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Stories, Myths and Legends
The Story of the
Tuatha De Danann
from the Book of Leinster 1150 A.D.
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54. Thereafter the progeny of Bethach s. Iarbonel the Soothsayer s.
Nemed
were in the northern islands of the world, learning druidry and
knowledge and prophecy and magic, till they were expert in the arts of
pagan cunning.
55. So that they were the Tuatha De Danann who came to Ireland. In this
wise they came, in dark clouds. They landed on the mountains of
Conmaicne Rein in Connachta; and they brought a darkness over the
sun for three days and three nights.
56. They demanded battle of kingship of the Fir
Bolg. A battle was fought
between them, to wit the first battle of Mag Tuired, in which a
hundred thousand of the Fir Bolg fell. Thereafter they [the TDD] took
the kingship of Ireland. Those are the Tuatha Dea - gods were their
men of arts, non-gods their husbandmen. They knew the incantations
of druids, and charioteers, and trappers, and cupbearers.
57. It is the Tuatha De Danann who brought with them the Great Fal, [that
is, the Stone of Knowledge], which was in Temair, whence Ireland bears
the name of "The Plain of Fal." He under whom it should utter a cry
was King of Ireland; until Cu Chulainn smote it, for it uttered no cry
under him nor under his fosterling, Lugaid, son of the three Finds of
Emain. And from that out the stone uttered no cry save under Conn
of Temair. Then its heart flew out from it [from Temair] to Tailltin, so
that is the Heart of Fal which is there.
58. Now Nuadu Airgetlam was king over the Tuatha De Danann for seven
years before their coming into Ireland, until his arm was hewn from
him in the first battle of Mag Tuired. Eidleo s. Alldai, he was the first
man of the Tuatha De Danann who fell in Ireland, by the hand of
Nercon ua Semeoin, in the first battle of Mag Tuired. Ernmas, and
Echtach, and Etargal, and Fiachra, and Tuirill Piccreo fell in the same
battle. Bress s. Elada took the kingship of Ireland post, to the end of
seven years, till the arm of Nuadu was healed: a silver arm with
activity in every finger and every joint which Dian Cecht put upon
him, Credne helping him.
59. Tailltiu daughter of Mag Mor king of Spain, queen of the
Fir Bolg, came
after the slaughter was inflicted upon the Fir Bolg in that first battle
of Mag Tuired to Coill Cuan: and the wood was cut down by her, so it
was a plain under clover-flower before the end of a year. This is that
Tailtiu who was wife of Eochu son of Erc king of Ireland till the
Tuatha De Danann slew him, ut praediximus: it is he who took her
from her father, from Spain; and it is she who slept with Eochu Garb
son of Dui Dall of the Tuatha De Danann; and Cian son of Dian Cecht,
whose other name was Scal Balb, gave her his son in fosterage, namely
Lug, whose mother was
Eithne daughter of
Balar. So Tailltiu died in
Tailltiu, and her name clave thereto and her grave is from the Seat of
Tailltiu north-eastward. Her games were performed every year and her
song of lamentation, by Lug. With gessa and feats of arms were they
performed, a fortnight before Lugnasad and a fortnight after: under
dicitur Lugnasad, that is, the celebration or the festival of Lug.
Unde Oengus post multum tempus dicebat, "the nasad of Lug, or the
nasad of Beoan [son] of Mellan."
60. to return to the Tuatha De Danann. Nuadu Airgatlam fell in the last
battle of Mag Tuired, and Macha daughter of Ernmas, at the hands of
Balar the strong-smiter. In that battle there fell Ogma s.
Elada at the
hands of Indech son of the De
Domnann, king of the Fomhoire. Bruidne
and Casmael fell at the hands of Ochtriallach s. Indech. After the
death of Nuadu and of those men, Lug took the kingship of Ireland,
and his grandfather Balar the Strong-smiter fell at his hands, with a
stone from his sling. Lug was forty years in the kingship of Ireland
after the last battle of Mag Tuired, and there were twenty-seven years
between the battles.
