Fomhóraigh
The Demonic Otherworld Community Of Irish, Scottish and Manx Mythology
Modern form of name:
Fomhóraigh “Under-Demons (Phantoms, Monsters)”
Fomhórach “Under-Demon (Phantom, Monster)”
Derived from the following words:
Fo (faoi) “Under (Beneath, Below)”
Móraigh “Demons (Phantoms, Monsters)”
Mórach “Demon (Phantom, Monster)”
Origins
The Fomhóraigh are a race of supernatural beings that appear in monstrous or occasionally god-like form in the literature and folklore of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Drawn from the oral religious beliefs or mythology of these Celtic and Gaelic nations the early Christian scribes sought to assimilate the Fomhóraigh to the new literary and Christianised traditions they were creating in the great monastic centres of Medieval Ireland. In part this was achieved by equating the Fomhóraigh with various grotesque races drawn from the bible, particularly the misshapen offspring of the Old Testament figure Ham. However they also took some inspiration from Classical sources, the legends of the Titans and the Gigantes being the main influences (the Fomhóraigh are frequently presented in the myths as being of great stature, which is probably a mix of native and foreign traditions).
The name Fomhóraigh (the modern form of an earlier Fomhóire) is almost certainly pre-Christian in origin and is generally accepted to be a compound name with the first half derived from the Old Irish word fo (Md. Ir. faoi) “under” (here in the sense of “underneath, below”). However the second half of the name is more difficult to translate with three opposing schools of thought. The first favours a derivation from the Old Irish mur (Md. Ir. muir) “sea”, which taken with fo- gives a meaning of something like the “Undersea Ones”. In favour of this translation is the fact that it matches a similar gloss offered by some Medieval Irish scribes. The second interpretation suggests mór “great” with a number of possible translations such as the “Under Great Ones” or “Under Giants” (that would be “under” as in possibly “underground”). Later in Irish literature and folklore Fomhórach is equated with the word Fathach “Giant” (pl. Fathaigh) which gives some credence to this meaning.
However a third offering is a suggested Old Irish word mor / mór “demon, phantom” (in Modern Irish this would be rendered mórach with a plural of móraigh, though in fact the term does not now exist). This word is also thought to be found in the important female deity name Mórríon “Demon, Phantom Queen” and Fomóraigh could thus be translated as “Under-Demons, -Phantoms” (probably in the sense of “underground, below ground”). This is the meaning accepted here though others would perhaps dispute it.
The Fomhóraigh And The Tuatha Dé Danann
The earliest surviving texts in Irish literature reflect the original subterranean sense of the Fomhóraigh’s name, depicting them as dwelling beneath the surface of the earth and sea. This clearly placed them in the context of the Irish Otherworld. This was also the domain of the Gods, in the guise the Tuatha Dé Danann, and the Fomhóraigh were most frequently encountered in the mythological tradition as the Tuatha Dé’s enemies. However, one should be careful not to offer a simplistic interpretation of the rivalry between the Fomhóraigh and the Tuatha Dé Danann. Both groups interacted, intermarried and shared some names, titles and personages in common. Two extremely rare names applied to both that occurred in the very earliest texts illustrate this: Na Daoine Teathrach “The People of Teathra” and Fir Teathrach “Men (People) of Teathra”. Teathra (gs. Teathrach) was a Fomhórach who for a time ruled the Tuatha Dé in the more literary accounts of early Irish history. His name can be interpreted as a poetical one for the “Sea” and the use of it shows the complexity of Tuatha Dé and Fomhóraigh relationships.
This has led to the suggestion that the Tuatha Dé Danann and Fomhóraigh represented one pantheon of gods, and the division between both mistakenly arose out of the reinterpretations made by the Early Christian redactors when they assimilated the old pre-Christian myths to their new body of Irish literature and history. A variation of this idea argues for two broad divisions of a single community of the gods, with one (the Fomhóraigh) viewed as slightly more hostile or “demonical” than the other. Related to this is another theory stating that the differences between both sets of Otherworldly beings reflected class divisions in the community of the gods, with the aristocratic and noble classes on one hand and a commoner class on the other (so reflecting the class system of then contemporary Irish society).
However, the differences between the concept and portrayal of the “Gods” and “Under-Demons” seems to go much further than mere class, and is a more fundamental, if fluid, one. The monstrous attributes of the Fomhóraigh were always there, though exaggerated in the texts written by the Christian scribes, especially as the literature developed. It seems highly likely that they were indeed rivals to the Tuatha Dé Danann. Yet this rivalry did not prevent personal and communal interaction between both, though it is likely that some beings were erroneously ascribed to the Tuatha Dé or Fomhóraigh camps in the incorporation of the mythology into the new literary tradition, compounding the confusion found in the legends.
The association of the Fomhóraigh with the world under the sea (and lakes) may have led to the later medieval reinterpretation of their name as the “Undersea Ones (Beings, Monsters)” referred to above. This in turn was influenced by the Scandinavian (Viking) raids and invasions of Ireland and Scotland from the 9th century CE onwards, leading to the Fomhóraigh developing more aquatic associations and an overseas origin.
Related Beings
Fathach (gs. & npl. Fathaigh, gpl. Fathach) “Giant”
As stated above in later Irish myth the Fomhóraigh are often equated with the Fathaigh “Giants” and greater emphasis is placed on their prodigious size and stature. It’s probable that the Irish versions of “Giant” legends are partly derived from stories of the Fomhóraigh, though Classical influences, and in recent centuries English and Germanic fairylore, also played their part.
