And they brought from those four
cities their four treasures: a Stone of Virtue from Falias, that was
called the Lia Fail, the Stone of Destiny; and from Gorias they brought
a Sword; and from Finias a Spear of Victory; and from Murias the fourth
treasure, the Cauldron that no company ever went away from unsatisfied.
It was Nuada was king of the Tuatha de Danaan at that time, but
Manannan, son of Lir, was greater again. And of the others that were
chief among them were Ogma, brother to the king, that taught them
writing, and Diancecht, that understood healing, and Neit, a god of
battle, and Credenus the Craftsman, and Goibniu the Smith. And the
greatest among their women were Badb, a battle goddess; and Macha, whose
mast-feeding was the heads of men killed in battle; and the Morrigu,
the Crow of Battle; and Eire and Fodla and Banba, daughters of the
Dagda, that all three gave their names to Ireland afterwards; and Eadon,
the nurse of poets; and Brigit, that was a woman of poetry, and poets
worshipped her, for her sway was very great and very noble. And she was
a woman of healing along with that, and a woman of smith's work, and it
was she first made the whistle for calling one to another through the
night. And the one side of her face was ugly, but the other side was
very comely. And the meaning of her name was Breo-saighit, a fiery
arrow. And among the other women there were many shadow-forms and great
queens; but Dana, that was called the Mother of the Gods, was beyond
them all.
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