Thank you so much for that, made my day. Just don't listen to my earlier videos (my pronunciation was absolute garbage 😭). I've been studying the language and working on it
Great video buddy, Balor is a fascinating chieftain of the formidable Fomorians indeed. Really enjoyed this video fair play go raibh maith agat for sharing.👁🌅☘️
this is great content , you have a way of telling about you . Balor of the Evil eye is the brother of An Dagda more , our ancestors realised for every dark , there is a light , as Sun follows moon . be safe from Dublin
Love learning more about my lands history and legends. Tho ngl I thought the fomorians were the original Irish or precursor’s as remember reading that some Greeks came years before the fir bolgs and that they came about due to being the personification of the weather/ the wrath of nature of the world and fought against those who’d come to usurp/destroy the land
Lugh's prophecy has a lot of paralels with Fereydùn's prophecy from the persian Shahname, including the Cow, and the one who helps Fereydun is blacksmith called Kave, similar to Cian. I wonder if there is any link between them
I somehow always had the theory Balor may have been based on the celtic Gods Belenos or Belatucadros, but it seems i was probably wrong, there heve been very convincing theories Balor comes frommold Celtic Baleros or Boleros. His welsh equivalent Yspadadden may come from a name Spadonios. Too bad i really liked my theory. Too bad, the genealogy would have worked.Lugh is the son of Eithlinn and grandson of Balor, Llew is the son of Arianrhod and grandson of Beli. Beli = Belenos. I still enjoy the idea.
Many celtic coins are based on greek coins showing the head of Apollo. One of the celtic deities equated to apollo was Belenos. Gaulish coins showing a head with a very large eye could very well depict Belenos, they could be understood as a single-eyed god maybe, i think some of them could very well illustrate our ideas of Balor, as could certain gallo-roman cyclops-masks.
@@Aurora2097Absolutely, Balor was the dark equivalent. Balor is the Yin to the Yang. Also saw some where the Romans , some Romans venerated the deity Belenos.
What do you think about the theory that connects celtic and Germanic gods. That Vanir are the Germano-Norse perception of Celtic gods and Femorians are Celtic perception of Northern raiders, be it Anglo-Saxon or later Viking?
Hi. Another great video. A few thoughts. #1, I kept wondering "what is a god?" when watching the video? Is it a force of nature/ superhuman that respond to prayer (e.g., Poseidon)? If so, we might never know if Balor, etc. was a god since we wouldn't know if he was worshipped (as the ancient written sources by the Irish Christian monks avoid the topic of worship). #2, I've read somewhere (?can't recall) that Balor may have been a representation of the harshness of the summer sun that could wither crops in a drought, start fires, etc. I love this idea but don't think there's much evidence for this. And #3, what do you think (re. Balor's godliness)? Thanks again!
I used Copilot Designer (the Microsoft one). Probably went a little overboard. I'm actually rethinking using AI at all anymore...my last video (on Celtic Otherworlds) is completely AI-free. Ditto my next video (on Celtic sacred trees, which is coming out in a few days)
I kinda prefer Lugh killing Balor with a spear since he was known as The Long Arm & using a sling is just too David & Goliath for me. It's interesting how many myths there are about a father getting a prophecy that his son or grandson will overthrow/kill him & that action of trying to avoid fate actually sets things in motion. Greek mythology has several & someone in the comments mentioned a similar story from Persian mythology. Lugh's story has some parallels to that of Perseus (whose mother was the mortal Danae, father was Zeus because all Greek heroes must be demigods ) In both Greek & Norse myth Fate plays a big part & both cultures have goddesses that determine a person's fate. Does Irish or Celtic myth have something similar to the Moirai or Norns?
As far as I've heard Lugh struck Balor in the eye with a rock, some kind of a sanctified rock of different matter. Very much like David and Goliath story. Though I'm not sure which one came first. Lugh shot the rock from a sling so hard it went through Balor's eye and out back of his skull.
