Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

96 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Raceit sticks on at once, and Credné jerks the rivets at it with histongs as fast as he makes them and they fly into their places. Thewounded are healed by the magical pig-skin. The plain resoundswith the clamour of battle:“Fearful indeed was the thunder which rolled overthe battlefield; the shouts of the warriors, the breaking ofthe shields, the flashing and clashing of the swords, of thestraight, ivory-hilted swords, the music and harmony of the‘belly-darts’ and the sighing and winging of the spears andlances.” 86[118]The Death of BalorThe Fomorians bring on their champion, Balor, before theglance of whose terrible eye Nuada of the Silver Hand and othersof the Danaans go down. But Lugh, seizing an opportunitywhen the eyelid drooped through weariness, approached closeto Balor, and as it began to lift once more he hurled into theeye a great stone which sank into the brain, and Balor lay dead,as the prophecy had foretold, at the hand of his grandson. TheFomorians were then totally routed, and it is not recorded thatthey ever again gained any authority or committed any extensivedepredations in Ireland. Lugh, the Ildánach, was then enthronedin place of Nuada, and the myth of the victory of the solar heroover the powers of darkness and brute force is complete.The Harp of the DagdaA curious little incident bearing on the power which theDanaans could exercise by the spell of music may here beinserted. The flying Fomorians, it is told, had made prisonerthe harper of the Dagda and carried him off with them. Lugh,the Dagda, and the warrior Ogma followed them, and cameunknown into the banqueting-hall of the Fomorian camp. Therethey saw the harp hanging on the wall. The Dagda called to it,and immediately it flew into his hands, killing nine men of the86 O'Curry's translation from the bardic tale, “The Battle of Moytura.”