The Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (Moytura)

Now the Fomorians marveled at a certain thing which was revealed to them in the battle. Their spears and their swords were blunted and broken and such of their men as were slain did not return on the morrow. But it was not so with the Tuatha De Danaan. For though their weapons were blunted and broken today, they were renewed on the morrow, because Goibniu the smith was in the forge making swords and spears and javelins. For he would make those weapons by three turns. Then Luchta the wright would make the spear-shafts by three chippings, and the third chipping was a finish and would set them in the ring of the spear. When the spearheads were stuck in the side of the forge he would throw the rings with the shafts and it was needless to set them again. Then Credne the brazier would make the rivets by three turns, and would cast the rings of the spears to them. And thus they used to cleave together.

This then is what used to put fire into the warriors who were slain, so that they were swifter on the morrow. Because Diancecht and his two sons, Octriull and Miach, and his daughter Airmed sang spells over the well named Slane.

Now their mortally wounded men were cast into it as soon as they were slain. They were alive when they came out. Their mortally wounded became whole through the might of the incantation of the four leeches who were about the well. Now that was harmful to the Fomorians, so they sent a man of them to spy out the battle and the actions of the Tuatha De Danaan, namely Ruadan son of Bres and of Brig the Dagda’s daughter. For he was a son and a grandson of the Tuatha De Danaan. Then he related to the Fomorians the work of the smith and the wright and the brazier and the four leeches who were around the well.

He was sent again to kill one of the artisans, that is Goibniu. From him he begged a spear, its rivets from the brazier and its shaft from the wright. So all was given to him as he asked. There was a woman there grinding the weapons, Cron mother of Fianlug; she it is that ground Ruadan’s spear. Now the spear was given to Ruadan by a chief, wherefore the name “a chief’s spear” is still given to weaver’s beams in Erin.
Now after the spear had been given to him, Ruadan turned and wounded Goibniu. But he plucked out the spear and cast it at Ruadan, so that it went through him, and he died in the presence of his father in the assembly of the Fomorians. Then Brig came and bewailed her son. She shrieked at first, she cried at last.

So that then for the first time crying and shrieking were heard in Erin. Now it was that Brig who invented a whistle for signaling at night.

Then Goibniu went into the well, and he became whole. There was a warrior with the Fomorians, Octriallach son of Indech son of Dea Domnann, son of the Fomorian king. He told the Fomorians that each man of them should bring a stone of the stones of Drowes to cast into the well of Slane in Achad Abla to the west of Moytura, to the east of Loch Arboch. So they went, and a stone for each man was cast into the well.

Wherefore the cairn thus made is called Octriallach’s Carn. But another name for that well is Loch Luibe, for Diancecht put into it one of every herb (lub) that grew in Erin.

Now that when the great battle came, the Fomorians marched out of their camp, and formed themselves into strong battalions. Not a chief nor man of prowess of them was without a hauberk against his skin, a helmet on his head, a broad spear in his right hand, a heavy sharp sword on his belt, a firm shield on his shoulder. To attack the Fomorian host on that day was “striking a head against a cliff,” was “a hand in a serpent’s nest,” was “a face up to fire”. These were the kings and chiefs that were heartening the host of the Fomorians, namely, Balor son of Dot son of Net, Bres son of Elotha, Tuiri Tortbuillech son of Lobos, Gol and Irgol Loscennlomm son of Lommgluech, Indech son of Dea Domnann the king of the Fomorians, Octriallach son of Indech, Omna and Bagna, Elotha son of Delbaeth.

On the other side the Tuatha De Danaan arose and left their nine comrades keeping Lugh, and they marched to the battle. When the battle began, Lugh escaped from his guardians with his charioteer, so that it was he who was in front of the hosts of the Tuatha De Danaan. Then a keen and cruel battle was fought between the tribe of the Fomorians and the men of Ireland. Lugh was heartening the men of Ireland that they should fight the battle fervently, so that they should not be any longer in bondage. For it was better for them to find death in protecting their fatherland than to bide under bondage and tribute as they had been.

The hosts uttered a great shout as they entered the battle. Then they came together and each of them began to smite the other. Many fine men fell there. Great the slaughter and the grave-lying that was there. Pride and shame were there side by side. There was anger and indignation. Abundant was the stream of blood there over the white skin of young warriors mangled by the hands of eager men. Harsh was the noise of the heroes and the champions mutually fending their spears and their shields and their bodies when the others were smiting them with spears and with swords. Harsh, moreover, was the thunder that was there throughout the battle, the shouting of the warriors and the clashing of the shields, the flashing and whistling of the glaives and the ivory-hilted swords, the rattling and jingling of the quivers, the sound and winging of the darts and the javelins, and the crashing of the weapons. The ends of their fingers and of their feet almost met in the mutual blows, and owing to the slipperiness of the blood under the feet of the soldiers, they would fall from their upright posture and beat their heads together as they sat. The battle was a gory, ghastly melee, and the river Unsenn rushed with corpses.

Then Nuada Silver-Hand and Macha, daughter of Ernmass, fell by Balor grandson of Net. And Cassmael fell by Octriallach son of Indech. Lugh and Balor of the Piercing Eye met in the battle. An evil eye had Balor the Fomorian. That eye was never opened save only on a battlefield. Four men used to lift up the lid of the eye with a polished handle which passed through its lid. If an army looked at the eye, though they were many thousands in number they could not resist a few warriors. It had a poisonous power. Once when his father’s druids were concocting charms, he came and looked out of the window, and the fume of the concoction came under it, so that the poison of the concoction afterwards penetrated the eye that looked. He and Lugh met. “Lift up mine eyelid, my lad,” said Balor, “that I may see the babbler who is conversing with me.”
The lid was raised from Balor’s eye. Then Lugh cast a sling-stone at him, which carried the eye through his head while his own army looked on. And the sling-stone fell on the host of the Fomorians, and thrice nine of them died beside it, so that the crowns of their heads came against the breast of Indech son of Dea Domnann, and a gush of blood sprang over his lips.

Said Indech: “Let Loch Half-green my poet be summoned to me!” Half-green was he from the ground to the crown of his head.

Loch went to the king. “Make known to me,” said Indech, “who has flung this cast on me.”

Then the Morrigu, daughter of Ernmass, came, and heartened the Tuatha De Danaan to fight the battle fiercely and fervently. Thereafter the battle became a rout, and the Fomorians were beaten back to the sea. The champion Ogma son of Ethliu, and Indech son of Dea Domnann the king of the Fomorians, fell in single combat. Loch Half-green besought Lugh for quarter. “Give me my three wishes,” said Lugh.

“Thou shalt have them,” said Loch. “Till Doom I will ward off from Ireland all plundering by the Fomorians, and, at the end of the world, every ailment.” So Loch was spared. Then he sang to the Gael the “decree of fastening.”

Loch said that he would bestow names on Lugh’s nine chariots because of the quarter that had been given him. So Lugh told him to name them.