Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

188 Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race[224]looked he saw the plain covered with deer and other wild beasts.These, explains Fergus, had been driven out of the forests by theadvancing host of the Ulster men. The second time mac Rothlooked he saw a mist that filled the valleys, the hill-tops standingabove it like islands. Out of the mist there came thunder andflashes of light, and a wind that nearly threw him off his feet.“What is this?” asks Maev, and Fergus tells her that the mist isthe deep breathing of the warriors as they march, and the lightis the flashing of their eyes, and the thunder is the clangour oftheir war-cars and the clash of their weapons as they go to thefight: “They think they will never reach it,” says Fergus. “Wehave warriors to meet them,” says Maev. “You will need that,”says Fergus, “for in all Ireland, nay, in all the Western world, toGreece and Scythia and the Tower of Bregon 156 and the Islandof Gades, there live not who can face the men of Ulster in theirwrath.”A long passage then follows describing the appearance andequipment of each of the Ulster chiefs.The Battle of GarachThe battle was joined on the Plain of Garach, in Meath. Fergus,wielding a two-handed sword, the sword which, it was said, whenswung in battle made circles like the arch of a rainbow, sweptdown whole ranks of the Ulster men at each blow, 157 and thefierce Maev charged thrice into the heart of the enemy.Fergus met Conor the King, and smote him on his goldenborderedshield, but Cormac, the king's son, begged for hisfather's life. Fergus then turned on Conall of the Victories.“Too hot art thou,” said Conall, “against thy people andthy race for a wanton.” 158 Fergus then turned from slaying the156 See p. 130.157The sword of Fergus was a fairy weapon called the Caladcholg (harddinter), a name of which Arthur's more famous “Excalibur” is a Latinisedcorruption.158 The reference is to Deirdre.