is," said Lugh; "three apples, and the skin of a pig, and a spear, and two ho

ittle of a fine," said Lugh; "and I give you the guarantee of the Tuatha de Danaan I will ask no other thing, and I will be faithful to you, and let you give the same pledge to me." "It is a pity you to ask that," said

eland, and by Bodb Dearg, son of the Dagda, and by the chief me

"to give you better knowledge of the fin

he taste of honey on them, and they do not leave the pain of wounds or the vexation of sickness on any one that eats them, and they do not lessen by being eaten for ever. And the skin I asked of you," he said, "is the pig skin of Tuis, King of Greece, and it heals all the wounds and all the sickness of the world, and whatever danger a man may be in, if it can but overtake the life in him, it will cure him; an

ts head is kept steeped in a vessel of water, the way it will not burn down the place where it is, and it will be hard to get it. And do you know what two horses and what chariot I am asking of you? They are the cha

he Golden Pillars; and though they are killed every night, they are found alive again the next

he Cold Country. And all the wild beasts of the world would fall down at the sight of her,

haoin in the north of Lochlann. And Miochaoin and his sons are under bonds not to allow any shouts to be given on that hill; and it was with them my father got his learning, and if I would forgive you his death,

t, if Lugh himself had a mind to help you, you could work out the fine, and all the men of the world could not do it but by the power of Manannan or of Lugh. Go then and ask the loan of Manannan's horse, the Aonbharr, from Lugh, and if he has any wish to get the fine, he will give it to you; but if he does not wi

ng him the fine without his own help, and for that reason it would be well for them to get a loan of t

," said Brian. "I will give that," said Lugh. "What pl

he curragh. "It is not much the better you will be for it," said Tuireann, "although Lugh would like well to get every part of th

You ought not to be faulting the curragh," said Ethne; "and O my dear brother," she said, "it was a bad thing you did, to kill the father of Lugh of the Long Hand; and whatever harm may come to you from it, it is but just." "Do not say that, Ethne," they said, "for w

ke first?" said they. "We will go look for the apples," said Brian, "as they were the first thing we were bade br

led forward over the green-sided waves and deep places

he apples or fall ourselves, since we cannot escape from these dangers that are before us without meeting our death in some place." "It would be better," said Brian, "the story of our bravery and our craftiness to be told and to live after us, than folly and cowardice to be told of us. And what is best for us to do now," he said, "is

arden, and the watchers took notice of them and shouted on every side of them, and threw showers of spears and darts, but the hawks kept out of their reach as B

aughters, and they put themselves into the shape of three ospreys, and they followed the hawks t

relief." "If I can give you relief I will do it," said Brian. With that he struck himself and his brothers with the Druid rod, and they were turned

Greece and to bring away the skin of the pig, with or without leave. So

s not what I think best," said Brian; "but to go in with the appearance of poets from Ireland, the way the high people of Greece will hold us

door of the court, and the door-keeper asked who was in it. "We are po

g, "for it is in search of a good man they came so far from their own country." And the king gave orders that everyth

nd pleasure without delay; and they thought they had never seen, and there was not in the world, a

ot ask any poem of us, but the one we know before, and that is to take what we want by the strength of our hand if we are the strongest, or to fall by those that are against us if th

as the oak among kings; the skin of a pig, bounty

f his neighbour will be against him; he who gives us w

ever goes against them. The skin of a pig, bounty w

aid Brian. "'O Tuis, we do not hide your fame; we praise you as the oak above the kings.' That is, as the oak is

That is, the skin of a pig you own is what I wo

neighbour will be against him.' That is, you and I will be

meaning of the

said, "to be asking that thing of me, and I would not give it to all the poets and the learned men and the great men of the world, since they

s asking, but I knew I would get a good ransom for it. And I am that covetous," he s

re the gold. "Measure out the full of it to my brothers first," said Bri

kept a hold of the skin and put it about himself, and the three of them rushed out of the court, cutting down every armed man before them, so that not one escaped death or wounding. And then Br

they would go and look for some other part of the fine. "We will go

of Greece, and they said: "We are well off when we have the apples and t

g of Greece." "We are content to do that," said the others, "as all turned out so well the last ti

well treated as they were at the other court; and when th

battles of enemies are broken, it is not to

alled a king, it is not bulky. May the spear dr

I do not understand why my own spear is bro

an. "It is little sense you have to be asking that of me," said the king; "and the people of my cou

