Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later Early Irish ...

, Balor or Balar was a leader of the

Fomorians The Fomorians or Fomori ( sga, Fomóire, Modern ga, Fomhóraigh / Fomóraigh) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the eart ...

, a group of malevolent supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. Balor takes part in the Battle of Mag Tuired, and is primarily known from the tale in which he is killed by his grandson

Lugh Lugh or Lug (; ga, label= Modern Irish, Lú ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The Go ...

of the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gae ...

. He has been interpreted as a personification of the scorching sun, and has also been likened to figures from other mythologies, such as the Welsh

Ysbaddaden ; "Ysbaddaden, Chief of Giants," is the primary antagonist of the Welsh romance '' Culhwch ac Olwen''.Helmut Birkhan: Kelten. Versuch einer Gesamtdarstellung ihrer Kultur. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien 1997, , S. ...

and the Greek

Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; el, Κύκλωπες, ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguish ...

Name

The name ''Balor'' or The Lonni may come from Common Celtic ''*Boleros'', meaning "the flashing one". In the early literature he is also referred to as ''Balor Béimnech'' (Balor the smiter), ''Balor Balcbéimnech'' (Balor the strong smiter), ''Balor Birugderc'' (Balor of the piercing-eye), ''Balor mac Doit meic Néid'' (Balor, son of Dot son of Nét) or ''Balor ua Néit'' (Balor, grandson of Nét). Later forms are ''Balor Béimeann'' or ''Balar Bemen'' (''Ogygia'', 1685), and ''Balór na Súile Nimhe'' (Balor of the Evil Eye).

Mythological Cycle

Balor first appears in the medieval texts that make up the

Mythological Cycle Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrati ...

. Balor was the son of Dot son of

Néit In Irish mythology Neit (Néit, Nét, Neith) was a god of war. He was the husband of Nemain and/or Fea, and sometimes of Badb. Also grandfather of Balor, he was killed at the legendary Second Battle of Moytura. Etymology The name probably de ...

according to the ''

Cath Maige Tuired ''Cath Maige Tuired'' (modern spelling: ''Cath Maighe Tuireadh''; ) is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology. It refers to two separate battles in Connacht: the first in the territory of Conmhaícne Cúile Tui ...

'' (''CMT''), but called Balor son of Buarainech in the list of renowned rath- and castle-builders of the world, preserved in the ''

Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...

''.

Cethlenn In Irish mythology, Caitlín ( sga, Cethlenn, Cethleann, Ceithlenn, Ceithlionn, italic=no) was the wife of Balor of the Fomorians and, by him, the mother of Ethniu. She was also a prophetess and warned Balor of his impending defeat by the Tuatha D� ...

was Balor's wife according to O'Flaherty's ''Ogygia'' ( 1685). Cethlenn is mentioned by name in the ''

Lebor Gabála Érenn ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...

'' (''LGE''), but not as a wife of Balor. The Mythological Cycle tells of a struggle between the divine

and the demonic Fomorians. At the behest of

Bres In Irish mythology, Bres (or Bress) was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is often referred to by the name Eochaid / Eochu Bres. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin. Name ''Eochu Bres'' has been translated as "beautiful ho ...

, the Fomorians go to war against the Tuath Dé. Balor appears as champion of the Fomorians and king of the Isles (the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebri ...

), while Indech mac De was the Fomorian king; the two of them leading the Fomorian army. Balor built for Bres the fort of Rath Breisi in Connacht, according to the rath-builder list. In the ensuing battle, the second Battle of Mag Tuired, Balor kills the Tuath Dé king

Nuada Airgetlám In Irish mythology, Nuada or Nuadu (modern spelling: Nuadha), known by the epithet Airgetlám (Airgeadlámh, meaning "silver hand/arm"), was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is also called Nechtan, Nuadu Necht and Elcmar, and is t ...

, but Balor is himself killed by his own grandson

before he had a chance to use his destructive eye. Balor's eye wreaked destruction when opened, unleashing some "power of poison", but it took the strength of four warriors to lift the eyelid, by grabbing the ring (handle) attached to it. Lugh shot a

sling sling may refer to: Places * Sling, Anglesey, Wales * Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean People with the name * Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary Arts, entertainment, and media ...