61. Then Eochu Ollathair, the great Dagda, son of Elada, was eighty years in
the kingship of Ireland. His three sons were Oengus and Aed and
Cermat Coem; the three sons of Dian Cecht, Cu and Cethen and Cian.
62. Dian Cecht had three sons, Cu, Cehten and Cian.
Miach was the fourth
son though many do not reckon him. His daughter was Etan the
Poetess, and Airmed the she-leech was the other daughter: and
Coirpre, son of Etan was the poet.
Crichinbel and Bruidne and Casmael
were the three satirists. Be Chuille and
Dianann were the two she-
farmers.
The three sons of Cermad son of The Dagda were
Mac
Cuill, Mac
Cecht,
Mac Greine: Sethor and Tethor and Cethor were their names. Fotla
and Banba and Eriu were their three wives.
Fea and Nemaind were the two wives of Net, a quo Ailech Neit.
Flidais, of whom is the "Cattle of Flidais"; her four daughters were
Argoen and Be Chuille and
Dinand and Be Theite.
The two royal oxen were Fea and Femen, of whom are the Plain of Fea
and the Plain of Femen. Those were two faithful oxen.
Torc Triath was king of the boars, from whom is Mag Treitherne. Cirba
was king of the wethers, from whom is Mag Cirba. Math son of Umor
was the druid.
Badb and
Macha and Anand, of whom are the Paps of
Anu in Luachar
were the three daughters of Ernmas the she-farmer.
Goibniu the smith,
Luicne the carpenter,
Creidne the wright,
Dian Cecht
the leech.
63. Delbaeth after The Dagda, ten years in the kingship of Ireland, till he
fell, with his son Ollom, at the hands of Caicher s. Nama, frater of
Nechtan.
Fiacha s. Delbaeth took the kingship of Ireland after his
father, another ten years, till he fell, along with Ai s. Ollom, at the hands
of Eogan Inbir. Twenty-nine years had the grandsons of The Dagda in
the kingship of Ireland, to wit Mac
Cuill, Mac
Cecht, and Mac
Gréine:
they divided Ireland into three parts. To them came the Gaedil to
Ireland, so that they fell by the hands of three sons of Mil, avenging
Ith, Cuailnge, and Fust, of the three sons of Breogan.
64. Nuadu Airgetlam s. Echtach s. Etarlam s. Ordam s. Aldui s. Tat s. Tavarn
s. Enda s. Baath s. Ebath s. Bethach s. Iarbonel s. Nemed s. Agnomain
s. Pamp s. Tat s. Sera s. Sru s. Esru s. Braimend s. Rathacht s.
Magoth s. Iafeth s. Noe.
****
Neit s. Indui s. Alldui s. Tat
****
Fiachna s. Delbaeth s. Ogma s. Elada s. Delbaeth s. Net
****
Ai s. Ollam s. Delbaeth s. Ogma s. Elada.
Lug s. Cian s. Dian Cecht s. Esarg s. Net s. Indui s. Alldui, he is the
first who brought chess-play and ball-play and horse-racing and
assembling into Ireland, unde quidam cecinit
Lug son of Ethliu, a cliff without a wrinkle, with him there
first came a lofty assembly: after the coming of Christ, it
is no idle proclamation Conchobar the wise and violent
died.
Caicher and Nechtan, the two sons of Nama s. Eochu Garb s. Dui Temen
s. Bres s. Delbaeth s. Net.
Siugmall s. Corpre Crom s. Eremair s. Delbaeth s. Ogma.
Oengus mac Oc
and Aed Caem and Cermait Milbel, those are the three
sons of the Dagda.
Corpre the poet s. Tuar s. Tuirell s. Cait Conaichend s. Orda s. Alldui
s. Tat
Galia s. Oirbsen s. Elloth s. Elada s. Delbaeth s. Net
Orbsen was the name of Manannan at first, and from him is named Loch
Orbsen in Connachta. When Manannan was being buried, it is then the
lake burst over the land, [through the burial].
