#fir bolg

[ad-ciu]

do we know what happens to the fir bolg after they are defeated and given connacht? are they related to the connachtmen we see in the ulster cycle and later, or have they just faded into obscurity?

Ah, an excellent easy answer! The Fir Bolg are absolutely related to the Connachta of the Ulster Cycle. If you remember the Gailióin from Táin Bó Cúailnge, that's just the name of one of the three population groups that make up the Fir Bolg.

While from a modern perspective, where as a result of Tolkein's influence on the modern fantasy genre and how that influences how people approach early traditions, we often have a reflex to get very 'Taxonomic' when discussing things like Elves, Dwarfs, Fauns, and the Fir Bolg, that is a very modern view. The Fir Bolg are just some of the ur-peoples of various bits of Ireland (peoples move around, occasionally in strange and confusing ways), but especially Connachta.

While I highly doubt anyone in modern Ireland bases their identity around being a descendant of the Fir Bolg, they're just part of the genealogical tradition. Just a deeply mundane fact of the genealogies.

So, the Fir Bolg never faded into obscurity. They've always just been there, and technically still do if you take medieval genealogies seriously (again, let me stress, I am not saying that any people in modern Ireland go around claiming Fir Bolg ancestry, it is just that the Fir Bolg were just 'some dudes' in the genealogical tradition, and some people are descended from them like how the genealogies have everyone going back to Adam because, you know, he's Adam). They're not like a 'Species' or anything, just an ancient, imagined political faction.

Of course, if @margridarnauds has anything to add to that, I'd absolutely welcome it. I'd normally direct all Fir Bolg stuff over there, but since this seems like a rather simple one, I thought I'd avoid just throwing this off onto someone else's lap.

[innervoiceartblog]

A moonrise viewed from the mound of Shee Lugh on the summit of the ridge of Moytura. In the sky, representing Balor's Eye, is an image of the huge stone basin found in the eastern chamber at Knowth. - Michael O'Flanagan

http://www.carrowkeel.com/sites/moytura/moytura1.html

[hipstergnome]

I decided to revisit a ttrpg character of mine, Quinoa, who is a firbolg barbarian, he's very chill until he is not. i originally went for a slim tall barbarian look but my brother said he should be bigger, so i decided to go with a slim thick look lol i like it, here is the progression and flat colors

[mask131]

Cold winter: The Fir Bolg

FIR BOLG

Category: Irish mythology

According to medieval Irish texts, Ireland was “conquered” six different times, by six different tribes before it became the country we know today.

The Fir Bolg, also known as the Firbolg or the Fir Bholg, were the fourth of these tribes – though their story begins with the third one…

  The third inhabitants of Ireland were the Muintir Nemid (People of Nemed), also known as Clann Nemid (offspring of Nemid) or the Nemedians – called as such because their king and leader was Nemed, son of Agnoman of Scythia, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of the biblical Magog, himself depicted as the son of the biblical Japheth, making Nemed a direct descendant of Noah himself. Nemed and his people sailed from the Caspian Sea onward in hope to find a new land to settle in – they left in forty-four ships, but after a year and a half of sailing only one remained, Nemed’s very own ship. He arrived in the deserted Ireland with his wife Macha and their four sons (who themselves were also married), but Macha died only twelve days after their arrival in Ireland. The people of Nemed did many great things to shape Ireland’s landscape: they cleared many of its plains, created many of its lakes, built some of its most ancient forts – all the while fighting hostile and evil creatures/entities called the Fomorians, or Fomoire. There were four battles between the two groups: on the first, the two kings of the Fomorians were killed ; on the third, Nemed’s first Ireland-born son was called ; on the fourth, one of Nemed’s four original sons was killed.

Nine years after their settlement in Ireland, a great plague killed Nemed and three thousand of his people. Weakened and leaderless, the Fomorians became the new tyrannical rulers of the Muintir Nemid: every Samhain, the Nemedians had to offer the Fomorians two thirds of their corn, milk and children. After many years the Nemedians decided to rebel: they gathered sixty thousand warriors (half on land and half on sea), and attacked then defeated one of the two Fomorian rulers, Conand, in his tower. But the other Fomorian king, Morc, retaliated and killed almost all of the Nemedians – only one ship survived, and fled Ireland with thirty men on board. This group of men split into three. Some went to the north, some went to Britain (and became the Britons), and the remaining went south, to Greece, and there became the Fir Bolg.

