Tea at Trianon: The Fomorians

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, October 1, 2023

The Fomorians

The Sidhe riding to defeat the Fomorians

From Ancient Origins:

The origins of the Fomorians are also uncertain, though many sources mention that they arrived in Ireland on ships. In some sources, they are described as having dark skin and dark hair, thus leading to the speculation that the Fomorians sailed all the way to Ireland from Africa or Asia. In other sources, the Fomorians are painted as grotesque abominations. One account, for example, depicts them as having only one eye, one leg, and one arm, whilst another portrays them as having the bodies of human beings, but with the heads of goats. It may be mentioned, however, that good-looking Fomorians may also be found in the ancient sources. One of these, for example, is Elatha, a king of the Fomorians, who was described as handsome and golden-haired. It may be added that Elatha was also different from the other Fomorians in terms of personality. Elatha is described in Irish mythology as being interested in justice. For example, when his son, Bres, wanted to go to war with the Tuatha Dé Danann, another supernatural race, Elatha refused to join him, as he reckoned that the cause for war was unjust. By contrast, other Fomorians are portrayed as warlike and blood-thirsty. In general, stories say the Fomorians took pleasure in waging war, and when they conquered other races, they would proceed to enslave them. This happened, for instance, to the Nemeds, who attempted to invade Ireland after the Fomorians. This happened as well to the Tuatha Dé Danann during the reign of Bres. The oppressive rule of this king resulted in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, during which the Tuatha Dé Danann succeeded in freeing themselves from the tyranny of Bres. (Read more.)