s people, to share the country and
not to go into battle with a people that had weapons so much better than
their own. But Eochaid and his chief men consulted together, and they
said in the end: "We will not give up the half of the country to these
strangers; for if we do," they said, "they will soon take the whole."

Now as to the Men of Dea, when Bres went back to them, and showed them
the heavy spear, and told them of the strong, fierce man he had got it
from, and how sturdy he was and well armed, they thought it likely there
would soon be a battle. And they went back from where they were to a
better place, farther west in Connacht, and there they settled
themselves, and made walls and ditches on the plain of Magh Nia, where
they had the great mountain, Belgata, in their rear. And while they were
moving there and putting up their walls, three queens of them, Badb and
Macha and the Morrigu, went to Teamhair where the Firbolgs were making
their plans. And by the power of their enchantments they brought mists
and clouds of darkness over the whole place, and they sent showers of
fire and of blood over the people, the way they could not see or speak
with one another through the length of three days. But at the end of
that time, the three Druids of the Firbolgs, Cesarn and Gnathach and
Ingnathach, broke the enchantment.

The Firbolgs gathered their men together then, and they came with their
eleven battalions and took their stand at the eastern end of the plain
of Magh Nia.

And Nuada, king of the Men of Dea, sent his poets to make the same offer
he made before, to be content with the half of the country if it was
given up to him. King Eochaid bade the poets to ask an answer of his
chief men that were gathered there; and when they heard the offer they
would not consent. So the messengers asked them when would they begin
the battle. "We must have a delay," they said; "for we want time to put
our spears and our armour in order, and to brighten our helmets and to
sharpen our swords, and to have spears made like the ones you have. And
as to yourselves," they said, "you will be wanting to have spears like
our Craisechs made for you." So they agreed then to make a delay of a
quarter of a year for preparation.

It was on a Midsummer day they began the battle. Three times nine
hurlers of the Tuatha de Danaan went out against three times nine
hurlers of the Firbolgs, and they were beaten, and every one of them was
killed. And t