Crom's Persecution & Survival
Lugh, Dagda, Balor: How Crom is One God, Concealed by Many Faces?
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Why is Crom absent from Irish mythology?
Why is Crom absent from Irish mythology?
Both archaeology and history prove that the Roman Catholic Saint Patrick and his Christian cult who took over Ireland equated Crom with Satan (the devil) and the animals and crops sacrificed to him by ancient Celts as Satanic. We'll explore how Halloween got inflated with Satanism in more depth later, but for now it should be known this began with the Romans in the first century BCE, but was continued in earnest in Ireland by Saint Patrick's Catholic Cult (a cult is a small group of people who share special religious beliefs or practices about a certain figure [like a god, spirit, or saint]) who took hold around 432-461 BCE. And it was the cult they established as Christianity replaced the Celtic Druidic religion that's responsible in the monks who wrote histories down for cementing the idea that Crom was evil. But those claims weren't accurate. They are clearly Christian bias and falsehood.
Saint Patrick Drives the Snakes from Ireland: Roman (Irish) Catholics Forbid Celtic Druidism in Ireland (there are no snakes and never were in Ireland)
Saint Patrick Drives the Snakes from Ireland: Roman (Irish) Catholics Forbid Celtic Druidism in Ireland (there are no snakes and never were in Ireland)
According to tradition, St. Patrick chased Ireland's snakes into the sea. PHOTOGRAPH BY CORBIS/NATGEO
Before we talk about Crom Cruach, a powerful god worshiped by the Celts at the Killycluggin Stone Circle, we need to understand something important. Long ago, Christian leaders wanted to stop the old Celtic religion. They broke sacred statues and told people not to follow the Druid religion anymore. This is why some people today still think Samhain (the Celtic New Year) was evil—even though it wasn’t.
Roman General and Emperor Julius Caesar (yes that Julius) and Pliny the Elder wrote that Celtic priests (called Druids) and warrior leaders controlled regular people and burned their enemies alive in wicker cages, practiced human sacrifice, and kept heads and skulls of those they defeated for magical purposes, but it's clear the Romans wanted to invade and conquer Ireland for tin and grazing land. The Romans made the same claims of Christians who threatened their power.
Later, Christian writers in the Roman Empire said unfair and scary things about the Celts, like that they sacrificed people or even ate them, repeating the Roman fictions. These stories made early Christians fear and hate the Druids.
One famous Christian story says that St. Patrick chased all the snakes out of Ireland. But this didn’t really happen. Ireland never had snakes! This story is a symbol. It means St. Patrick tried to get rid of Celtic pagan beliefs. Snakes were linked to Druid magic, so Christians told stories that made Druids sound like they followed the devil.
Why did people think Druids were connected to snakes? A Roman writer named Pliny the Elder said Druids wore magical snake charms around their necks. These charms were called things like “serpent glass” or “adder stones.” People believed these stones had power because they came from big groups of snakes hissing together. Some said they were made from snake spit or venom and could only be caught during special moon times.
But in real life, these stones probably came from beaches. Scientists now know that sea clams and waves can make holes in rocks, making them look like magical stones. The Celts might have found them and used them as special charms, some of which may have been encased in glass once glass-making was understood, or looked glassy when polished.
When the Celts became Christian, many still kept their old beliefs, but in secret. Like in other places where the Catholic Church took over, people blended their old ways with the new religion. Families passed down stories and customs quietly, so even today, some parts of old Celtic religion survive because of family traditions, not church records.
Adder Stones, Druid Glass, Druid Eggs, or Serpent Eggs were worn around the neck of Druids who placed natural (polished) stones that looked like glass into these natural stones and were fabled to give their spells and incantations magickal power.
According to a very old Irish book called The Annals of the Four Masters (1636), written by a friar named Mícheál Ó Cléirigh (say it MEE-hawl oh CLAY-ree) with help from his cousin Cú Choigcríche Ó Cléirigh (say it KOO khig-KREE-ha oh CLAY-ree), Fear Feasa O’Maolchonaire (say it FAR FASS-ah oh MWAYL-hun-er-uh), and Cuchoigríche Ó Duibhgheannáin (say it KOO-khig-REE-ha oh DIV-yuh-nawn), hence “four masters," Cromm (also called Crom Cruach) was one of the oldest Celtic gods.
They also mention:
The Dagda (say it DAH-gda): the big "good god" of life and death, a giant with a magic club that can take or give life, a harp that controls weather, and a cauldron that makes endless food.
Lugh (say it LOO): the sun god and great-grandson of the Dagda. He had a bright spear and led the good gods (the Tuatha Dé Danann — say it TOO-ah-ha day DAH-nan) against the evil gods.
