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Fomorians

The Fomorians, as depicted by John Duncan (1912)

The Fomorians or Fomori (Old Irish: Fomóire, Modern Irish: Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh)[1] are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the earth. Later, they were portrayed as sea raiders and giants. They are enemies of Ireland's first settlers and opponents of the Tuatha Dé Danann,[2] the other supernatural race in Irish mythology; although some members of the two races have offspring. The Tuath Dé defeat the Fomorians in the Battle of Mag Tuired. This has been likened to other Indo-European myths of a war between gods, such as the Æsir and Vanir in Norse mythology and the Olympians and Titans in Greek mythology.[3]

One theory is that the Fomorians were supernatural beings representing the wild or destructive powers of nature; personifications of chaos, darkness, death, blight and drought.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ Ó hÓgáin 1991, pp. 232–233
  2. ^ Carey 2006, p. 762
  3. ^ Ó hÓgáin 1991, pp. 312–315
  4. ^ MacCulloch 2009, pp. 80, 89, 91
  5. ^ Smyth 1996, p. 74
  6. ^ Sjoestedt 1949, pp. 4–5

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