Home › Glossary › Letter B

Balor

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Fomorian tyrant with a destructive eye in his forehead; slain by his grandson Lugh during the Second Battle of Mag Tuired.

Detailed Definition
Balor’s eye, which could kill with a glance, was destroyed by Lugh in the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. He embodies tyranny and the fear of usurpation. Poets invoke Balor as a symbol of oppressive power, the cyclical overthrow of old orders, and the triumph of light (Lugh) over darkness, making him a potent metaphor for revolution.
Example
Example in poetry:
Balor is a Fomorian giant with a destructive eye that brings death; In the Second Battle of Mag Tuired, his grandson Lugh kills him with a sling-stone; Balor represents tyranny, blight, and the old order overthrown; His eye must be opened by attendants, showing dependence and vulnerability; Poets reference Balor to symbolize oppressive power and its inevitable fall; His myth parallels other Indo-European tales of cyclical renewal through violence.
Additional Notes
Balor is the Fomorian tyrant with a deadly eye that brings annihilation—a classic embodiment of oppressive, blighting force. His slaying by his grandson Lugh (with a sling-stone through the eye) is a foundational myth of cyclical renewal: the old order overthrown by the new. Students should analyze Balor as a symbol of unchecked power, colonialism, or patriarchal control. His need for servants to lift his eyelid shows dependence beneath apparent strength. Poets use Balor to explore themes of destiny, rebellion, and the hero’s confrontation with inherited trauma.
Also Known As
Balor of the Evil Eye The Fomorian Tyrant The One-Eyed Destroyer The Blighting Giant
Skip to main content