Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Nemedians the next wave of Mythological people to Ireland

The Nemedians were the next people to arrive in Ireland, they arrived a few years after the sad demise of the Partholanians. They were descended from Nemed a Greek King and landed in the north east after getting lost wandering the seas for a year and a half. The fleet sailed with fortyfour ships and a thousand people, but only one of the ships survived to make the journey landing with only about thirty people. 
They started to repopulate the countryside until they ran into the Fomorians, in the beginning the Nemedians won the major battles and kept their freedom. But they too were struck down with disease like the Partholians, with their numbers ravaged, the Fomorians easily seized control and were a cruel master. The Fomorians exacted huge taxes on their subjects, they required two thirds of their wheat, milk and children! This was to be paid each Samhain, this went on until the Nemedians population grew and they led a revolt on the Fomorian stronghold of Tory. 
They were victorious for a time, especially after an intense battle off the coast of Ireland, in what is known today as Bloody Foreland (Not because of the battle as some would have us believe, but because of the landscape at dawn and sunset. The Nemedians had even captured parts of the castle on the Island of Tory the Fomorian stronghold. This was until the Fomorians received reinforcements and the Nemedians were all but wiped out in a massacre. 
There were only a small number  that survived, less than one hundred these fled landing in Scotland, England and Europe, one group went as far as Greece where they were enslaved, these would later grow in number and return to Ireland as the Firbolg nearly 300 years later
Bloody Foreland daybreak

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