  The Fir Bolg received their name due to the nature of their life in Greece: they were enslaved by the Greeks, and forced to carry bags of soil and clay for them, which led to their naming, “Fir Bolg” meaning “men of bags” – it was even said that the Greeks forced them to live on poor and rocky land, but that the Fir Bolg managed turn them into fertile fields precisely by pouring numerous bags of soil over it. All in all, two hundred years after the defeat of the Nemedians, the Fir Bolg left Greece and returned to Ireland, taking it back as their own.

Since they were led by five chiefs, the Fir Bolg divided Ireland into five provinces: North Munster for Gann, South Munster for Sengann, Connacht for Genann, Ulster for Rudraige, and Leinster for Slanga. They established the High Kingship of Ireland, and for the next thirty-seven years nine High Kings of the Fir Bolg breed ruled over Ireland, from the famous site of Tara. The last of these nine kings was Eochaid mac Eirc, the greatest king to have ever existed: he was the first king to introduce a system of justice in Ireland, there was a harvest every year under his rule, and said rule was so good it never rained as long as he was on the throne – there was only dew.

It was under his rule that the fifth of Ireland’s inhabitants arrived: the Tuatha Dé Danann, descendants of the Nemedians that had gone to the “North”, and now returned to claim their land. Eochaid had learned of their future arrival through prophetic dreams, and so as the Tuatha Dé arrived, led by their king Nuada, negotiations started through their respective champions: Sreng for the Fir Bolg, Bres for the Tuatha Dé. Nuada and Bres demanded half of the Ireland for themselves, and if the Fir Bolg refused offered war: the Fir Bolg chose war. Meeting at the Pass of Balgatan, the two groups fought for four entire days. Sreng challenged king Nuada in a single combat, and vanquished him by cutting off his right hand. The Fir Bolg afterward refused the Tuatha Dé’s call for a truce, and so in retaliation the Tuatha druids cast a spell to hide all sources of water from the them. King Eochaid, overcome by thirst, searched for water far away from his men, and on the spot where now stands the town of Beltra, he met his fate at the hands of the dreadful Morrigan. Only then did the tide of battle change and the Tuatha Dé gained the upper hand.

At this point texts diverge. Some claim that the Tuatha Dé vanquished the Fir Bolg and that they were forced to flee from Ireland – only Sreng’s heroic deeds and warrior power allowing some of the Fir Bolg to survive and preventing the wipe out of their entire people at the hands of the Tuatha Dé. Other rather says that the Fir Bolg called for a truce, that the Tuatha accepted, and that the Fir Bolg were given three options: leave Ireland, share their land with the Tuatha Dé Danann, or keep on fighting. Despite being close to defeat, the Fir Bolg decided to keep on fighting, and it is their determination to fight until death that impressed the Tuatha Dé Danann, who decided to bring them mercy to reward their “noble” character: they were given Connacht to live onto, and peace was settled between the two people.  

This war was later known as the “First Battle of Mag Tuired”. The “First”, for a second was coming… one against the Fomorians.

- - - - - -

While in Irish legends and texts the Fir Bolg seems to have just been a group of humans, Americans most often known the Firbolg through… Dungeon and Dragons, THE fantasy table-top roleplaying game, that took back the name of “Firbolg”, but completely reinvented them as one of the four races of “giant-kin” (large humanoids that aren’t “true giants” and were said to have been sired by Othea, mother of all giants, when she cheated on her husband Annam, father of all giants, with Ulutiu, an arctic demigod of frozen seas, glaciers and polar environment), alongside the Verbeegs, the Voadkyn and the Fomorians. D&D Firbolgs are a reclusive giant-kin living far away from other people, living humble live in forests and renowned for their great love and respect for nature. Able to speak with beasts and plants, owning a magic that allows them to disguise themselves or alter their appearance, their great intelligence and massive strength makes them the most powerful of all four giant-kin, and yet they chose to reject violence (or rather to only use it as last measure) and to embrace a peaceful existence. Distrusting all outsiders and avoiding them at any costs, refusing to have contact with “true giants” and driving away all other giant-kin from their land, they however shouldn’t be underestimated, as if antagonized they can become dangerous and cunning foes.

[blackcrowing]

Ok.... hear me out...

So the Fir Bolg right, Some scholars like T. F. O'Rahilly think maybe they were a mythological tale about a real group of people (sometimes they're conflated with a group that left Ireland and went to Greece, but I'm honestly not really sure where this specifically came from?). And the Fir Bolg SEEM to have some kind of tight knit relationship with the (much more mythological) Formorians.