I tend to annoy my mythological loving friends by swapping every second time how I pronounce his name. Now, as a native Irish Man whose grown up with the tales, and has spend a lot of time reading different people's takes from Lady Gregory to even some parts of the Dolmens of Ireland, which includes passages to Irish Myths. Especially a theory equating Lugh to Loki, which is a odd one but still is discussed by the text. Written early 1900s. It was based mostly on the nature of Lugh as a trickster, where he didn't fight and defeat Balor by overpowering him but by outsmarting him. I do think Balor was a God. Much in the same way that TItans could and have been considered Gods in Greek Mythology. (Helios is worshipped into Roman times, till Phobos/Apollo over takes him as a solar deity)Balor's exact place is eroded compared to the Titans of course by whom took the tales down, you know how that came to be, so what place of Worship outside of his threat to the heroic God that vanquished him, I wouldn't know. This means we have nothing on what place he takes, unlike Cronos's Harvest/Seasons connection. Though on the Ugly-ness trait of TItans and Fomari, that's not really true with all of them as a rule. Certainly with a few of them. But Etaine, Lugh's mother, was noted a beautiful woman. And Bres, who shares half-fomari origins with Lugh, was noted as beautiful as his defining feature. Much like Prometheus and Helios are depicted as handsome in Greek Works. Etaine and Cian's relationship also should be noted as predating that myth of CIan's inclusion of Glas Gaibhne. Where originally it was actually a work between the Fomari and the Tuathe for undisclosed reasons.By which, I'm saying that Balor was behind the marriage between the two. Cian's actions in the myth aren't set in stone. With sometimes he just sleeps with Etaine and works off, something that goes against the Book of Invasions genealogy where they're man and wife, sometimes he's trapped on the IReland till the Cow is returned, in which case that includes his death. As the cow would never leave as long as he lived. Personally, I do take Lady Gregory's tale as my preferred. As it's just the most interesting dedication of events. Balor's shapeshifting and trickster elements are interesting, as usually he ends up being treated as a brute without thought. Where him taking the form of a boy, that shows indirect thinking. Leaving this comment with a bit of confusion of the immortal comment though. Pagan gods aren't immortal, what they do can be, but themselves. The Titans are killed, baring the numerous exceptions such as Rhea, Gaia, Prometheus, Atlas, Helios and so on. Fomari on the otherside, rarely show up after their defeat. I think once or so in a Tale with Cu Chulaiin? One about Fomari woman and a sea creature. I really like your channel. I've always had a love about Irish Myth, a slight obsession, and Balor has far too much to talk about, with different variations and the like to discuss to fit in a RUclips comment. So a small video on him is great to see. Finally, I know several writers do, but I don't personally take Balor as a Cyclops, but a tri-clops. I don't think the tale of the druid and gas is more than trying to de-deify Balor as a being. Making his eye less divine, more "evil magic', work of the devil I guess?
Baal was first a pagan god of the ancient Semitic peoples. Canaanites to Phoenicians, he was a storm god. A god of the rains. He became any enemy of Yahweh, when it's said Yahweh became jealous of his people worshipping Baal. Baal was not any kind of dark god. Until he was demonised later. And demonised unjustly if you follow the history of it. Only in Christian demonology is Baal one of the seven princes of hell. He is not Saran himself. Even in true Christian belief.
I don't know of any story involving Odin with a massive eye in the center of his head that he uses to destroy wide swathes of earth. The most likely origin is... the sun. A single eye that can destroy crops in stages as "coverings"(clouds) are removed. The "shining one" Where does the sun come from? It rises out of the ocean. The climate in Ireland experiences frequent clouds and rain, so you can imagine a long streak of days with an uncovered sun would first wither the grass, then turn the fields copper, etc... Ireland is one of two places on the planet with people so sun-deprived that their hair color and eye color is radically different than 98% of the rest of the planet. You have to think of these tales as a progression of exaggerating over centuries, instead of a distinct being. Once the concept of a "giant eye coming out of the sea that withers crops" exists, then it follows that the eye must belong to something. Now you have a humanoid entity. But where are the other eyes? Humanoids have two of them, so this must be a third massive eye. At that point, wither is exaggerated to "nuclear fire" over the course of generations. Rising from the sea must mean that it lives in the sea, and there must be other creatures there that follow this massive monster. It's all quite logical if you only know what they knew.
I've read something similar, that the Fomorians were originally depicted as sub-surface gods/ monsters but after the Viking invasions in the 8th C CE/ AD, the Fomorians were more often depicted as sub-sea monsters.
Why though? There's a rich vein of mythology here, and the Norse only started raiding Ireland well past Ireland being christianised. I mean, one of the most tempting things to the Norse was all the coastal monasteries with rich hoards to plunder. So no, it's deeply implausible that Norse mythology had any impact of that kind on Irish mythology.
Nice idea. But i think Balor is older than the viking-invasions in Ireland. But still fascinating thought, the one-eyed god of the Norse could be understood as the one-eyed enemy of the irish gods.
I love this channel because you're the only american channel who accurately describes irish myths (and your pronunciation is pretty decent too)
Thank you so much for that, made my day. Just don't listen to my earlier videos (my pronunciation was absolute garbage 😭). I've been studying the language and working on it
Great video buddy, Balor is a fascinating chieftain of the formidable Fomorians indeed. Really enjoyed this video fair play go raibh maith agat for sharing.👁🌅☘️
this is great content , you have a way of telling about you .
