Formorians

"The Tribe of the Fomorians was on the scene long before any other races came to Ireland. However, the Formors lives mainly on the sea. The first outside race to invade Ireland was the race of Partholony; very little is known of them. After 300 years of struggle against the Formors, the race of Partholon died of an epidemic. "Next came the race of Nemod who also suffered from an epidemic. This time, however, some of them survived, only to be oppressed by the cruel Formors. The Fomorian kings Mord, son of Dela, and Conann, son of Febar, built a glass tower on their stronghold of Troy Island. From there they taxed the Nemedians with a terrible price. Two-third of the children born each year had to be delivered on Samhain to the Fomors. During the ensuing war over this tax, all of the race of Nemed was slain. "They intermarried with the Fomors and became their allies. The new settlers divided Ireland into five provinces which met at Balor's Hill, later called the Hill of Uisnech in West Meath. These people practiced strange magical rites in their hill forts and continues to hold the country until the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann."

"The Tuatha De Danann landed on Beltane (May 1), hidden by magic used by the Morrigu, Badb, and Macha. They met the armies of the Fir Bolg and the Fomors on the Plain of the Sea near Leinster where they bargained for peace and the division of Ireland. But the Fir Bolg king Eochaid refused." "On Summer Solstice, the armies met near the present village of Cong near the pass of Benelevi. For four days groups of single combatants fought. The Tuathan king Nuada lost his hand in battle with the Fir Bolg champion Sreng. King Eochaid was killed, and the Fir Bolgs reduced to 300 men. In a peace gesture, the Tuatha De Danann offered them one-fifth of Ireland; the enemy chose Connaught."

"Diancecht, physician of the Tuatha, made Nuada a marvelous silver hand that could move like a real one. But Nuada had to step down, for no Tuatha king was allowed to have any disfigurement. In an attempt for permanent peace with the Fomors, the Tuatha council sent a message to Bress, son of King Elathan, to rule over them. Bress agreed and married Brigit, the daaughter of the Dagda. At the same time, Cain, son of Diancecht, married Ethniu, daughter of the Fomor Balor. "Bress promised to abdicate if his rule ever displeased the Tuatha, but he soon began to tax them into poverty. It wasn't long before Ogma had to gather firewood and the Dagda was reduced to building forts and cities for the Fomors. To add insult, Bress cut down on the food and fuel of the Tuatha."

"Meanwhile Bress was as stingy with hospitality as he was with his promises, a practice frowned upon by the Tuatha. When the chief Tuathan bard Cairpre, son of Ogma, visited him, he was treated rudely and given terrible food and quarters. As Cairpre left, he laid a magic satire on Bress which made the king break out in red blotches. The Tuatha De Danann insisted that Bress Abdicate. "Bress retreated under the sea the Fomor kingdom where he complained to his father Elathan. The Fomor armies decided to run the Tuatha De Danann out of Ireland.

"Trouble with the Fomorian was getting worse. Nuada decided to give up his throne to Lugh for thirteen days of battle so that the powerful warrior would command the Tuathan armies against their enemies. Goidniu the smith promised to replace all swords and spears overnight, weapons with a guarantee that every throw would be accurate and deadly; Credne the bronze worker to make magic rivets for the spears, hilts for swords, and rims for childs. Luchtaine the carpenter promised to provide all spear shafts and shields, while the Dagda would crush the enemy with his gigantic club. Ogma laid plans to kill the Fomorian king and capture at least one-third of his army. Dianchecht prepared to bring the dead back to live by putting them into a magic well or cauldron. Other deities, Druids and sorcerers promised to hide the rivers and lakes and confuse the enemy with magical acts."

"The two armies gathered on the eve of Samhain, and again engaged in a series of single combats. This time, however, the Tuatha De Danann were always healed by the next day and their swords and spears made new. "The Fomors became suspicious. They sent Ruadan, son of Bress and Brigit, to find out what was going on. Ruadan, while spying on Goidniu, decided the smith must be killed. He hurled a spear through Goibniu's body, but the great man pulled it out and mortally wounded the Fomorian. Diancecht and Airmid immediately plunged Goibniu into a healing well and cured him. In retaliation a group of Fomorians managed to fill the well with stones, destroying it forever. "The two armies at last squared off for the final battle. A council of the Tuatha, deciding that Lugh was too valuable to risk in the fighting, placed him at the rear. Lugh escaped his nine protectors and rushed to the front in his chariot. Ogma killed Indech, son of the goddess Domne, and Balor slew Nuada and Macha. "Lugh challenged Balor of the Evil Eye, his grand-father, who was leading the army. When the Fomorians started to pull open Balors eye, which could destroy everyone in his sight, Lugh drove the eyes through Balor's head with a magic stone so that it looked back upon the Fomorians. It killed a whole rank of the enemy. Another version says that Lugh used his great spear to put out Balor's eye. "The Tuatha De Danann were victorious, driving the remaining Fomors back into the sea. The Morrigu and Badb went to the top of the high mountains to proclaim victory. But Badb prophesied the coming of the end of the gods. This prophecy was fulfilled when the mortal Gaelic Celts arrived, those called the Milesians."


Quote from the book Celtic Magic by D. J. Conway, chapter 9 “Myths and Dieties”