Ok so what if the Fir Bolg were a real peoples who maybe tried to live in Ireland, or even DID live in Ireland but in small numbers while still in contract with their original culture of origin (because we KNOW folks were actually traversing water ways WAY more/earlier than we truly give them credit for) and when the culture of the Tuatha Dé Danann group shows up they have a cultural (and maybe actual) war for the land and eventually come to a peace (possibly the Tuatha Dé Danann culture winning out on Ireland and the Formorians/Fir Bolg culture still being predominant on the British Island some time around the late Bronze age/early Iron age?

Still with me? ok, now what if the Formorians/Fir Bolg group are the Scandinavians (pre-known Scandinavian culture) and this same story is (somewhat) reflected in THEIR mythology too. Reflected in the form of the war between the Aesir and Vanir, and the mingling of groups in both mythologies is a reflection of a mingling of real cultures and adopting of aspects of each others pantheons?

Now is it just as likely (maybe even more likely) that the parallels just come from shared Indo-European roots, absolutely, but do I personally enjoy this theory? Yes, yes I do.

[alchemisland]

whoelsebettergetfucked

My real self housed safe in the burg If breached, cyanide can’t be returned Involved with criminal gangs Can’t be reoriented so I’m getting hanged Sitting up in the night like a gong banged Everyone’s eyes on me like I dong hanged Cancelled like gave a speech and wrong man’s thanked Say whatever I need to make you say I concede He’s the best there’s ever been, that’s a man that museface…

[drift-hobo]

The fact that Ireland still has a very active bulletin-board style forum (probably one of the most active social media in the country) at boards.ie makes this VERY suspicious.

The Milesians were actually not the last people to settle Ireland according to medieval pseudohistories: much later after them there also came the Fir Blog, the origin of whose ethnonym is uncertain but some have reconstructed it as meaning "men of posts," anyway they first brought online forums to Ireland until St. Patrick banned them (for good reason)

[altamhoes]

i have a lot of thoughts on g26 but the most immediate right now is that the impact of realizing delga is a fir bolg who watched her people die out and lose their land is INSTANTLY gone when you have to start moonlight island to finish the gen and it's basically animal crossing new horizons with a nice acoustic BGM to match

[starshucker]

maybe lightning does strike twice!

[natalieironside]

I wonder if the Fir Bolg had any annoying-ass conservatives who wouldn't shut up about how Hibernia was better back in the Partholon times

[whencyclopedia]

The Dagda

The Dagda (also Daghda, Daghdha, Dagdae, or Dagda Mór), usually written with the definite article, is one of the most important gods in Irish-Celtic mythology. He appears as a multi-talented warrior-leader of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, invaders of ancient Ireland who win a battle against the resident Fir Bolg. Another battle follows, this time against the seafaring Fomorians, and again the Tuatha Dé Dannan are victorious. It is the Fomorians who set the Dagda his famous challenge of eating a huge amount of porridge from his own magical cauldron. With his mighty club, inexhaustible cauldron, and great talent playing the harp, the Dagda was a universal god in Irish mythology considered to dwell in many places, including at Newgrange. As his warrior character, the Dagda is killed by Caitlín, queen of the Fomorians.

Names

Dagda means the 'good god' and the name often appears with a variety of spellings. The sense of 'good' in this context is 'many-skilled' as the Dagda was considered a master craftsman, warrior, magician and ruler. The god may also be referred to as Eochaid Ollathair, meaning 'father of all' or 'mighty father', Ruad Rofhessa, meaning 'lord of great knowledge', or Deirgderc, 'red eye' (referring to the sun). Although recognised by scholars as an important early Irish-Celtic deity, his precise significance is not known. Some have identified him as a sky god and ancestor deity similar to Cronus in Greek mythology. In any case, it is thought that these ancient Celtic gods were not specifically a focus of religious rituals in their particular honour. In contrast, his character as a divine warrior is better represented and seen in the mythological tales of early Irish history which were first written down from around the 8th century CE onwards.

We do know that in the religion of the ancient Celts the Dagda was a prominent figure in the festival of Samhain (aka Samain) which, on 1 November and including the evening of the 31st, celebrated the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. This was also a time when the spirits of the Otherworld could be best contacted. If the Dagda and the war goddess the Mórrigan, sometimes known as the 'queen of demons', came together at this time, then their sexual union would guarantee the fertility and prosperity of the tribe and its harvests and livestock in the coming year. The Dagda was also thought to have had intercourse with two other goddesses during Samhain, these are Boand (aka Boann, goddess of the Boyne River) and Indech (daughter of a renowned warrior of the same name). For this reason, in Gaelic oral traditions in Ireland and Scotland, Samhain was considered the most auspicious time to become pregnant.