Bocánach (gs. & npl. Bocánaigh, gpl. Bocánach) “Goblin, demon” [alt. ver. Bocán gs. & npl. Bocáin, gpl. Bocán]
Reoccurring supernatural creatures in Irish Mythology the Bocánaigh were shrieking, airborne demons that haunted battlefields and areas of combat. They may have had a goat-like appearance or head suggesting a derivation from bocán/pocán “male goat”. In modern literature, particularly Fantasy fiction, they are sometimes equated with the Fomhóraigh though this is incorrect. They seem to have been a more elemental form of spirits closely associated with violence and violent death.
Bánánach (gs. & npl. Bánánaigh, gpl. Bánánach) “Female demon, spectre” [alt. ver. Bánán gs. & npl. Bánáin, gpl. Bánán]
Supernatural creatures, generally imagined as female demons or spectres, who also circled the skies over areas of martial contest, screaming and shrieking at those below. They usually accompany the Bocánaigh. The name itself has been interpreted several ways with suggested derivations from bean / ban “woman, wife”, ban “female-” (a prefix), bán “white, pale, fair”, etc. Though again occasionally equated with the Fomhóraigh in contemporary use this is erroneous.
Gruagach (gs. & npl. Gruagaigh, gpl. Gruagach) “Hairy goblin, brownie”
Very much a creature of Irish and Scottish folklore (and contemporary Fantasy or Children’s fiction) the Gruagaigh are hairy or shaggy supernatural beings, usually fairly inimical. Again, their sometimes hostile nature has caused a false identification with the Fomhóraigh. Their late appearance in the lore of both nations points towards an origin in the Germanic traditions of Scandinavia, England and Continental fairy-lore.
Púca (gs. Púca, pl. Púcaí) “Hobgoblin, pooka, puck”
Another being from Irish and Scottish folklore rather than the literary tradition, the Púca is a sort of shape-shifting creature that can appear in animal form (normally a horse, dog or goat) and may or may not be hostile. The origins of these legendary beings is highly debatable. Their relatively late appearance in Irish and Scottish folklore would indicate a foreign origin. This impression is reinforced by the fact that the Irish word Púca is cognate with several similar words describing very similar beings in a number of Germanic languages and so pointing to an importation from Medieval or post-Medieval Scandinavia or England (c.f. the Modern English “Puck” derived from Old English “Puca/Púcel”, Icelandic “Púki”, Norwegian “Pukje”, Frisian “Puk”). However, the Celtic family group of Welsh, Cornish and Breton all contain pooka-style words like Irish (c.f. Welsh “Pwca”) which might in fact indicate a Celtic origin for the concept which was adopted into the Germanic tradition (by English invaders in Britain and Scandinavian settlers in Scotland and Ireland). Yet again, others have suggested that the similarities of the Celtic and Germanic traditions point to a common, if extremely distant, Indo-European origin and the belief in supernatural or elemental creatures that are not quiet god-like. Though the Fomhóraigh may have had an influence on the characteristics of the Púcaí in Irish folklore it is debatable whether there is any common origin between the two.
Each Uisce (pl. Eich Uisce), Capall Uisce (pl. Capaill Uisce), Colpach (pl. Colpacha) “Water-horse, kelpie, selkie”
A supernatural creature from late Irish and Scottish folklore that normally appears in horse-like form near water (fast flowing rivers, lakes or the sea’s edge), and occasionally adopts the guise of a beautiful young woman or man. Invariably hostile they are probably related to the Púca, and again have very near equivalents in Germanic tradition. Victorian folklorists and popular writers attempted to draw a distinction between the Púcaí, Eich Uisce and other related creatures, a misunderstanding that has survived into most contemporary descriptions and classifications today, but it is clear that they share common attributes and were originally variations of the same beings. Again, though seeming quintessentially Celtic, water-horses may be of foreign origin and were only adopted into the Celtic cultures of north-western Europe at a later date since there is no explicit references to them in any of the surviving early Celtic literatures. However the existence of these elemental supernatural creatures in genuine Celtic mythology (perhaps related to the literary-found Bocánaigh above) cannot be entirely ruled out.
The Names Of The Domain Of the Demons Or The Demonic Otherworld
Insí Tuaisceartach “Northern Islands”
Túr Bhalair “Tower of Balar”
Túr Chonainn “Tower of Conann” (also appears erroneously as Túr Chonaing “Tower of Conaing”; Conang is a late adaption of an Old English name)
Má Teathrach “Plain of Teathra (the Sea)”
Lochlann “Lake Land (Land of Lakes)”
Lochlann is one of the most debated of Irish placenames, and generally refers to Scandinavia in later Irish literary and annals usage (indeed it is the modern Irish term for the Scandinavian region). It may derive from the Irish word loch “lake” and a borrowed Scandinavian word for “land”, Gaelicised as lann, lainn. Or it may be a Gaelicised version of an existing Scandinavian name for a new Viking settlement in Scotland (a hitherto unattested Lodland). This makes the name almost certainly of 10th century origin or later following the Scandinavian (Viking) incursions in Ireland and Scotland (the name may have come from Scottish sources if this particular theory is correct).
But in the earliest texts it appears as Laithlinn, Lathlinn. This can be translated variously as “Warrior(s) Pool, Lake, Sea” or “Marshy, Swampy Pool, Lake, Sea” and be a type of kenning for the ocean, and making its use older than the Scandinavian presence in the Celtic Isles. Or, again, it could be a Gaelicised version of the proposed Scandinavian territorial name above (Norse Lodland to Old Irish Lathlinn to Midddle/Modern Irish Lochlann. However it has been argued that this semantic sequence, though attractive, is linguistically untenable).
A Note On Spelling And Language
All spelling in the names and titles above are in Modern Irish, unless otherwise specified.
