h c f om b o h s d es es ce . Th e d a o f te rri r t i , tak pla y ’ s u h e i n wh ch h ee o f s n s are s n , la g t r, i t r Tara ki g lai h e com es to an en d withou t d efi n ite vi c tory fo r e it r m The e e ess D e dan n ans howe e s ee n no ar y . l ad rl , v r , i g h o e of succes s fo r he m s o ose th e f o ow n g p t ir ar , pr p ll i d a h e t reatv o f e ce wh ch is ccede to b e th e y t ir p a , i a d e en m y . T h e n i n th e prese nce o f the who l e hos t o f th e v ic h to ri o us forei g n ers th e D ed an n an m agi cian s exh ort t e m ou n tai n s to o pen th e ir s id es and th e lakes to part A h D d n n n o th e s nd e . n d t e e an n an s s ss a u r , i gi g , pa i t e h an d e neah th w e s o f h e n e s e he e art b t e at r t ir ativ i l , t r to e fo e e s i eo e en to the con ue liv r v r , a pir t p pl , fri dl y q r h n s e i ng Miles ian s w o h ad gra t ed the ir l a t req u st . i Th e dram a o f th e wild s tory grips on e throu gh eve n A n d i t c m ax i as fi n con c us o n ry li e . s li s tti g a l i ' to th e book as th e u lti m ate fate o f th e D ed an n an s i s ’ o a e eo e s h s o gr at p pl i t ry . ’ ’ I n h o m s o s o e d A rth u r th Sir T a , Mal ry M rt care f u ll y co m pil ed list o f nam es an d c ou n tries wou ld seem to i m ply som e au then ti c h istoric i n ten t o n th e ’ — narrator s part d es pite all th e m agi c an d i m poss ibl e “ " om nce . So too i n B es an d En ch n m en s ! r a , . attl a t t wh i ch the au th or tell s u s i n th e fore wo rd 1 s co n fi ned to th e m h h s o o f th e T uath a D e D nn n o r yt i t ry a a , es R s n th m u on o f b n c as a Fairi . i ki g e i p tati ei g r s ly p r c tical wh ere s uch a p oe ti c s ubj ec t as Gae li c f ol kl ore i s ’ con ce n ed I w ou d to Con o r m e e s ee . O r so r , l lik Mr o o th er s t ud en t o f anci e n t Iri sh l egen d write u s a bo o k i n th e m o d ern u n - eso teri c m an n er o f h i s tori o graphy li n ki n g u p som e o f th e fasc i n ati n g re li cs o f Iri sh m y th o o w h e b e o r so m w h b f I n e re e c . l gy it r lia l , at lia l , a t th ese d a! s o f h is to 1 y re ad i n g ren ai ssance I thi nk s u ch ‘ — a work wo u ld fill a d efi m te n e ed i r m y o w n aby s m al no ance o f e es s h h s o 1 n h n to i g r arli t Iri i t ry 5 a yt i g go by. “ B ” ' attl es an d En chan tm en ts are an o dd t eam i g ” s an s ri e a ram a i n ers e , , d v t d o ut i n m y m i n d as o e of th e g rave s t s of m y e a rly re vi ewi n g day s ’ p la y of m own ! us t b a ck trom ’ i s h r i c o rres o n en c n l e s , p d e i s om e si x ! on th s and ATTLES AND ENCH ANTMENTS OLD FROM EARLY GAELI C LITERATURE “ ” Th e Son s of th e Ce c Pas g lti t . ’ by N orre y s ! ep hs on O c on o r (! o hn ’ L an e c o m an i s t s a u or s r p y ! , hi th thi d ’ v o um e on Ga e c em es . M r c o n r l li th . O o is a y ou n g A m e ric an wh o h as s pe n t m an y o f h i s s um m e rs b e s ide th e B lack wa e i n I e an an d m an or h i s t r r l d, y s tu dy hou rs with th e G ae lic p rotes s ors o f H r ar c o e e . W e a e ere a v d ll g h v , th f ore i n h i s o u m es ea oe r w . v l , r l p t y ith th li m i ta ti on s ot a i e a e an ce a div d d ll g i . an d as t b u t n ot eas th e H ar ar l . l t. v d a t m o s h re H i s o m s p e . p e s how us th e re an of ar s oc ra c cu u re n ot th e I l d i t ti lt , real I reland of th e s c holars sa n s ; ere are ec oes af ter th e m , i t th h m W ' s c rib e s and th e m on as ti c p oets of D erry tha t f or all the ir c ha rm tha t hides as m u c h as it s u g g e s ts o u n a tive tlin es . MOI RA H e o d h em s o i es s n h em m c son s t l t t r , a g t agi g Of o e s old and ch ou s om n ces l v r ivalr r a , Till every th ough t o f hau n ti n g m od em wrongs W d den ou t ue and f ch nc as tro by vag airy a es . H e gave th em all th e witch ery that be lo ngs ’ ’ To u h e s b h d om n on an to f nc la g t r rig t i i d a y s. GAMA LI E L B RA DFORD : A Prophet of FOREWORD HE ai m of this book i s to retell th at part of the myth-history o f early Irel an d which de als with the Tu a a a or . au ath De D nn n , Fairies The thor h as tried to preserve the temper o f old Irish writing in both thought and a as o f al form , to ret in much the origin beauty o f phrase and imagery as is co nsistent with coherent . To t h a a narrative his end, w ile voiding rbitrary a h as . ch nges , he , nevertheless , used sources freely h as e o f Though he reli d upon the work Celtic scholars , notably the finely cadenced translation by the late “ Professor Whitley Stokes of The Se cond Battle ” of Mo tu ra Revue Celti ue x1 1 iii y ( q , , 57 ) , he has also frequently retained constructi ons in the original .