Continue reading...

[littlestarprincess]

Grainne said "Work life balance" and Diarmuid said, "But honey I'm gonna be famous someday."

I do suspect the fork between the Irish version being Very Romantic and the Scottish version being Very Suspicious is also kind of a neat little fork in the cultures. Scottish version is probably also informed by the focus on nature being more dominant in Scottish myth.

I know that the idea of love potions / love spells / etc taking agency away from the characters in courtly romance style legends is a way of retaining their moral purity while allowing them to engage in adultery and betrayal and the like -- their love is outside of their control! They're still good people, they just can't help themselves!! -- but I legitimately can not fathom how little discussion I can find about that trope regarding Diarmuid and Grainne, because while Diarmuid's agency is completely revoked -- not only is he forced to be with Grainne, but he's punished for it by his liege and treated as an outlaw -- Grainne's is very pointedly not.

Some varieties even portray her "acceptance" of Finn's proposal as being because of his status (i.e. she's effectively treated as a gold-digger who, upon seeing Diarmuid, decides to throw her pursuit of status in the trash and force Diarmuid to run away with her by drugging his whole company and putting him under a geis. Not even like. . . a love spell or a potion or something to instill him with feeling, but literally just a magic command.) And there is probably more merit to this than there would be if the story were from the mainland -- there's a lot more Independent Women in irish mythic structures than in english or greek ones, for example.

The most charitable interpretation I've seen is that she was victim to his love spot, nursing feelings for him for a long time, betrothed against her will to someone too old for her who just so happened to bring her crush along, and her geis was only for Diarmuid to rescue her from Finn, but I still haven't actually seen reference to Diarmuid having feelings for her outside of her baiting him into bedding her many years into their life of crime.

[talonabraxas]

Lugh Talon Abraxas

Lugh (also Lug, Luga) was one of the most important Celtic gods, particularly in Ireland, and he represented the sun and light. Although originating as an all-wise and all-seeing deity, Lugh was later thought of as a historical figure, great warrior, and Irish cultural hero. Lugh often has an epithet such as Lugh Lámfada (or Lámfhota), meaning long-armed or 'of the long hand', which refers to his prowess with throwing weapons, or Lugh Samildánach, meaning 'skilled in many arts and crafts'. He is a prominent figure in many stories in Irish mythology where he leads the Tuatha Dé Danann race to victory against the seafaring Fomorians at the Battle of Mag Tuired. Lugh kills one-eyed Balor with his magic spear or sling and so establishes a 40-year reign of peace and prosperity. Lugh is similar in many ways to the Celtic god Lugus, the figure the Romans described as Gaulish Mercury.

Names & Skills

The god Lugh's name means 'light' and 'brightness'. His common epithets are Lugh Samildánach ('skilled in the arts, crafts, and trades') and Lug Lámfada, Lámfhada, Lámhfhada or Lámfhota ('long-armed' or 'long-handed'). The god's most common epithet of 'long-armed' refers to his ability to either throw a spear or a slingshot a very great distance. Not only a great warrior, Lugh may have been considered a fili, that is a seer, diviner, and poet. These multi-skills make Lugh very similar to the deity the Romans described (without giving the indigenous name) as Gaulish Mercury, now known to be called as Lugos or Lugus by the Celts. He is also the equivalent of the Welsh hero Lleu Llaw Gyffes. In art, Lugh is almost always presented as a youthful and handsome athlete, and he often carries his famous spear called Gáe Assail.

The Tuatha Dé Danann

Lugh is the chief of the pre-Christian Irish gods or supernatural race known as the Tuatha Dé Danann who brought elements of civilization in the Irish Mythological Cycle. Lugh's story principally derives from the Cath Maige Tuired (aka The Battle of Mag Tuired), an 11th-century CE text which collated earlier sources. This text tells the story, before Lugh is born, of the invasion of Ireland by the Tuatha Dé Danann who are victorious against the current inhabitants, the Fir Bolg at Mac Tuired, a plain in Connacht in northwest Ireland. The defeated Fir Bolg then disperse to remote islands and to Scotland.

Another battle at the same place follows 27 years later, this time between the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians, who are either semi-divine beings or demonic pirates depending on which source one consults. Despite being fierce fighters with a fearsome aspect - they have one arm, one leg, and one eye in some versions - the Fomorians are defeated by the Tuatha Dé Danann. Before the battle, the two groups had been at peace and even intermarried so that Lugh is born the grandson of a Fomorian. It is Lugh who played the decisive role in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired.

