The Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (Moytura)

The chiefs of the Tuatha De Danaan were gathered round Lugh. And he asked his smith, Goibniu, what power he wielded for them? “Not hard to tell,” said he. “Though the men of Erin bide in the battle to the end of seven years, for every spear that parts from its shaft, or sword that shall break therein, I will provide a new weapon in its place. No spear-point which my hand shall forge,” said he, “shall make a missing cast. No skin which it pierces shall taste life afterwards. That has not been done by Dolb the smith of the Fomorians.”

“And thou, O Diancecht,” said Lugh, “what power canst thou wield?”

“Not hard to tell,” said he. “Every man who shall be wounded there, unless his head be cut off, or the membrane of his brain or his spinal marrow be severed, I will make quite whole in the battle on the morrow.”

“And thou, O Credne,” said Lugh to his brazier, “what is thy power in the battle?”

“Not hard to tell,” said Credne. “Rivets for their spears and hilts for their swords, and bosses and rims for their shields, I will supply them all.”

“And thou, O Luchta,” said Lugh to his wright, “what service wilt thou render in the battle?”

“Not hard to tell,” said Luchta. “All the shields and javelin-shafts they require, I will supply them all.”

“And thou, O Ogma,” said Lugh to his champion, “what is thy power in the battle?”

“Not hard to tell,” said he. “I will repel the king and three enneads of his friends, and capture up to a third of his men.”

“And ye, O sorcerers,” said Lugh, “what power will you wield?”

“Not hard to tell,” said the sorcerers. “We shall fill them with fear when they have been overthrown by our craft, till their heroes are slain, and deprive them of two thirds of their might, with constraint on their urine.”

“And ye, O cupbearers,” said Lugh, “what power?”

“Not hard to tell, “said the cupbearers. “We will bring a strong thirst upon them, and they shall not find drink to quench it.”

“And ye, O druids,” said Lugh, “what power?”

“Not hard to tell,” said the druids. “We will bring showers of fire on the faces of the Fomorians, so that they cannot look upwards, and so that the warriors who are contending with them may slay them by their might.”

“And thou, O Cairbre son of Etain,” said Lugh to his poet, “what power canst thou wield in the battle?”

“Not hard to tell,” said Cairbre. “I will make a satire on them. And I will satirize them and shame them, so that through the spell of my art they will not resist warriors.”

“And ye, O Be-cuile and O Dianann,” said Lugh to his two witches, “what power can ye wield in the battle?”

“Not hard to tell,” said they. “We will enchant the trees and the stones and the sods of the earth, so that they shall become a host under arms against them, and shall rout them in flight with horror and trembling.”

“And thou, O Dagda,” said Lugh, “what power canst thou wield on the Fomorian host in the battle?”

“Not hard to tell,” said the Dagda. “I will take the side of the men of Erin both in mutual smiting and destruction and wizardry. Under my club the bones of the Fomorians will be as many as hail stones under the feet of herds of horses where you meet on the battlefield of Moytura.”

So thus Lugh spoke with every one of them in turn; and he strengthened and addressed his army, so that each man of them had the spirit of a king or a mighty lord. Now everyday a battle was fought between the tribe of the Fomorians and the Tuatha De Danaan, save only that kings or princes were not delivering it, but only keen and haughty folk.