Fomori

Fomoraig , Fomóiri or "Fomorii" (also "Formorii", "Formors", "Formorier", "Formians") denotes a legendary people of deformed and violent nature from Irish mythology . They correspond to the British "Coranians" or giants ("Cawr"). In Scotland they are known as " Foawr ". They appear as demonic giants with only one arm and one leg and some members of their people have animal heads (goat, deer or bull), are horned or reptile-like. In the medieval saga of Ireland, they were also interpreted as "pirates from Africa". You come to Ireland to challenge two fabulous Irish peoples: the Firbolg and the Tuatha de Danann . The Tuatha de Danann wrested control of Ireland from the Firbolg at the first Battle of Magh Tuireadh and then had to defeat the Fomorii at the second Battle of Magh Tuireadh to secure the conquest. Later, at the time of the Viking invasions , the Vikings were sometimes equated with the formors.

The legend

The Fomoraig are said to have come to Ireland after the Flood under their King Cichol Gri-cenchos ("The Footless") and ate fish there. They later fight against invading other tribes such as the Partholon people and the Nemedians .

The people of Partholon are able to defeat the Formoraig, but die out as a result of an epidemic that came upon them as punishment for the Partholon parricide. After them the Nemedians arrive in Ireland, where the Formors reign again and suppress the newcomers. They demand two thirds of all milk and all newborn children as a tribute. An uprising breaks out in which the Nemedier chief Fergus storms the fortress of the Formor king Conaan on Tory Island . But his brother Morc appears with new ships, and the Nemedians suffer a terrible defeat. Few escaped.

The survivors include the chief Britan the Bald, who becomes the ancestor of the Britons, the Firbolg , who have to eke out an existence as slaves in Greece, and the Tuatha de Danaan , who come to the north of the world and find wisdom and magic in four cities learn. When the Firbolg manage to escape from their captivity, they return to Ireland, where they make peace with the Formors.

Later the Tuatha de Danaan return to Ireland and wrest the suzerainty of the Firbolgs. When their King Bress , who is half Tuatha de Danaan and half Formore, is expelled, the Formors declare war on the Tuatha de Danaan, who refuse to pay tribute. Under the leadership of Lugh , son of Cian of Dana's people and Ethnius , daughter of the Formor king Balor , the Tuatha de Danaan defeat the Formorians and banish them from Ireland forever.

In later legends, however, isolated demons from the Formorian people appear again and again.

The origin of the formors

There have been various attempts to explain the myth of the Formorians. For example, they have been interpreted as the historical pre- Celtic inhabitants of Ireland. For the most part, however, they are viewed as Irish-Celtic nature demons. They were considered to be descendants of the sea and the earth, and perhaps as representatives of darkness, destruction and chaos, in which they would be comparable to the Greek giants or the Nordic Thursen .

The Tuatha de Danaan originally descended from them.

The name of the Fomoraig

Mostly Fomoraig is called "Fo-muir" d. H. Interpreted "below the sea". So the formors would be demons of the sea or of the depths of the sea. Another interpretation of the element "mor-" would also be possible as "nightmare" or "ghost, demon".

Related to the Irish Fomuir is perhaps the Breton word "Voivre" ("Lindwurm, Dragon").

Famous members of the Formorier people

Surname	description
Balor	Son of Buareinech and one of the Formorian kings. Father of Ethniu and grandfather of Lugh. Had only one, but deadly, eye.
Bress	Son of Elatha and Eriu. Was elected king by the Tuatha de Danaan, but ostracized because of his tyranny. After his defeat he had to reveal the secret of the fruitful harvests to the Tuatha de Danaan. He was also considered the son of Balor.
Buareinech	Also called dot. He was the son of Neits and the father of Balor. He commissioned the brewing of the poisonous potion that caused his son to lose sight.
Cethlionn	The wife of Balor. She prophesied that her husband would die at the hand of his grandson.
Cichol Gri-cenchos	Was nicknamed "the footless". He was the first King of the Formors to take possession of Ireland.
Domnu	Deity of the Firbolg from the ancestral line of the Formorians.
Delbaeth	The name is interpreted as an "unfinished form". He was the son of Neit and father of Elatha and Eriu.
Elatha	Son of Delbaeth and father of both Bress and Dagda and Ogmas .
Ethniu	The daughter of Balor. Was held captive in his tower on Tory Island by her father to prevent the fulfillment of Cethlenn's prophecy. However, Cian was able to enter the tower in disguise and seduce her.
Goll mac Duilb	Goll was the father of the Cicholl. There are several characters of this name in Irish legend. It is unclear whether they are related, originally traced back to a single figure, or whether the naming equations are coincidental.
Indech	Dea Domnann's son and Octriuil's father. He led the formors into battle with Balor.
No	Son of Indui and father of Delbaeth as well as Buareinech and Easar Breac. He is also described in medieval sources as the "Irish god of war". Nemainn was considered his wife .
Octriallach	He was the son of Indechs and a great warrior and champion of the Formorians. He succeeded in destroying the healing well of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Ruadan	Son of Bress and Brigid , while trying to kill Goibniu , he is pierced with a spear
Tethra	He was considered the father of the Formorier and King of Mag Mell. The fish of the sea were called his flocks, and he owned the singing sword Orna. Since his name means "sea" and he was, like Manannan mac Lir, the ruler of Mag Mell, it is sometimes assumed that he was identical to Lir .

literature

RA Stewart Macalister (ed.), Leabhar gabhála: Lebor gabála Érenn: The book of the taking of Ireland. (Dublin: Published for the Irish Texts Society by the Educational Co. of Ireland), Irish Texts Society Publications 34.