In the Battle of Mag Tuired, Lugh ends up fighting his own grandfather, Balor or the Evil Eye.

First, to become the chief of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Lugh had to present his credentials to the current king, Nuadu, who has a mechanical silver arm which some consider a handicap that makes him unfit to be ruler. Lugh informs the king that he is multi-skilled because he has the capabilities of a carpenter, smith, physician, warrior, sorcerer, and historian, amongst many others. Lugh impresses the court with his strength by throwing a huge flagstone and with his skill at playing the harp. Lugh then defeats Nuadu, and anyone else who cares to play, in a board-game called fidchell - a slightly unfair match since Lugh was credited with inventing it - and so he becomes the king.

In the battle with the Fomorians, Lugh uses his sorcery skills to give his army special weapons and the powers of magic. Lugh's own spear, Gáe Assail, was rather special since it always hit its target and could return to his hand on command. The spear was said to be so fearsome that it had to be kept in a cauldron of water during peacetime lest it set its surroundings aflame.

Lugh ends up fighting his own grandfather, Balor or the Evil Eye. Balor has one huge eye and his eyelid is so heavy that it requires four men to lift it. If enemies ever look directly at the eye, then they are rendered powerless. Lugh uses his mighty sling arm to hit his grandfather in the eye which then turns backwards in his head (or simply falls to the ground). The consequence of this is that the Fomorians become the victims of bad luck and so lose the war. In other versions, Lugh blinds Balor with his spear or lops off his head and puts it on a pole so that the eye shines on the Fomorians and makes them easy to defeat. The Fomorians are then driven back to where they came from: the sea. Lugh goes on to rule his new kingdom for 40 years through which time the cows always give plenty of milk and the harvests are always bountiful.

[child-of-avalon]

Honouring Tailitu. Part One: Who is She?

Ophelia by John William Waterhouse

During the time of Lughnasadh a lot of focus is placed on the golden boy, Lugh. Which is fair enough, I mean the festival is named for him after all!

Unfortunately, by lavishing Him with all the attention it's easy to neglect the *reason* for the festival- Tailitiu.

Not much is known about Her, but the basic story is more or less agreed upon.

According to the Book of Invasions, Tailitu was the wife of the last Fir Bolg king, Eochaid mac Eirc. Like many others of the time, this marriage was a short lived on. The Tuatha Dé Dannan invaded and his life was lost in the ensuing struggle. However, She was allowed to keep Her land. How nice of them! One good thing did came out of the invasion, the relationship between Lugh and Tailitu. The latter becoming a surrogate mother to the young sun god.

So why is She the reason for the festival?

In order to feed more people, She took it upon herself to clear an area in order to create working arable land. Being an overachiever, She decided to take this on all Herself. Naturally this was all too much. With the tilling of the last field completed She collapsed with exhaustion and sadly passed away.

Once buried, Lugh created a mound over Her grave and ordered fires be lit. In Her honour, He also established the Tailteann Games. A time for honouring the dead, proclaiming new laws and celebrating the harvest. This would commence in the latter part of July and conclude on the 1st or 2nd of August. This became 'Lughnasadh' - the 'assembly of Lugh'. Naturally, She is associated with the land, particularly the area Teltown and the Plain of Brega. Where Her burial mound is said to be and where She is said of plowed the land, respectively.

Stay tuned for Part 2: How to Honour Her!

[tuatha-de-danann-blog]

The Morrigan makes it rain fire and blood...

"It was then that Badb and Macha and Morrigan went to the Knoll of the Taking of the Hostages, and to the Hill of Summoning of Hosts at Tara, and sent forth magic showers of sorcery and compact clouds of mist and a furious rain of fire, with a downpour of red blood from the air on the warriors’ heads; and they allowed the Fir Bolg neither rest nor stay for three days and nights." -1st Battle of Moytura

[aodhan-art]

Celtober 2023 Days 4, 5 and 6: Murder, Judgement and Mound

Corrgend, the king of the Fir Bolg, caught Áed, son of Eochaid Dagda, in the act of sleeping with Corrgend’s wife, and so he killed Áed in a fit of rage and jealousy. The grieving father sentenced Corrgend to carry Áed’s decomposing body tied to his back until he finds a perfect place for the mound that he should build for his victim. After that, Corrgend was finally executed and buried elsewhere.