Balor of the Evil eye is the brother of An Dagda more ,
our ancestors realised
for every dark , there is a light , as Sun follows moon .
be safe from Dublin
Love learning more about my lands history and legends. Tho ngl I thought the fomorians were the original Irish or precursor’s as remember reading that some Greeks came years before the fir bolgs and that they came about due to being the personification of the weather/ the wrath of nature of the world and fought against those who’d come to usurp/destroy the land
What do you think about myths of cyclopean creatures just being the ancient peoples way of trying to explain what mammoth skulls were?
Lugh's prophecy has a lot of paralels with Fereydùn's prophecy from the persian Shahname, including the Cow, and the one who helps Fereydun is blacksmith called Kave, similar to Cian.
I wonder if there is any link between them
Persian and Celtic both derive from Indo-European , so perhaps
I somehow always had the theory Balor may have been based on the celtic Gods Belenos or Belatucadros, but it seems i was probably wrong, there heve been very convincing theories Balor comes frommold Celtic Baleros or Boleros. His welsh equivalent Yspadadden may come from a name Spadonios.
Too bad i really liked my theory. Too bad, the genealogy would have worked.Lugh is the son of Eithlinn and grandson of Balor, Llew is the son of Arianrhod and grandson of Beli. Beli = Belenos.
I still enjoy the idea.
Also Belenus was the god of healing eye afflictions... would fit so well with one-eyed Balor being his dark and destructive form.
Many celtic coins are based on greek coins showing the head of Apollo. One of the celtic deities equated to apollo was Belenos. Gaulish coins showing a head with a very large eye could very well depict Belenos, they could be understood as a single-eyed god maybe, i think some of them could very well illustrate our ideas of Balor, as could certain gallo-roman cyclops-masks.
@@Aurora2097Absolutely, Balor was the dark equivalent. Balor is the Yin to the Yang.
Also saw some where the Romans , some Romans venerated the deity Belenos.
Nice research
Thank you!
Good stuff 😎👁️
What do you think about the theory that connects celtic and Germanic gods.
That Vanir are the Germano-Norse perception of Celtic gods and Femorians are Celtic perception of Northern raiders, be it Anglo-Saxon or later Viking?
Hi. Another great video. A few thoughts. #1, I kept wondering "what is a god?" when watching the video? Is it a force of nature/ superhuman that respond to prayer (e.g., Poseidon)? If so, we might never know if Balor, etc. was a god since we wouldn't know if he was worshipped (as the ancient written sources by the Irish Christian monks avoid the topic of worship). #2, I've read somewhere (?can't recall) that Balor may have been a representation of the harshness of the summer sun that could wither crops in a drought, start fires, etc. I love this idea but don't think there's much evidence for this. And #3, what do you think (re. Balor's godliness)? Thanks again!
You really went to town with the Cyclopean artwork, very amusing :)
Hi, how do you generate your images?
I used Copilot Designer (the Microsoft one). Probably went a little overboard. I'm actually rethinking using AI at all anymore...my last video (on Celtic Otherworlds) is completely AI-free. Ditto my next video (on Celtic sacred trees, which is coming out in a few days)
I kinda prefer Lugh killing Balor with a spear since he was known as The Long Arm & using a sling is just too David & Goliath for me. It's interesting how many myths there are about a father getting a prophecy that his son or grandson will overthrow/kill him & that action of trying to avoid fate actually sets things in motion. Greek mythology has several & someone in the comments mentioned a similar story from Persian mythology. Lugh's story has some parallels to that of Perseus (whose mother was the mortal Danae, father was Zeus because all Greek heroes must be demigods ) In both Greek & Norse myth Fate plays a big part & both cultures have goddesses that determine a person's fate. Does Irish or Celtic myth have something similar to the Moirai or Norns?
As far as I've heard Lugh struck Balor in the eye with a rock, some kind of a sanctified rock of different matter.
Very much like David and Goliath story. Though I'm not sure which one came first. Lugh shot the rock from a sling so hard it went through Balor's eye and out back of his skull.
I tend to annoy my mythological loving friends by swapping every second time how I pronounce his name.
Now, as a native Irish Man whose grown up with the tales, and has spend a lot of time reading different people's takes from Lady Gregory to even some parts of the Dolmens of Ireland, which includes passages to Irish Myths. Especially a theory equating Lugh to Loki, which is a odd one but still is discussed by the text. Written early 1900s. It was based mostly on the nature of Lugh as a trickster, where he didn't fight and defeat Balor by overpowering him but by outsmarting him.
I do think Balor was a God. Much in the same way that TItans could and have been considered Gods in Greek Mythology. (Helios is worshipped into Roman times, till Phobos/Apollo over takes him as a solar deity)Balor's exact place is eroded compared to the Titans of course by whom took the tales down, you know how that came to be, so what place of Worship outside of his threat to the heroic God that vanquished him, I wouldn't know. This means we have nothing on what place he takes, unlike Cronos's Harvest/Seasons connection.