-stone ( sga, cloch as a tábaill, "stone from the sling") at the eye, which came out the other side and harmed the Fomorian army. Balor's falling body crushed 27 Fomorian soldiers, and his head struck their king Indech. Though not stated outright, the supposition is that Balor here is a "one-eyed giant". In one account of the battle, Lugh also killed a Fomorian leader named Goll (meaning "one-eyed"), who may be a duplication of Balor.Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Fionn Mac Cumhaill: Images of the Gaelic Hero''. Gill & MacMillan, 1988. pp. 10-11 The ''CMT'' says that Balor's eye gained its baleful power from exposure to the fumes from the

magic potion A potion () is a liquid "that contains medicine, poison, or something that is supposed to have magic powers.” It derives from the Latin word ''potus'' which referred to a drink or drinking. The term philtre is also used, often specifically ...

his father's druids were brewing. O'Curry tantalizingly stated he was in possession of a manuscript with an alternate explanation on how Balor got his power, but does not elaborate due to lack of space. Another description of Balor's death, dating from at least the 12th century, says he survived the loss of his eye and was chased by Lugh to Mizen Head. Lugh beheads Balor and sets the head on a large rock, which then shatters. This is said to be the origin of the headland's Irish name, ''Carn Uí Néit'' ("

cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehi ...

of Nét's grandson").

Folktale

In folklore collected during the 19th century, Balor is a warrior or tyrant who is generally said to live on

Tory Island Tory Island, or simply Tory (officially known by its Irish name ''Toraigh''),Toraigh/Tory Island

Eithne), in a tower to keep her from becoming pregnant. Balor goes to the mainland and steals the magical cow of abundance

Glas Gaibhnenn Glas Gaibhnenn ( ga, Glas Gaibhnenn, Glas Ghaibhleann; Hiberno-English: Glas Gaivlen; Gloss Gavlen: pronunciation guide:/glas-gav-e-lan/;), in Irish folklore, is a prized fabulous cow of bounty (fertility) that yields profuse quantities of milk. ...

belonging to MacKineely (

Cian In Irish mythology, Cian or Cían (), nicknamed Scal Balb, was the son of Dian Cecht, the physician of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and best known as the father of Lugh Lamhfada. Cían's brothers were Cu, Cethen, and Miach. Cían was slain by the S ...

mac Cáinte) MacKineely/Cian learns he can only get the cow back when Balor is dead, and with the help of his female

familiar spirit In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (sometimes referred to as familiar spirits) were believed to be supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic. According to ...

('' leanan sídhe'') named Biróg, enters the tower, finds Ethnea and impregnates her. When she gives birth to three sons, Balor orders the three to be drowned, but one survives without Balor's knowledge. The grandson is fostered by the smith who is his uncle Balor eventually encounters his grandson by chance and is killed by him. The unnamed grandson in the tale is recognizable as

. In "Balor on Tory Island" and its variant, the child is called Lui Lavada (Lui Longhand), and is recognized as an equivalent of Lugh. In the very similar Irish text "Balor agus Mac Cionnfhaolaidh", the child is Lugh Fadlámhach, i.e., "Lugh the long-armed". In another variant, the child is called Dul Dauna, which has been explained as a corruption of ''Ildanach'' "master of all knowledge", Lugh's nickname. The weapon used against Balor by his grandson may be a red-hot heated iron rod, or a special red spear crafted by the smith Gaivnin Gow, the latter being of special interest to A. C. L. Brown who tries to establish connection to Arthurian lore.

Balor's eye

"Balor himself may have one, two or three eyes, one of which is poisonous, incendiary, or otherwise malignant; he may have two eyes in front, one each in front and back, an extra eye in the middle of his forehead. Lugh always puts the evil eye out", as summarized by Mark Scowcroft. In O'Donovan's version of the folktale above, Balor has one eye in the middle of the forehead, and a deadly eye on the back of his head. It is described as both venomous, and issuing some sort of petrifying beam with powers like unto a

basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the '' Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyre ...

. O'Curry deplored the dissemination of such a "peasantry" version, assisted by O'Donovan printing it. This second eye in the back does not preclude comparison with the one-eyed

of Greek myth. In "Balor on Tory Island", Balor covers the eye in the middle of his forehead with nine leather shields, but Lugh (Lui Lavada "the Longhand") sends a red spear crafted by Gavidin Gow through all the layers. It may be that this forehead eye should be interpreted as an "extra eye in the middle of his forehead" (one of three) as Scowcroft puts it, otherwise Balor would be rendered blind most of the time. But Scowcroft does not specify the work to which he is alluding. Balor is explicitly three-eyed in a version published by William Hamilton Maxwell. But another version of the folktale (from

County Mayo County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the yew trees") is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Counci ...

) says that Balor was one-eyed, yet it was usually covered: "He had a single eye in his forehead, a venomous fiery eye. There were always seven coverings over this eye. One by one Balar removed the coverings. With the first covering the bracken began to wither, with the second the grass became copper-coloured, with the third the woods and timber began to heat, with the fourth smoke came from the trees, with the fifth everything grew red, with the sixth it sparked. With the seventh, they were all set on fire, and the whole countryside was ablaze!"

Severed head and lake origin tales

According to a lay in '' Duanaire Finn'', after he was slain, Balor's severed head was set in the fork of an oak, and the tree which absorbed the venom became the timber-wood made into the shield of

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...

