Gods and Fighting Men

ir, understood all enchantments, they left it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from their enemies. So he chose out the most beautiful of the hills and

d it from age and from sickness and from death. And for food at the feast he gave them his own swine, that though they wer

for us one king to be over us, than to be scatt

eld, on Slieve Fuad; and Midhir the Proud of Bri Leith, and Angus Og, son of the Dagda; but he did not covet the kingship at all, but would sooner be left as he was. Then all the chief men but those fi

nt one time to ask one of his daughters in marriage, and he stayed outside the place through the whole length of a year, playing his harp, and able to get

the night Conaire, the High King of Ireland, met with his death; and it was said that

nd, and of Alban, used to be coming to Angus to learn the throwing of spears and darts; and troops of poets from Alban and from Ireland used to be with Aedh, that was the comeliest of Bodb's sons, so that his place used to be called "The R

his own place, but sometimes he

y land till they would win it for themselves. And when he said that, they rose with the ready rising of one man, and went and sat

them good health, and they answered him the same way. "Where are you come from?" they asked him then. "From the rath beyon

t they were using nothing. "It is because our father has refused land to us," said they; "and there are in Ireland

of the Yellow Hair, and it is what he said: "Let us give a wife to every o

ing but to fill the vat with pure water, and it will turn into mead, fit to drink, and strong enough to make drunken. And into the horn," he said, "you have but to put salt water from the sea, and it will turn into wine on the moment." "A gift to them from me," said Lir of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, "three times fifty swords, and three times fifty well-riveted long spears." "A gift from me," said Angus Og, son of the Dagda, "a rath and a good town with high walls, and with bright sunny houses, and with wide houses, in whatever place it will please them between Rath Chobtaige and Teamhair." "A gift to the

eft it, Angus bade them bring away from the oak-wood three apple-trees, one in

here were three great sounds, the tramping on the green, and the uproar of racing, and the lowing of cattle; and three other sounds, the grunting of good pigs with the fat thick on them, and the voices of the crowd on the green lawn, and the noise of men drinking inside the house. And as to Eochaid, it was said of

he Tuatha de Danaan, for they belonged to them throug

him out of the cave of Cruachan, and asked him for the bride-price he had promised her, and that she was never able to come and ask for till then. And Caoilte went to a cairn that was near and that was full up of gold, that was wages earned by Conan Maol and hidden there, and he gave the gold to Bodb Dear