gods is that they are found in Ireland before the coming of the early colonist Partholan.  They were the gods of the pre-Celtic folk—­Firbolgs, Fir Domnann, and Galioin[186]—­all of them in Ireland before the Tuatha De Danaan arrived, and all of them regarded as slaves, spoken of with the utmost contempt.  Another possibility, however, ought to be considered.  As the Celtic gods were local in character, and as groups of tribes would frequently be hostile to other groups, the Fomorians may have been local gods of a group at enmity with another group, worshipping the Tuatha De Danaan.

The strife of Fomorians and Tuatha De Danann suggests the dualism of all nature religions.  Demons or giants or monsters strive with gods in Hindu, Greek, and Teutonic mythology, and in Persia the primitive dualism of beneficent and hurtful powers of nature became an ethical dualism—­the eternal opposition of good and evil.  The sun is vanquished by cloud and storm, but shines forth again in vigour.  Vegetation dies, but undergoes a yearly renewal.  So in myth the immortal gods are wounded and slain in strife.  But we must not push too far the analogy of the apparent strife of the elements and the wars of the gods.  The one suggested the other, especially where the gods were elemental powers.  But myth-making man easily developed the suggestion; gods were like men and “could never get eneuch o’ fechtin’.”  The Celts knew of divine combats before their arrival in Ireland, and their own hostile powers were easily assimilated to the hostile gods of the aborigines.

The principal Fomorians are described as kings.  Elatha was son of Net, described by Cormac as “a battle god of the heathen Gael,” i.e. he is one of the Tuatha De Danann, and has as wives two war-goddesses, Badb and Nemaind.[187] Thus he resembles the Fomorian Tethra whose wife is a badb or “battle-crow,” preying on the slain.[188] Elatha’s name, connected with words meaning “knowledge,” suggests that he was an aboriginal culture-god.[189] In the genealogies, Fomorians and Tuatha De Danann are inextricably mingled.  Bres’s temporary position as king of the Tuatha Dea may reflect some myth of the occasional supremacy of the powers of blight.  Want and niggardliness characterise his reign, and after his defeat a better state of things prevails.  Bres’s consort was Brigit, and their son Ruadan, sent to spy on the Tuatha De Danann, was slain.  His mother’s wailing for him was the first mourning wail ever heard in Erin.[190] Another god, Indech, was son of Dea Domnu, a Fomorian goddess of the deep, i.e. of the underworld and probably also of fertility, who may hold a position among the Fomorians similar to that of Danu among the Tuatha De Danann.  Indech was slain by Ogma, who himself died of wounds received from his adversary.