KAH MOY-uh TOO-rig
The medieval tale recounting the Tuatha Dé Danann's war against the Fomorians.
| Cycle | Entries here | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| The Mythological Cycle | 17 | The oldest of the four cycles, telling of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the successive invasions of Ireland. |
| The Fenian Cycle | 6 | Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his band of warriors, the Fianna, set generations after the Ulster Cycle in a world of hunting, romance, and roaming adventure. |
| The Ulster Cycle | 12 | The heroic tales of Conchobar mac Nessa's court at Emain Macha, centered on Cú Chulainn and the great cattle raid of the Táin Bó Cúailnge. |
| The Historical Cycle | 1 | Also the Cycle of the Kings — legendary and semi-legendary tales of Ireland's High Kings, treated by medieval scribes as genuine national history. |
Cath Maige Tuired ("The Battle of Moytura") is a medieval Irish text describing the decisive wars between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians, including the loss and restoration of King Nuada's arm and Lugh's killing of Balor.
There are two, told in separate texts: the First Battle, in which the Tuatha Dé Danann defeat the Fir Bolg but Nuada loses his arm, and the Second Battle, the larger conflict against the Fomorians in which Lugh kills Balor.
The surviving manuscript of the Second Battle dates from the 16th century, though the text itself is believed to preserve much older material, some possibly dating back to the 9th century.