Fir Bolg
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In Irish mythology the Fir Bolg (Fir Bholg, Firbolg) were one of the races that inhabited the island of Ireland prior to the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
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[edit] Mythology
In far antiquity the Fir Bolg were the rulers of Ireland (at the time called Ériu) immediately before the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who many interpret as the Gaelic gods. The King of the Tuatha Dé, Nuada, sued for half the island for his people, but the Fir Bolg king refused. At the ensuing Battle of Mag Tuired the Fir Bolg were all but conquered and their king slain by the goddess Morrigu, though the fierce efforts of their champion Sreng saved them from utter loss, and the Tuatha Dé were so touched by their nobility and spirit they gave them one quarter of the island as their own. They chose Connacht. After this, the Fir Bolg all but disappear from mythology.
[edit] Etymology
The origin of their name is the subject of some dispute. Many commentators consider them the "men of Builg" or "men of bags", or possibly "men with spears", from bolg meaning spear or by comparison with the modern Irish word bolg meaning 'belly' (and originally meaning 'bag'). Alternatively they may be related to the Belgae tribe, whose name meant the "shining ones" (from Proto-Celtic *belo, meaning "bright"). In Early Irish, "boillsg" meant gleam; from Proto-Celtic *bolg-s-cio-; related to Latin "fulgeo", shine, English "effulgent", Lithuanian "blizgù" and even Russian "byela" (white).
[edit] Tribes
These people arrived in Ireland in three groups, the Fir Bolg, the Fir Domnann and the Gaileanga. The Fir Bolg are likely derived from the historical Belgae, known from Gaul and Britain, and related to the historical Builg of Munster[citation needed]; the Fir Domnann are probably related to the British, Dumnonii[citation needed]; and the Gaileanga are another name for the Laigin, who founded Leinster[citation needed]. The three groups probably represent the Ivernic-speaking peoples who inhabited Ireland before the Goidelic-speaking Gaels.
Other theories have been advanced about the origin of the Fir Bolg. Some scholars have related the name of a Celtic god with the word Bolg. The Fir Bolg, according to one legend, were involved in carrying bags of earth at one point in their history, hence the "Men of Bags" interpretation. Others speculate that "Bolg" relates to a word for small boats.
One interpretation which has gained ground is drawn from the recorded histories. The Fir Bolg, according to this theory, were largely conquered by the Gaels, and thus, as a lower class in society, would have had different customs befitting a lower social status. In particular, this theory holds that "Fir Bolg" is a corruption of a term for "Breeches-Wearers", reasoning that, as manual laborers, the Fir Bolg would have found it useful to wear trousers rather than the robes and garb of the Gaels. This theory, however, remains largely speculative, and there is little hard evidence to confirm this interpretation.
The Fir Bolg were recorded as being ejected from Ireland and returning under a King named Aengus. The Fir Bolg were given, as a place of settlement, the Aran Islands and surrounding coastland (the largest of these Islands, Inishmore--Árainn--is home to a fortress allegedly related to Aengus and the Fir Bolg, Dún Aengus). This episode of history, in which the Fir Bolg come from what is assumed to be a place near modern Scotland, settle in Ireland, and then go to the Aran Islands, on Ireland's western fringe, has given rise to one interpretation of Fir Bolg origins. A Pictish invasion of Ireland is the proposition in this account, and the Aran Islands were a last refuge for this invading force.
| Preceded by Nemedians | Mythical invasions of Ireland | Succeeded by Tuatha Dé Danann |
[edit] Contemporary Culture
[edit] Games
The Fir Bolg are represented in the online game World of Warcraft as Furbolgs - furry, bearlike, hulking, feral, tribal creatures with large bellies, wielding spears.
The Fir Bolg also appear in the online game City of Heroes as grim, pumpkin-headed monsters which wreak havoc in the lore-filled town of Croatoa.
The Firbolg (note the single-word syntax) is the Gallente Fighter Drone in the MMORPG Eve Online
The Fir Bolg are a playable race within the game Dark Age of Camelot. They are represented as being a warrior race that carries spears and inhabits the mythical celtic continent of Hibernia.
The Fir Bolg were a race of bow wielding warriors in the PC game MYTH.
Firbolgs are present in Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 as a race of red-haired giants in the Monster Manual II. They aren't known for being particularly bad-tempered in this incarnation, nor are they associated with spears.
The Fir-bholg are also a type of faerie in White Wolf's World of Darkness game Changeling: the Dreaming and detailed in the sourcebook Denizens of the Dreaming. They are classed as Adhene, a group encompassing several types of Faerie that have spent hundreds of years in the Dreaming after the Shattering and returned shortly before Endless Winter, as opposed to the more commonly known Kithain who bound their souls to mortals in the Autumn World. The Fir-bholg are portrayed as beast men from ancient Ireland, fiece and respected warriors, tall and frightening with great antlers growing from their foreheads. Having previously ruled over the Dreaming and even defeating the dreaded Fomorians in time past, they have lost much of their power during their exile. All Fir-bholg have a constant hunger for a particular sort of unprepared food and will die if they do not consume it regularly, and require some sort of sacrifice (of people, animals or treasured possessions) from mortals to be able to regain the Glamour they need to survive.
The Fir Bolg lends their name to one of the factions in the Celtic-inspired miniatures wargame Celtos.
The Firbolgs are a race of mining creatures in the Orkney Islands in the InExile game The Bards Tale
Fir Bolgs are featured in the PC turn-based strategy game Dominions 3 as part of 2 nations, known in the game as Tir Na Nog and Eriu.
The Fir Bolg are featured as a highly mixed breed of monsterous creatures in the Elizabeth Hayden "Rhapsody" book series, of which a minimum of two main characters were atleast partly of this race.
[edit] Trivia
The Fir Bolg were smaller in stature than the Tuatha Dé Danann and are believed to have been gold workers.[citation needed] One theory is that this is the origin of the Irish myth of the Leprechaun, a small faerie type creature. The myth says that every leprechaun has a crock of gold which the successful captor of the leprechaun gets to keep.
[edit] External links
- History Firbolgs
- List Book
- Firbolgs From "On the Ancient Races of Ireland" by Sir William Wilde
Irish mythology: the Mythological Cycle | |
|---|---|
| Early invaders | Bith • Cessair • Fintan mac Bóchra • Nemed • Partholón • Tuan mac Cairill |
| Fir Bolg | Eochaid mac Eirc • Rudraige • Sreng • Tailtiu |
| Tuatha Dé Danann | Abhean • Aengus • Aí • Áine • Airmed • Anann • Badb • Banba • Bé Chuille • Boann • Bodb Derg • Brian • Brigid • Caer • Cian • Cliodhna • Creidhne • The Dagda • Danu • Dian Cecht • Ecne • Étaín • Ériu • Fionnuala • Flidais • Fódla • Goibniu • Lir • Luchtaine • Lug • Mac Cuill • Mac Cecht • Mac Gréine • Macha • Manannán • Miach • Midir • Morrígan • Neit • Nemain • Nuada • Ogma • Tuireann • aes sídhe (bean sídhe, leanan sídhe) |
| Four Treasures | Dagda's Cauldron • Spear Lúin • Lia Fáil • Claíomh Solais |
| Fomorians | Balor • Bres • Cethlenn • Cichol Gricenchos • Elatha • Ethniu |
| Milesians | Amergin • Breogán • Éber • Érimón • Fenius Farsa • Goídel Glas • Míl • Scota |
| Others | Birog • Bran mac Febail • Cailleach • Carman • Crom Cruach |
| part of a series on Celtic mythology | |
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