e cause of the breaking up of his
kingdom, and he took her away in spite of him. But Conchubar asked him
to put blindness for a while on the sons of Usnach, or the whole army
would be destroyed with their blows. So after a while he consented to
that. And when the sons of Usnach came out again against the army of
Ulster, the blindness came on them, and it was at one another they
struck, not seeing who was near them, and it was by one another's hands
they fell. But more say Manannan had no hand in it, and that it was
Cathbad, the Druid, put a sea about them and brought them to their death
by his enchantments.

And some say Culain, the Smith, that gave his name to Cuchulain
afterwards, was Manannan himself, for he had many shapes.

Anyway, before Culain came to Ulster, he was living in the Island of
Falga, that was one of Manannan's places. And one time before Conchubar
came into the kingdom, he went to ask advice of a Druid, and the Druid
bade him to go to the Island of Falga and to ask Culain, the smith he
would find there, to make arms for him. So Conchubar did so, and the
smith promised to make a sword and spear and shield for him.

And while he was working at them Conchubar went out one morning early to
walk on the strand, and there he saw a sea-woman asleep on the shore.
And he put bonds on her in her sleep, the way she would not make her
escape. But when she awoke and saw what had happened, she asked him to
set her free. "And I am Tiabhal," she said, "one of the queens of the
sea. And bid Culain," she said, "that is making your shield for you, to
put my likeness on it and my name about it. And whenever you will go
into a battle with that shield the strength of your enemies will lessen,
and your own strength and the strength of your people will increase."

So Conchubar let her go, and bade the smith do as she had told him. And
when he went back to Ireland he got the victory wherever he brought that
shield.

And he sent for Culain then, and offered him a place on the plains of
Muirthemne. And whether he was or was not Manannan, it is likely he gave
Cuchulain good teaching the time he stopped with him there after killing
his great dog.

Manannan had good hounds one time, but they went hunting after a pig
that was destroying the whole country, and making a desert of it. And
they followed it till they came to a lake, and there it turned on them,
and no hound of them escaped alive, but they were all drowned or maime