t the back of his head, and he bared the sword and made an attack on the people about him. And the other two did not fail to do the same, and they gave him their help bravely til

on them, and they asked one another what way should they go. "We will go to the King of the Island of

proud the three champions were after all they had done. And they

land, and we will make friends with the king, the way we will get to know in what place the horses and the

who were they. "We are trained fighting men from Ireland," they said, "and we are earning wages from the kings of the world." "Is it your wish

news of the horses now than the first day we came to the place." "What is best for us to do now?" said his brothers. "Let us do this," said Brian, "let us take o

the secrets and the whispers of any person we are with, and that is not the way you have treated us since we came to you. For you have two horses and a chariot that are the best in the world, as we have been told, and we have not been given a sight of them yet." "It would be a pity you to go on that account," sa

e chariot, and their going was as fast as the cold spr

dashed him against the nearest rock, and made a leap into his place himself, and made a cast of the Persian spear at the ki

olden Pillars," said Brian, "to look for th

atching their harbours for fear of the sons of Tuireann, for the story of them had been told in all parts, how they had

ian said it was true, whatever he might wish to do to them for it. "What was it made you do that?" said Easal. Brian told him then it was the oppression and the h

id the king. "If we get them with good-will," said Brian, "we are ready to take them thankfully; and if we do not, we are ready to do battle with yourself and your people on the head of them, that you may

at they agreed, to give up the pigs of their own free will to the sons of Tuireann, si

have got the pigs like that, when they had to fight for every other part of the fine.

rrow and came into the king's presence, and the pigs were given to them. "It is well you have done by us, giving us these pigs," said Brian, "for we did not get

nt of a whelp that is there." "Give me one request," said Easal, "and that is to bring me with you to the King of Ioruaidh, for a daught

e to the delightful, wonderful coast of Ioruaidh. The people and the armies were watching

the King of Ioruaidh. "To ask for the hound you have," said Easal. "It was a bad thought you had coming with them to ask it," said the king, "for the gods have not given that much luck to any three champi

an to kill and to strike at the men of Ioruaidh till they parted from one another in the fight, so that Iuchar and Iucharba chanced to be on one side, and Brian by himself on the other side. It was a gap of danger and a breaking of ranks was before Brian in every path he took, till he came to the King of Ioruaidh in the battle pen where he was. And then the two brave champions began a fi

s unbound, and peace was made between them. And when they had brough

h the Fomor; and on that he sent a Druid spell after them to put forgetfulness on them of the rest of the fine that they had not got. And he put a gre

ong with him. And it was made known to Lugh that the sons of Tuireann were landed at Brugh na Boinn. And he went into the city of Teamhair, and s

And the king asked them did they get the fine. "We did get it," said they; "and where is Lugh till we give it t

made known to him that we are come to Ireland, and these de

e answer he gave them that he would not come,

given to him, and it is what he said: "There is a good payment here for any one that ever was killed or that ever will be killed. But there is something wantin

them. And they left the place and went to their father's house that nigh

ogether. And on the morrow they went to their ship, and Ethne, their sist

hair your going is, after all the troubles you hav

of the Lifé River, since I cannot keep

ands best in the fight, if you come back again,

leaning now on their green shields? Their going i

coming of the morning, you who have taken forfeits

from the pleasant plains, and from great Uisnec

s of the green sea; and they were a quarter of a yea

r-Haired Women, and he found it in the end. And he went looking for the court, and when he came to it, all he found was a troop o

it is what they said: "It is a brave deed you put your hand to; for even if your brothers were along with you, the least of the three times fifty women of us would n

t it was too long he was away from them, and just as they were going to leave the pla

Miochaoin, that was the guardian of the hill, came towards them; and when Brian saw him he attacked him

ions he had a right to come, for the greatness of their blows and the courage of their minds. The names of the sons of Miochaoin were Core and Conn and Aedh, and they drove their three spears through the bodie

nd give three shouts upon the hill, for I see the signs of death coming on us." "We are not able to do that," said they. Then Br

our fill of health if we could see that," said the others; "and for the love of your good name, brother," they said, "raise up our heads on your breast till we see Ireland again, and life or death will be the

is spit to Lugh, and bring the skin that has healing in it for our relief. Ask it from him for the sake of friendship," he said, "for we are of the one b

asked the skin of him to heal his children, and Lugh said he would not give it And Tuireann came back to them an

hat if they would give him the breadth of the earth in gold for it, he would not take it from th

ers were, and he lay down between them, and his life went

that had the making of a king of Ireland in each of them, and his s