page_title: Balor
section_title: Folktale
hierarchical_section_title: Balor / Folktale
caption_attribution_description: English: Tormore, Tory Island This spectacular blade of rock thrusts out into the Atlantic at the north eastern corner of Tory Island and reaches almost 80 metres high.
context_page_description: In Irish mythology, Balor or Balar was a leader of the Fomorians, a group of malevolent supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. Balor takes part in the Battle of Mag Tuired, and is primarily known from the tale in which he is killed by his grandson Lugh of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He has been interpreted as a personification of the scorching sun, and has also been likened to figures from other mythologies, such as the Welsh Ysbaddaden and Greek Cyclops.
context_section_description: In one early collected and published folktale (mid-19th century) Balor is a famous warrior on Tory Island. Balor hears a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson. To avoid his fate, he locks his only daughter, Ethnea (recte Eithne), in a tower to keep her from becoming pregnant. Balor goes to Donegal across the sea, and steals the magical cow of abundance Glas Gaibhnenn belonging to
  MacKineely (recte Cian mac Cáinte) MacKineely/Cian learns he can only get the cow back when Balor is dead, and with the help of his female familiar spirit (leanan sídhe) named Biróg, enters the tower, finds Ethnea and impregnates her. Balor orders the three children born to be drowned, but one survives. The grandson is fostered by the smith who is his uncle Balor eventually encounters his grandson by chance and is killed by him.
  The unnamed grandson in the tale is recognizable as Lugh. In "Balor on Tory Island" and its variant, the child is called Lui Lavada (Lui Longhand), and are recognized as equivalents of Lugh. In the closely similar Irish text "Balor agus Mac Cionnfhaolaidh", the child is Lugh Fadlámhach, i.e., "Lugh the long-armed". In another variant, the child is called Dul Dauna, which has been explained as a corruption of Ildanach "master of all knowledge", Lugh's nickname.
  The weapon used against Balor by his grandson may be a red-hot heated iron rod, or a special red spear crafted by the smith Gaivnin Gow, the latter being of special interest to A. C. L. Brown who tries to establish connection to Arthurian lore.
caption: Tor Mór on Tory Island, the setting of some versions of Balor's folktale
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