First, there was the dark. And in the dark there was a sea, and the sea was the darkness. The sea was hot and from the heat emerged the very first seed, a thought of desire that pulled itself out of the water and became being. From himself he began to create. He separated the sky from the waves, formed the stars, and set the planets into motion. Then, he parted the waters and lay back down with the sea, forming her into a woman that could cleave to him.

The two of them, Neamh the Sky and Farraige the Sea, brought forth Talamh. Talamh embodied the land found in Farraige’s parting. The darkness had other seeds within it, however, and from those seeds within Farraige were born the Ainspiorad, true sons of darkness which some call demons. They dwelt within Farraige and bided their time. Meanwhile, Neamh took pieces of Farraige and Talamh and made more daughters—Abhainn the Rivers. Seeing this and that they were fair, the Ainspiorad left Farraige and cleaved to the Abhainn creating dark spirits of their own fashioning.

Neamh also had a son Labhraidh, who saw Neamh’s neglect of Farraige. Labhraidh lay with Farraige and together they beget Fionntain. Neamh was displeased with the coming of Fionntain and set him an impossible task. He must learn to prepare the drink of immortality and with it create a people to reside within his half-sister Talamh and worship Neamh and Farraige. Fionntain took two yew trees which Talamh had long nurtured and fed them the drink of immortality. He placed fire within their heads to give them thought, and taught them to make it with their hands to give them health. In this way were the first man and woman created. They grew and had many daughters and sons, but the children of the Ainspiorad were displeased. They attacked the children of men—the Tuatha Dé Danann—and there was war between them. In an effort to bring an end to war, a powerful king of the Tuatha Dé Danann rose up and collected the untamed magics of his people. Using it, he sealed away parts Neamh and Farraige and Talamh. He banished the Ainspiorad into their own world. However, many of his people were tired of the strife of magic. They left and were sealed into their own world.