Book excerpt: Thousands of years ago Tuatha Dé Danann - the People of the Goddess Danu - landed on the West Coast of Ireland in a huge mist. They then burned their boats, vowing they would never leave Ireland. Because they had no boats, people thought they had come from the sky and believed they must be half gods, half humans. The Tuatha brought four great magical treasures, fought and won fearsome battles and ruled Ireland for more than 400 years. And when their reign was over, they vanished into the Other World, still exercising their magic powers, living on forever.