Of all the numerous legion of Celtic (in this case, it would be more accurate to say, Irish) monsters and demons, the Fomorians can be called the most ruthless and ferocious. These creatures, which are the product of Chaos itself, are obsessed with hatred not only for the human race, but for all living things in general. Numerous legends about the Fomorians go back to ancient times, at a time when the first tribes of people began to appear on the territory of present-day Ireland and the first settlements were founded.
According to the most common version, the fomorians (in ancient Irish - “fomoire”) are descendants of the goddess Domna, whose name can be translated as “abyss” or “abyss”, as well as “seabed”. In general, the appearance and existence of the Fomorians is closely related to the sea and marine themes. The supreme ruler of the kingdom of the Fomorians was the son of Domna, Indekh, but besides him, there were several more kings.
The habitat of these creatures is considered to be the other world, which, according to the beliefs of the ancient Irish, apparently represents the other side of the real world. It is from there that all the numerous creatures of Darkness come, with which the mythical heroes of Celtic legends have to endlessly fight. At the same time, several sagas indicate that some of the kings of the Fomorians had refuge and in reality, for example, one of the leaders, Konand, lived in a glass palace built on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean. Also, you can find a rather vague indication of the location of the Fomorians in our world - something like “far beyond the seas”.
The appearance of these demons was quite consistent with their evil nature. The Fomorians, both male and female, possessed gigantic stature and enormous physical strength, as well as an ugly appearance. Not being able to fully penetrate the real world, they continued to remain in their native kingdom of Chaos with one half of their bodies. Therefore, before mortals they appeared in a terrifying form: one-armed, one-legged and one-eyed monsters. Returning to their world, the Fomorians regained their true appearance, but this did not make them more attractive. The bodies of both men and women of this demonic race are often covered with sores, scabs, and tree growths. The physical strength and ferocity of the Fomorian women, according to the sagas, often surpasses the strength of the Fomorian men.
The most famous of the Fomorians can be considered one of their leaders, Balor. Traditionally, this fomor is called the "one-eyed god", this is the most powerful and magical demon, with one glance of his only eye capable of destroying not only armies, but entire cities. According to legend, the future sun god, Lug, managed to get close to the only eye of Balor and throw a stone at it with such force that the eye flew out from the back of the demon's skull. At the same time, not only Balor himself died, but also the army of the forces of Chaos that was behind him. It is interesting that Lug, according to legend, is the son of Balor's daughter, Etlinn, i.e. direct descendant of the "one-eyed god".
Later, after the destruction of Balor, the supreme goddess of Celtic mythology, Danu, managed to rally other gods around herself and, with their help, push the Fomorians into the other world, in which they still reside. After being defeated in the battle with the gods, the Fomorians lost most of their strength and ability to penetrate the real world. Gradually their place was taken by other, no less sinister monsters, but this is already a topic for the next article.
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