. In "Balor on Tory Island" and the Irish text close to it, Lui Lavada (or Lugh) sets Balor's head on a rock, and a lake forms from the dripping pool of liquid. The Irish text does not specify location, but Curtin's tale in English names

Gweedore Gweedore ( ; officially known by its Irish language name, ) is an Irish-speaking district and parish located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal in the north-west of Ireland. Gweedore stretches some from Glasserchoo in the north to Croll ...

Loch (in County Donegal, local to the storyteller). According to folklore from

County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...

, Balor was said to have a glass through which he would look to destroy a person with his eye. He used the glass to burn and wither all of the plants at

Moytura ''Cath Maige Tuired'' (modern spelling: ''Cath Maighe Tuireadh''; ) is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology. It refers to two separate battles in Connacht: the first in the territory of Conmhaícne Cúile Tu ...

, which prompted a hero to ask how he did this. Balor, being duped by the trick, removed the glass from his eye long enough for the hero to put the eye out. The blood running from Balor's eye created a lake called ''Suil Balra'' or ''Lochan na Súil'' (Lough Nasool, "lake of the eye"), near Ballindoon Abbey.

Localization of the legend

The placing of Balor's stronghold on Tory Island derives from the medieval literature, which places the Fomorians' stronghold there. On Tory Island there are geological features called ''Dún Bhalair'' ("Balor's fortress") and ''Túr Bhalair'' ("Balor's tower"), and a tall rock formation called ''Tór Mór'' ("great tower"). Although the Tory Island version of the folktale printed by O'Donovan was influential, this may have misled the public with the impression that "Tory has almost a monopoly of Balor traditions", so argues Henry Morris. O'Donovan said that Balor was remembered "throughout Ireland". The Balor tales involving the magic cow were also being told plentifully elsewhere, particularly "South of Ulster". Morris stated he had collected "remnants" in Farney, Monaghan c. 1900, and that these versions connected Balor and the cow Glasgaivlen with places as far afield as "south

Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...

Rockabill Island Rockabill () is a group of two islands, "The Rock" and "The Bill", lying in the western Irish Sea about 6 kilometres east-north-east of Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. An alternative Irish name, ''Carraig Dhá Bheola'', meaning ''Two Li ...

off the coast of Dublin".

Interpretations

Some have interpreted Balor as symbolizing a solar deity of the old year, struggling with the solar god of the new year, namely Lugh. Folklorist

Alexander Haggerty Krappe Alexander Haggerty Krappe (6 July 1894 – 30 November 1947) was a folklorist and writer. Along with Francis Peabody Magoun, he was the first translator of folktales collected by the Brothers Grimm into the English language. He was also a linguis ...

subscribed to this notion. He suggests that the myth and others like it could be metaphors for yearly cycles of growth, death, and re-growth. Krappe hypothesized that the myth is of ancient origin, with Balor representing winter and the old year, confining the woman who represents the fertile earth. Dáithí Ó hÓgáin interprets Balor as personifying the harmful aspects of the sun, such as the scorching sun that would bring crop failure and drought. He speculates that the imagery of Balor is a conflation of a Bronze Age Celtic sun god with the Greek

. Both Ó hÓgáin and

Máire MacNeill Máire MacNeill (7 December 1904 – 15 May 1987) was an Irish journalist, folklorist and translator. She is best known for her magisterial study of the Irish harvest festival, ''The Festival of Lughnasa'' (1962, 1983). Biography She was ...

believe that Lugh's slaying of Balor was originally a harvest myth associated with the festival of

Lughnasa Lughnasadh or Lughnasa ( , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. In Modern Irish it is called , in gd, Lùnastal, and in gv, ...

and the later tale of

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints b ...

overcoming

Crom Dubh Crom Dubh (, ; meaning "black crooked ne; also ''Crum Dubh'', ''Dark Crom'') is a mythological and folkloric figure of Ireland, based on the god ''Crom Cruach'', mentioned in the 12th-century '' dinnseanchas'' of Magh Slécht. Folklore Conf ...

. Ó hÓgáin also believes that the hero Fionn's conflict with figures named Goll (meaning "one-eyed"), Áed (meaning "fire") and Aillen (the burner) stems from Lugh's conflict with Balor.

Parallels

The parallel between Balor and

from

Welsh mythology Welsh mythology (Welsh: ''Mytholeg Cymru'') consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of the predominantly oral societies Celti ...

has been noted by several commentators, but for different reasons. Each is a giant whose eyelid takes several men to lift (using a ring handle vs. lifting with forks); each has a spear cast at him and loses an eye; and each is unwilling to give away his daughter to the bridal-quester. Since the mid-19th century, Balor has been likened to figures from

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

, especially the

. James O'Laverty noted the parallel with

Acrisius In Greek mythology, Acrisius (; Ancient Greek: Ἀκρίσιος means 'ill-judgment') was a king of Argos. He was the grandfather of the famous Greek demi-god Perseus. Family Acrisius was the son of Abas and Aglaea (or Ocalea, depending on ...

