Wars of the Irish Kings Read Online Free PDF

that,” the same assembly agreed, “provided that the safeguarding of every payment that has been assigned to you—including house and land, gold and silver, cattle and food—is supported by the same securities, and that we have freedom of tribute and payment until then.”
    “You will have what you ask,” Bres said.
    This is why they were asked for the delay: that he might gather the warriors of the síd, the Fomoire, to take possession of the Túatha by force provided he might gain an overwhelming advantage. He was unwilling to be driven from his kingship.
    Then he went to his mother and asked her where his family was. “I am certain about that,” she said, and went onto the hill from which she had seen the silver vessel in the sea. She then went onto the shore. His mother gave him the ring which had been left with her, and he put it around his middle finger, and it fitted him. She had not given it up for anyone, either by sale or gift. Until that day, there was none of them whom it would fit.
    Then [Bres] went forward until they reached the land of the Fomoire. They came to a great plain with many assemblies upon it, and they reached the finest of these assemblies. Inside, people sought information from them. They answered that they were of the men of Ireland. Then they were asked whether they had dogs, for at that time it was the custom, when a group of men visited another assembly, to challenge them to a friendly contest. “We have dogs,” said Bres. Then the dogs raced, and those of the Túatha Dé were faster than those of the Fomoire. Then they were asked whether they had horses to race. “We have,” and they were faster than the horses of the Fomoire.
    Then they were asked whether they had anyone who was good atsword-play, and no one was found among them except Bres. But when he lifted the hand with the sword, his father recognized the ring on his finger and asked who the warrior was. His mother answered on his behalf and told the king that Bres was his son. She related to him the whole story as we have recounted it.
    His father was sad about him, and asked, “What force brought you out of the land you ruled?”
    Bres answered, “Nothing brought me except my own injustice and arrogance. I deprived them of their valuables and possessions and their own food. Neither tribute nor payment was ever taken from them until now.”
    “That is bad,” said his father. “Better their prosperity than their kingship. Better their requests than their curses. Why then have you come?” asked his father.
    “I have come to ask you for warriors,” he said. “I intend to take that land [of the Dé Danann] by force.”
    “You ought not to gain it by injustice if you do not gain it by justice,” he said.
    “I have a question then: what advice do you have for me?” said Bres.
    After that he sent him to the champion Balor, grandson of Net, the king of the Hebrides, and to Indech mac Dé Domnann, the king of the Fomoire; and these gathered all the forces from Lochlainn [Scandinavia] westwards to Ireland, to impose their tribute and their rule upon them by force, and they made a single bridge of ships from the Hebrides to Ireland.
    No host ever came to Ireland which was more terrifying or dreadful than that host of the Fomoire. There was rivalry between the men from Scythia of Lochlainn and the men out of the Hebrides concerning that expedition.
    As for the Túatha Dé, however, that is discussed here.
    After Bres [departed], Núadu was once more in the kingship over the Túatha Dé; and at that time he held a great feast for the Túatha Dé in Tara. Now there was a certain warrior whose name was Samildánach on his way to Tara. At that time there were doorkeepers at Tara named Gamal mac Figail and Camall mac Ríagail. While the latter was on duty, he saw the strange company coming toward him. A handsome, well-built young warrior with a king’s diadem was at the front of the band.
    They told the doorkeeper to announce