Does Anyone have any info on pre-Celtic Deities?

PaulinCork

Does Anyone have any info on pre-Celtic Deities?

Were the Fomorians indigenous God/esse/s?

Found this on the web:http://www.wicca.utvinternet.com/sites.htm

TlaghtaTlaghta


Tlaghta or The Hill of Ward is just outside of Athboy, Co. Meath. It is a twenty minute drive from our home in Ethelstown, and consists of a ring fort in a farmers field. This is a site which is often ignored, but of great historical importance. It was traditionally the site where the first Samhain fire was lit to commemorate the end of the waxing year. It is named after Tlaghta, the ancient Irish Goddess of Witchcraft. The Irish monks did their best to eradicate the memory of this Goddess from Ireland, but it was impossible to remove her memory completely. There are many similarities between Tlaghta and Aradia; both were based on historical individuals who thought against the repression of Christianity. It is said that Tlaghtas' father was a great druid, and she went with him to join Simon Magus to fight Christianity. This is actually a relatively modern myth and it is very likely that Tlaghta was one of the original pre-celtic deities of Ireland.

Sapien

Aha! The tables turneth!

As far as I'm aware, the Formorians are only mentioned the "Ancient Cycles", specifically the Leabhar Gabála Éirinn, or Book of Invasions, which tells of the succession of races that inhabited the island. They were a race of sea-demons who ruled the land since time immemorial, though the island was mostly occupied by the Firbolg, or Fir Dearga, a primitive, barbaric, twisted race. The Formori fought the godlike Tuatha de Danann who came later, and were eventually defeated by their leader, Lugh, who was also grandson of the Formorian king, the cyclops Balor.

The Tuatha de Danann eventually relinquished the island to the Milesians, a nomadic, warlike race of men who came from Spain. Obviously, it would appear that these sons of Mil represent the Celtic migration. As such, internal to the Ancient Cycles, the Formorians are pre-Celtic, but in a broader sense the whole of the Ancient Cycles are Celtic, so it would seem odd to describe any element of them as pre-Celtic. If the Formorians were to be described as such, so too should be the Tuatha de Danann, and this would clearly be wrong.

There did exist settlers on the island before the Celts, but aside from the archaeological evidence (Newgrange etc.), we know next to nothing about them or their spiritual beliefs. It is possible, however, that these pre-Celts do survive in a way, in the characters of the Firbolg. It would stand to reason that the Celts, who were quite advanced at the time, would have seen any indigenous settlers as backwards and hideous and would have incorporated a caricatured version of them into their mythos. It is further possible that the gods of these pre-Celts survive in the form of the Formorians. The relationship between these two races in the Mythological Cycle seems not unlike that between a people and their gods - the Firbolg were numerous and quite ordinary, while the Formorians were enigmatic, powerful and hidden. It seems they spent most of their time in the depths of the sea, and only emerged to enforce their sovereignty over the Firbolg or defend their ownership against the Tuatha de Danann. So, in a sense, perhaps the Formorians are the closest thing we have to indigenous, pre-Celtic deities - the forgotten Elder Gods of Ireland - dark, dormant, chthonic, and potent. Interesting idea.

Ruadan

yeah i have read legends whgere the Fomhors were identified as Gods of the Fir Bolg (if we identify the Tuatha De Dannan, and later the people who came to conquer and worship them in that most peculiar trait of Celtic myth as representing the Celts) and the Fir Bolg themselves as the pre-celtic people.

In many myths and legends the Tuatha De Dannan /Fomhor dynamic is like that of the AEsir / Joutuin [sp] or the Olympians/ titans where an older, darker set of Gods is conquered and demonised by Gods of the light. Usually this reccuring theme is put down to the conquerors fear of the conquered.

The legends aren't without historical accuracy either, historically Connacht resisted the change to celtic culture the longest, and legend speaks of the Tuatha De Dannan giving the provence to live in when they landed on the island.

(again i could be talking out my arse, or be working on out of date theories)