Editing Fragarach (section)

{{Short description|Sword in Irish mythology}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
In [[Irish mythology]], '''Fragarach''' (or ''Freagarthach''), known as "The Whisperer", "The Answerer", or "The Retaliator", was the [[sword]] of [[Nuada]], the first [[High King of Ireland|high king]].  The sword was forged by the gods and was meant to be wielded only by those who posed above the stone of destiny (the [[Lia Fail]]), which roared and the sword whispered to in response.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Sasha Peyton|date=2021-07-28|title=Read an Excerpt From Sasha Peyton Smith's The Witch Haven|url=https://www.tor.com/2021/07/28/excerpts-sasha-peyton-smith-the-witch-haven/|access-date=2021-08-03|website=Tor.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

Nuada lost his arm in the first battle of [[Mag Tuired]] and, being mutilated, was no longer suitable to be  high king. So, for the second battle of Mag Tuired, Nuada chose [[Lugh]] as provisional king.  Using his spear and a sling given to him by [[Manannán mac Lir]], Lugh defeated the [[Formorians]] and their king [[Balor]].  During the battle, Nuada gave Lugh his sword, as a symbol of the king. Neither the poems nor the [[Lebor Gabála Érenn]] say whether Lugh wielded the sword in the battle.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Pendergrass|first=Rocky|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3twNCgAAQBAJ&dq=Fragarach&pg=PA39|title=Mythological Swords|date=2015-06-22|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1-329-24281-4|language=en}}</ref>

It was said that, with Fragarach at their throat, no one could move or tell a lie, thus the name "Answerer".  The sword was also said to place the wind at the user's command and could cut through any shield or wall, and that it inflicted piercing wounds from which no man could recover.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Clements|first=Paul|title=Adventures of a sea god – An Irishman's Diary about Manannán mac Lir|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/adventures-of-a-sea-god-an-irishman-s-diary-about-manann%C3%A1n-mac-lir-1.2647217|access-date=2021-08-03|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}</ref>