ed out to the front of the Men of Dea. And then
there was a fierce battle fought, and Lugh was heartening the men of
Ireland to fight well, the way they would not be in bonds any longer.
For it was better for them, he said, to die protecting their own country
than to live under bonds and under tribute any longer. And he sang a
song of courage to them, and the hosts gave a great shout as they went
into battle, and then they met together, and each of them began to
attack the other.

And there was great slaughter, and laying low in graves, and many comely
men fell there in the stall of death. Pride and shame were there side by
side, and hardness and red anger, and there was red blood on the white
skin of young fighting men. And the dashing of spear against shield, and
sword against sword, and the shouting of the fighters, and the whistling
of casting spears and the rattling of scabbards was like harsh thunder
through the battle. And many slipped in the blood that was under their
feet, and they fell, striking their heads one against another; and the
river carried away bodies of friends and enemies together.

Then Lugh and Balor met in the battle, and Lugh called out reproaches to
him; and there was anger on Balor, and he said to the men that were with
him: "Lift up my eyelid till I see this chatterer that is talking to
me." Then they raised Balor's eyelid, but Lugh made a cast of his red
spear at him, that brought the eye out through the back of his head, so
that it was towards his own army it fell, and three times nine of the
Fomor died when they looked at it. And if Lugh had not put out that eye
when he did, the whole of Ireland would have been burned in one flash.
And after this, Lugh struck his head off.

And as for Indech, son of De Domnann, he fell and was crushed in the
battle, and blood burst from his mouth, and he called out for Leat Glas,
his poet, as he lay there, but he was not able to help him. And then the
Morrigu came into the battle, and she was heartening the Tuatha de
Danaan to fight the battle well; and, as she had promised the Dagda, she
took the full of her two hands of Indech's blood, and gave it to the
armies that were waiting at the ford of Unius; and it was called the
Ford of Destruction from that day.

And after that it was not a battle any more, but a rout, and the Fomor
were beaten back to the sea. And Lugh and his comrades were following
them, and they came up with Bres, son of Elathan, and n