The six sons of Delbaeth s. Ogma s. Elada s. Delbaeth s. Net, were
Fiachra, Ollam, Indui, Brian, Iucharba, Iuchar. Donann the daughter of
the same Delbaeth was mother of the three last, Brian, Iucharba and
Iuchar. These were the three gods of Danu, from whom is named the
Mountain of the Three gods. And that Delbaeth had the name Tuirell
Bicreo.
Tuirill s. Cait moreover was the grandfather of Corpre the poet, and
Etan d. Dian Cecht was mother of that Tuirill.
The three sons of Cermait, moreover, ut diximus; Mac Cuill - Sethor,
the hazel his god; Mac Cecht - Tethor, the ploughshare his god; Mac
Greine - Cethor, the sun his god. Fotla was wife of Mac Cecht, Banba
of Mac Cuill, Eriu of Mac Greine. Those were the three daughters of
Fiachna son of Delbaeth.
Ernmas daughter of Etarlam s. Nuada Airgetlam was mother of those three women, and mother of Fiachna and Ollom.
Ernmas had other three daughters, Badb and
Macha and Morrigu,
whose name was Anand. Her three sons were Glon and Gaim and Coscar.
Boind daughter of Delbaeth s.
Elada.
Fea and Neman, the two wives of Net s. Indiu, two daughters of Elcmar
of the Brug.
Uillend s. Caicher s. Nuadu Airgetlam.
Bodb of the Mound of Femen, s. Eochu
Garb s. Dui Temen s. Bres s.
Elada s. Delbaeth s. Net.
Abean s. Bec-Felmas s. Cu s. Dian Cecht, the poet of Lug.
En s. Bec-En s. Satharn s. Edleo s. Alda s. Tat s. Taburn.
At Tat s. Tabourn the choice of the Tuatha De Danann unite. Of
that the historian sang -
Ireland with pride, with weapons, hosts spread over her
ancient plain, westward to the sunset were they
plunderers, her chieftains of destruction around Temair.
Thirty years after Genann goblin hosts took the fertile
land; a blow to the vanquished People of Bags was the
visit of the Tuatha De Danann.
It is God who suffered them, though He restrained them -
they landed with horror, with lofty deed, in their cloud of
mighty combat of spectres, upon a mountain of Conmaicne
of Connacht.
Without distinction to discerning Ireland, Without ships, a
ruthless course the truth was not known beneath the sky
of stars, whether they were of heaven or of earth.
If it were diabolic demons the black-cloaked agitating
expedition, it was sound with ranks, with hosts: if of men,
it was the progeny of Bethach.
Of men belonging to law (is) the freeborn who has the
strong seed: Bethach, a swift warrior-island (?) son of
Iarbonel son of Nemed.
They cast no assembly or justice about the place of Fal to
the sunset: there was fire and fighting at last in Mag
Tuired.
The Tuatha De, it was the bed of a mighty one, around the
People of Bags fought for the kingship: in their battle with
abundance of pride, troops of hundreds of thousands died.
The sons of Elada, glory of weapons, a wolf of division
against a man of plunder: Bres from the Brug of Banba of
wise utterance, Dagda, Delbaeth, and Ogma.
Eriu, though it should reach a road-end, Banba, Fotla, and
Fea, Neman of ingenious versicles, Danann, mother of the gods.
Badb and Macha, greatness of wealth, Morrigu - springs of
craftiness, sources of bitter fighting were the three daughters of Ernmas.
Goibniu who was not impotent in smelting, Luichtne, the
free wright Creidne, Dian Cecht, for going roads of great
healing, Mac ind Oc, Lug son of Ethliu.
Cridenbel, famous Bruinde, Be Chuille, shapely Danand,
Casmael with bardism of perfection, Coirpre son of Etan, and Etan.
The grandsons of the Dagda, who had a triple division (?)
divided Banba of the bugle-horns; let us tell of the
princes of excellence of hospitality, the three sons of Cermat of Cualu.
Though Ireland was multitudes of thousands they divided
her land into thirds: great chieftains of deeds of pride,
Mac Cuill, Mac
Cecht, Mac
Greine.
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