rose up to do them
honour. Then Lugh said:

"Why do ye rise up before that grim and ill-looking band and not
before us?"

Said the King of Erinn, "We needs must do so, for if they saw but a
child of a month old sitting down when they came near they would hold
it cause enough to attack and slay us."

"I am greatly minded to slay them," said Lugh; and he repeated it,
"very greatly minded."

"That would be bad for us," said the King, "for our death and
destruction would surely follow."

"Ye are too long under oppression," said Lugh, and gave the word for
onset. So he and his comrades rushed upon the Fomorians, and in a
moment the hillside rang with blows and with the shouting of warriors.
In no long time all of the Fomorians were slain save nine men, and
these were taken alive and brought before Lugh.

"Ye also should be slain," said Lugh, "but that I am minded to send
you as ambassadors to your King. Tell him that he may seek homage and
tribute where he will henceforth, but Ireland will pay him none for
ever."

Then the Fomorians went northwards away, and the people of Dana made
them ready for war, and made Lugh their captain and war-lord, for the
sight of his face heartened them, and made them strong, and they
marvelled that they had endured their slavery so long.

In the meantime word was brought to Balor of the Mighty Blows, King of
the Fomorians, and to his queen Kethlinn of the Twisted Teeth, of the
shame and destruction that had been done to their stewards, and they
assembled a great host of the sea-rovers and manned their war-ships,
and the Northern Sea was white with the foam of their oarblades as
they swept down upon the shores of Erinn. And Balor commanded them,
saying, "When ye have utterly destroyed and subdued the people of
Dana, then make fast your ships with cables to the land of Erinn, and
tow it here to the north of us into the region of ice and snow, and it
shall trouble us no longer." So the host of Balor took land by the
Falls of Dara[14] and began plundering and devastating the province of
Connacht.

[14] Ballysodare = the Town of the Falls of Dara, in Co. Sligo.

Then Lugh sent messengers abroad to bring his host together, and
among them was his own father, Kian, son of Canta. And as Kian went
northwards on his errand to rouse the Ulster men, and was now come to
the plain of Murthemny near by Dundealga,[15] he saw three warriors
armed and riding across the plain. Now these three wer