show notes s02 e10
Irish Mythology Podcast
Lúnasa 12, 2021
Episode 20
The Tragedy of Balor and his Piercing Eye
Thank you for listening to this episode!
Here you’ll find our notes, links to research and some personal highlights from your hosts.
Welcome | fáilte
In this episode we hear about the skeletons that the Fomorian leader Balor keeps in his closet and how they may come back to haunt him.
We ask:
- Who was Balor?
- Was his eye really evil?
- What part did he play in the birth of Lugh?
- What place lore is associated with him?
- Is Enniskillen named after his wife?
- How is he represented in pop culture?
Balor, a giant who lives in an invisible tower, commands one of the most fearsome armies that has ever been. He is prosperous, respected and feared, but there is something in his past that torments him.
When Bres and the druid Lobais return to Balor’s island stronghold from mainland Ireland reporting the rise of a new hero, the skeletons in his closet grow new flesh.
Starring: Balor, Bres, Lobais the Druid, Cethlenn.
Also featuring: Lugh, Cian
We talk Balor, his supposedly evil eye, place lore, prophecy, sleep paralysis, Assasin’s Creed Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids, the 90’s Balor PC RPG, Sauron in Lord of the Rings, Finn Balor in the WWE, and American Gods
A cautionary tale on why you should never let prophecy dictate your actions.
Resources
- The Second Battle of Moytura Sect 133 in middle Irish, Stokes Translation, Gray Translation.
- Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language entry on milldagach.
- Gods and Fighting Men, Lady Augusta Gregory.
- The Fate of the Sons of Turenn
- Eivor fights Balor in AC Valhalla (Spoilers)
- Walk through of the 1995 PC game, Celtic Tales, Balor of the Evil Eye
- American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Book and TV Show).
- The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien.
credits
Written, presented and produced by Marcas Ó hUiscín and Stephanie Ní Thiarnaigh.
Music – Celtic Warrior by Damiano Baldoni (licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 public licence)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
All sounds cc licence from freesound.org
Irish Mythology Podcast 