BALOR
2025
Drogheda, Ireland
Balor was a giant king of the Fomorians, resembling a cyclops, and can be considered a solar deity in his destructive aspect.
His nickname was Balor Bailcbhéimneach ("Balor, he who strikes hard"). It is thought that his name may have originally meant "the shining one", in connection with the sun.
It had a single giant eye on its forehead, usually closed and hidden by seven covers. When removed, they had devastating effects on the vegetation and landscape:
- With the first cover, the ferns began to wilt.
- With the second, the grass turned a coppery colour.
- With the third, forests and timber began to heat up.
- With the fourth, smoke came out of the trees.
- With the fifth, everything around him turned red.
- With the sixth, he caused sparks.
- With the seventh, he set fire to everything and the field went up in flames.
The magic cow Glas Ghoibhneann
Goibhniu, the blacksmith of the Tuatha Dé Danannowned a famous cow called Glas Ghoibhneanncapable of filling any vessel with rich, creamy milk. Balor desired this cow and, together with a servant, took her from the Mourne Mountains (where she grazed with her calf) to his stronghold in Wicklow.
He instructed the servant to always keep the calf in front so that the cow did not look back and did not notice she was leaving Ulster. All went well until he crossed the River Boyne: the cow looked back, saw the Mourne Mountains to the north and let out a terrible bellow. Balor, turning round, forgot to cover his eye: cow and calf were turned to stone.
These rocks are the two islands of RockabillThe site is located on the Irish Sea about 7 km off the coast of Skerries (County Dublin). Close to BaltrayOverlooking the Boyne Estuary are two menhirs from prehistoric times; the larger stone, when viewed along its axis, appears to point to Rockabill, some 23.5 km to the southeast.
Some 5,000 years ago (Neolithic), the winter solstice sun, seen from the Baltray stones, appeared to rise from the Rockabill Islands.
The story of Balor stealing the magic cow can describe the solar movement along the coast, from summer to winter, from the Mourne Mountains (north-east) to Rockabill (south-east), where the midwinter sun rises behind the islands.
Justification of the mural - Elements included
- Colours: allusions to the original meaning of Balor as "the sparkling one" and its solar association.
- Character: Balor, a cyclops-like Fomorian king with a single frontal eye.
- Background vegetation: progressive degradation according to the opening of the seven covers of the eye
(fern wilt, copper grass, forest heating, smoke, reddening, sparks and fire). - Myth: Glas Ghoibhneann and his calf; the tower where his daughter Ethniu was imprisoned.
- Mythical Ireland: Rockabill Islands, menhir and sunrise (1).
- 7 eyes: representation of the seven canopies and their effects on the landscape (2).
- Calligraphy: account of the myth and allusions to the place or mural (3).
- Symbols added: motifs found in Negrange (4).
- Valance: triquettes and their meanings (5).
