Fomorians

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The Fomorians are a supernatural people from Irish myth. They are often shown as hostile, monstrous beings who came from under the sea or from the earth. Later stories describe them as sea raiders and giants. They fight Ireland’s first settlers and oppose the other supernatural race, the Tuatha Dé Danann. In some tales, members of the two groups even have children together.

What they are like and what they mean
The Fomorians are sometimes seen as chaotic powers of nature—darkness, destruction, blight, and drought. Their name is written in many ways, and scholars argue about what it means. Some think it means “the undersea ones,” others “the great underworld beings,” or “nether demons.” In early Irish, they were described as beings who lived under the world. Over time, the idea of them as underwater or underground spirits mixed with the idea of dangerous sea raiders.

Key stories and figures
The best-known conflict is the Battle of Mag Tuired, where the Tuatha Dé Danann defeat the Fomorians. Balor, a fearsome leader with a deadly eye, kills Nuada, but Lug, a hero on the Tuatha Dé side, shoots Balor’s eye and destroys much of the Fomorian army. After Balor’s death, the Fomorians are driven back into the sea.

Before this battle, the Fomorians were said to have lived in Ireland before some later invaders. In legends of Nemed and Partholón, they fought the newcomers and were sometimes shown as seafaring raiders from far away. In some later stories, the Fomorians are still a feared pirate-like force on the sea, and in one tale they even demand a royal tribute before Cú Chulainn defeats the attackers.

What it means today
The Fomorians symbolize the wild, powerful forces of nature and chaos. Their struggle with the Tuatha Dé Danann is a mythic clash between order and chaos, a common theme in many ancient stories. After the great battles, the Tuatha Dé Danann become the main powers in Ireland, while the Fomorians recede to the sea and the edges of legend.