, the King of Argos who was fated to be killed by his grandson, the hero

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus ( /ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs/; Greek: Περσεύς, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer ...

. This parallel has been pursued at length by others. O'Laverty also ventured that the name "Balor" may be linked to the name of the Greek hero

Bellerophon Bellerophon (; Ancient Greek: Βελλεροφῶν) or Bellerophontes (), born as Hipponous, was a hero of Greek mythology. He was "the greatest hero and slayer of monsters, alongside Cadmus and Perseus, before the days of Heracles", and h ...

. Arbois de Jubainville argued that the name "Bellerophon" means "slayer of Belleros" and that this is another name for the

Chimera Chimera, Chimaera, or Chimaira (Greek for " she-goat") originally referred to: * Chimera (mythology), a fire-breathing monster of Ancient Lycia said to combine parts from multiple animals * Mount Chimaera, a fire-spewing region of Lycia or Cilici ...

. He asserts that both the Chimera and Balor are monsters that spew flame or thunderbolts. However, de Jubainville (and others) also seized on another comparison: between Balor and Argos the many-eyed watchman of the white cow Io. Since the destroyer of the former is Lugh, and of the latter is

Hermes Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orat ...

, this neatly fits into the framework of identifying the Celtic Hermes with Lugh. Krappe lists six elements that are found in other myths: the prophecy of being slain by his own descendant; the precaution of locking the daughter in a tower; the seduction of the daughter by a stranger, who needs to use magic to gain access; the birth of a boy and the attempt to drown him; the fostering of the boy, and the fulfillment of the prophecy by the boy killing his grandparent. Krappe drew parallel between Balor with the supposed Serbian ''vy'' mentioned by W. R. S. Ralston, but unfortunately Krappe misreads Ralston and utterly confounds this "vy" with what is actually the "Aged One" character (or "old, old man", the witch's husband) in the Russian '' skazka'' ''Ivan Bykovich'' ("Ivan the Bull's Son"). In actuality, the heavy eyelid/eyebrow motif occurs in ''Ivan Bykovich'', but not specifically ascribed to the ''vy'' by Ralston. Parallels have also been noted in the etymologies and mythic structures between Lugh's slaying of Balor and Loki's slaying of

Baldr Baldr (also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, Baldr (Old Norse: ) is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was ...

with additional etymological parallels noted between the theonyms

Belenus Belenus (Gaulish: ''Belenos'', ''Belinos'') is an ancient Celtic healing god. The cult of Belenus stretched from the Italian Peninsula to the British Isles, with a main sanctuary located at Aquileia, on the Adriatic coast. Through ''interpretati ...

and Belin (Slovenian deity).

Depictions in popular culture

''Space:1999''

In the Space:1999 episode End of Eternity written by Irish script writer Johnny Byrne, the immortal psychopath is called Balor.

''Assassin's Creed Valhalla''

Balor was depicted in the downloadable content of the video game, ''

Assassin's Creed Valhalla ''Assassin's Creed Valhalla'' is a 2020 action role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the twelfth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series, and the successor to 2018's ''Assassin's Cre ...

'', wherein the DLC content was known as the Wrath of the Druids and was set in

Medieval Ireland Ireland in the Middle Ages may refer to: *History of Ireland (400–800), Ireland in the early Middle Ages *History of Ireland (800–1169), Ireland in the high Middle Ages *History of Ireland (1169–1536), Ireland in the late Middle Ages See al ...

. At the end of the DLC the main character, Eivor travels to meet a druid and inhales a hallucinogenic substance that transports Eivor to a mythical realm of fire, in which Balor exists. Eivor must defeat Balor to complete the section of the DLC and is awarded with the spear of Celtic myth known as Gae Bolg.

''The Seven Deadly Sins''

In the manga "The Seven Deadly Sins" by

Nakaba Suzuki is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his fantasy series ''The Seven Deadly Sins'' (2012–2020), which has over 37 million copies in circulation. He began a sequel, '' Four Knights of the Apocalypse'', in 2021. Life and career The fi ...

and its anime adaptation Balor (also called Dolor and Drol in different translations) is a four-armed giant with a single eye that has magical properties. While not being a demon himself, Balor in "The Seven Deadly Sins" is a part of an elite force of the Demon Clan. There is also "The Eye of Balor" - an artifact that allows its holder to see other creatures' power levels.

''Underrail''

In the 2015 game Underrail, Balor appears as a boss leading a group of bandits in Lower Underrail. A red cybernetic eye can be recovered from his inventory and returned to the nearby police chief to complete a quest.

Explanatory notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

{{Celtic mythology (Mythological) Fantasy creatures Fomorians Irish gods Legendary Irish kings Evil deities