19 h 15 minAudiobook8 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Gods arrive in dark clouds, a giant’s eye brings death, and a hidden boy grows toward wisdom.
In Gods and Fighting Men, Lady Gregory brings together two great strands of Irish legend: the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fianna. The first follows a people of learning and magic as they come to Ireland. Their king, Nuada, loses his hand, while the Fomorians demand heavy tribute and Lugh rises to lead the gods into battle.
The second follows Finn, son of Cumhall, from a childhood in hiding toward leadership of the Fianna. These warriors hunt in the woods and guard Ireland against raiders. Their lives turn on love, loyalty, and loss. Across both groups, the tales form a long narrative rather than one hero’s single quest.
What you’ll discover
- Gods under threat Meet Nuada and Lugh as the Tuatha De Danaan face tribute, wounds, and battle.
- Magic with a cost Encounter children changed into swans and a giant whose deadly eye threatens the gods.
- A boy seeking wisdom Follow Finn from hiding toward the wisdom that helps shape a warrior leader.
- Love against loyalty Discover how Diarmuid’s loyalty to Finn comes under pressure from a woman’s love.
- Ireland’s mythic landscape Move through woods, hills, and mounds where warriors hunt and the gods withdraw.
Is it for you?
This book suits readers of myth, lovers of Irish history and literature, and anyone who wants the stories behind Yeats and Joyce. It may be less suited to those who want a single plot with one hero from start to finish.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- The gods arrive and a king is wounded
- Lugh leads the battle of Moytura
- The gods withdraw and cruel spells fall
- Finn grows up in hiding and seeks wisdom
- The Fianna hunt, fight and love
- Loss and loyalty in a spoken style
Who’s who
- NuadaKing of the Tuatha De Danaan, who loses his hand in battle and must give up the throne until it is mended.
- LughA young man skilled in every craft, who comes to Tara and leads the gods against the Fomorians.
- BalorA Fomorian giant whose single eye brings death to anyone it looks upon, and who stands against the gods.
- Finn mac CumhaillRaised in hiding after his father's death, he gains wisdom and grows to lead the Fianna.
- OisinFinn's son, a poet and warrior of the Fianna, who is called toward the otherworld.
- DiarmuidA handsome warrior of the Fianna whose loyalty to Finn is tested by a woman's love.
- GraniaA young woman promised to Finn who chooses to flee with another man.
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- Paperback
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Gods and Fighting Men
by Lady Gregory· 1904
Irish gods and warriors face battles, love, and magic.
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Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 6
The gods arrive and a king is wounded
The book opens with the Tuatha De Danaan coming to Ireland. They are a people of great learning and magic, and the tale says they arrive in dark clouds. They are skilled in druid craft, in music and in smithwork. Ireland is already held by another people, the Fir Bolg, and the newcomers demand a share of the land.
The two peoples fight, and the Tuatha De Danaan win. But the victory costs them. Nuada, their king, loses his hand in the fighting. In the old belief, a king with a blemish cannot rule, so he must step aside. A silver hand is made for him, and the story of his wound runs on through the rest of the tales.
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The author
Lady Gregory
1852–1932 · Irish playwright and folklorist
Lady Gregory (1852–1932) was an Irish playwright and folklorist. Born Isabella Augusta Persse in County Galway, she lived at Coole Park after her marriage. She wrote plays and collected Irish folklore. Her Gods and Fighting Men appeared in 1904. That year, she helped found the Abbey Theatre in Dublin.
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What is Gods and Fighting Men about?
It retells Irish myths in two groups. The first covers the Tuatha De Danaan, the people of the gods, and their wars. The second covers Finn and the Fianna, a band of warriors, along with their hunts, loves and adventures.
Who are the Tuatha De Danaan?
They are the divine people of Irish myth, skilled in magic and craft. After they lose Ireland to later peoples, they are said to live on in the hills and mounds as the Sidhe.
Who are the Fianna?
The Fianna are a band of warriors in Irish legend, led by Finn mac Cumhaill. They hunt in the woods and guard Ireland, and they follow strict rules of loyalty and courage.
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