Though on the Ugly-ness trait of TItans and Fomari, that's not really true with all of them as a rule. Certainly with a few of them.
But Etaine, Lugh's mother, was noted a beautiful woman. And Bres, who shares half-fomari origins with Lugh, was noted as beautiful as his defining feature. Much like Prometheus and Helios are depicted as handsome in Greek Works.
Etaine and Cian's relationship also should be noted as predating that myth of CIan's inclusion of Glas Gaibhne. Where originally it was actually a work between the Fomari and the Tuathe for undisclosed reasons.By which, I'm saying that Balor was behind the marriage between the two.
Cian's actions in the myth aren't set in stone. With sometimes he just sleeps with Etaine and works off, something that goes against the Book of Invasions genealogy where they're man and wife, sometimes he's trapped on the IReland till the Cow is returned, in which case that includes his death. As the cow would never leave as long as he lived.
Personally, I do take Lady Gregory's tale as my preferred. As it's just the most interesting dedication of events. Balor's shapeshifting and trickster elements are interesting, as usually he ends up being treated as a brute without thought.
Where him taking the form of a boy, that shows indirect thinking.
Leaving this comment with a bit of confusion of the immortal comment though. Pagan gods aren't immortal, what they do can be, but themselves. The Titans are killed, baring the numerous exceptions such as Rhea, Gaia, Prometheus, Atlas, Helios and so on.
Fomari on the otherside, rarely show up after their defeat. I think once or so in a Tale with Cu Chulaiin? One about Fomari woman and a sea creature.
I really like your channel. I've always had a love about Irish Myth, a slight obsession, and Balor has far too much to talk about, with different variations and the like to discuss to fit in a RUclips comment. So a small video on him is great to see.
Finally, I know several writers do, but I don't personally take Balor as a Cyclops, but a tri-clops. I don't think the tale of the druid and gas is more than trying to de-deify Balor as a being. Making his eye less divine, more "evil magic', work of the devil I guess?
Who’s here from Assasin Creed Valhalla
Sounds a lot like Baal that is Satan
How so? Can you give us a link to a solid source where we can read more? Thanks!
Baal was first a pagan god of the ancient Semitic peoples. Canaanites to Phoenicians, he was a storm god. A god of the rains.
He became any enemy of Yahweh, when it's said Yahweh became jealous of his people worshipping Baal.
Baal was not any kind of dark god. Until he was demonised later.
And demonised unjustly if you follow the history of it.
Only in Christian demonology is Baal one of the seven princes of hell. He is not Saran himself. Even in true Christian belief.
What if Balor is a memory of Odin? The Formorians raided Ireland just like the Vikings. Maybe their ancestors raided Ireland in the past?
I don't know of any story involving Odin with a massive eye in the center of his head that he uses to destroy wide swathes of earth. The most likely origin is... the sun.
A single eye that can destroy crops in stages as "coverings"(clouds) are removed. The "shining one"
Where does the sun come from? It rises out of the ocean.
The climate in Ireland experiences frequent clouds and rain, so you can imagine a long streak of days with an uncovered sun would first wither the grass, then turn the fields copper, etc... Ireland is one of two places on the planet with people so sun-deprived that their hair color and eye color is radically different than 98% of the rest of the planet.
You have to think of these tales as a progression of exaggerating over centuries, instead of a distinct being. Once the concept of a "giant eye coming out of the sea that withers crops" exists, then it follows that the eye must belong to something. Now you have a humanoid entity. But where are the other eyes? Humanoids have two of them, so this must be a third massive eye. At that point, wither is exaggerated to "nuclear fire" over the course of generations. Rising from the sea must mean that it lives in the sea, and there must be other creatures there that follow this massive monster.
It's all quite logical if you only know what they knew.
I've read something similar, that the Fomorians were originally depicted as sub-surface gods/ monsters but after the Viking invasions in the 8th C CE/ AD, the Fomorians were more often depicted as sub-sea monsters.
Why though? There's a rich vein of mythology here, and the Norse only started raiding Ireland well past Ireland being christianised. I mean, one of the most tempting things to the Norse was all the coastal monasteries with rich hoards to plunder.
So no, it's deeply implausible that Norse mythology had any impact of that kind on Irish mythology.
@@talideon What about the bronze age collaspe? I would not be surprized if the Norse at that time started raiding the coast line as well.
Nice idea. But i think Balor is older than the viking-invasions in Ireland. But still fascinating thought, the one-eyed god of the Norse could be understood as the one-eyed enemy of the irish gods.