Balor (say it BALL-er): the leader of the evil Fomorian (sea) gods, shown as a giant with one deadly eye.
The Annals used even older sources from the 500s–600s CE, but those older books were lost to time.
Another old book, Lebor Gabála Érenn (say it LEV-er GA-baw-la AIR-en), or The Book of Invasions, compiled in the 11th Century (1000s CE/AD) tried to tell the history of Ireland. But it mixed Celtic stories with Roman, Greek, and Christian ideas. The stories were changed and added to over time, so today scholars see it more as mythology than true history. The Irish website An Sionnach Fionn (say it on SHUN-akh FIN) explains that these stories blended old Celtic beliefs with Christian ideas. Many scary stories, like human sacrifice, were added later by Christian monks to make Celtic religion look bad. The Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of Invasions) was written as a sort of “synthetic history" (made up) for Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. It started in Irish monastic schools in the 6th–7th centuries and became more fully developed by the 12th century.
The purpose was to fit old Gaelic (Celtic) oral traditions and stories into a Christian framework by mixing them with Roman, Greek, and Jewish-Christian myths. This way, the Irish and Scottish people would have a history and genealogies that matched Christian ideas and looked more “respectable" to European Christian rulers and scholars. As a result, even though the Book of Invasions preserves many old Celtic stories, these stories are often hidden, changed, or “watered down" inside this Christianized history. Different versions of the book survived between the 11th and 17th centuries, changing from mostly verse (poetry) into more prose (regular text) over time.
The original Latin and Irish texts from the 9th–10th centuries (which inspired parts of the Book of Invasions) likely mixed the biblical idea of the Canaanite idol Moloch — which was actually a mistranslation in the Bible, not a real god — with Irish traditions. They combined this false idea of a metal idol demanding child sacrifices with local stories about sacred stones and monuments. While there might be some distant memory of real ancient rituals connected to special stones, the dramatic stories of bloody human sacrifices were probably made up or greatly exaggerated by Christian monks. These monks likely added these violent details to scare people away from the old religion and show Christian superiority. So the stories tell us more about Christian fear and propaganda than about actual Celtic practices.
A poem from the Metrical Dindsenchas (say it DIN-shen-kas), written in the 1100s, also talks about Crom Cruach. It says Crom was a gold idol surrounded by twelve stone idols. People worshiped him before St. Patrick came. The poem says King Tigernmas (say it TEE-gern-mas) introduced worship of Crom and that people even sacrificed their firstborn children and clan heirs to him.
“Here once stood a lofty idol, that saw many a fight,
whose name was the Cromm Cruaich; it caused every tribe to live without peace.
He was their god, the wizened Cromm, hidden by many mists:
as for the folk that believed in him, the eternal Kingdom beyond every haven shall not be theirs.
For him ingloriously they slew their hapless firstborn with much wailing and peril,
to pour their blood round Cromm Cruaich.
Milk and corn they asked of him speedily in return for a third part of all their progeny:
great was the horror and outcry about him.”
The Rennes Dindshenchas describing the plain upon which the Killycluggin Stone Circle was erected by mentioning Crom had an “evil eye," which seems to mix him up with Balor. Scholars think these scary parts were added by Christian writers to make the old gods seem evil. They believe these stories show more about Christian fears than about real Celtic practices.
MAG SLÉCHT
’Tis there was the king‑idol of Erin, namely the Crom Cróich, and around him twelve idols made of stones; but he was of gold. Until Patrick’s advent, he was the god of every folk that colonized Ireland. To him they used to offer the firstlings of every issue and the chief scions of every clan. To him Erin’s king, Tigernmas son of Follach, repaired on Hallontide (Samhain eve), together with the men and women of Ireland, in order to adore him. And they all prostrated before him, so that the tops of their foreheads and the gristle of their noses and the caps of their knees and the ends of their elbows broke, and three‑fourths of the men of Erin perished at those prostrations. Whence Mag Slecht ‘Plain of Prostrations’.
As if slander and libeling Crom wasn't bad enough, the Patrick's Catholic Christian cult forbade Crom's cult and a 12th Century (CE/AD) source records that St. Patrick destroyed Crom Cruach’s idol at Mag Slécht that records his legendeary 5th Century CE (400s) destruction of Crom's idol and banning of sacrifices to Crom. The Vita Tripartita Sancti Patricii (Latin for “The Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick") as written in the mid to late 1000s (11th Century) CE/AD. Please note that Crom's cult icon still exists despite being broken then deliberately buried (proven archaeologically). It was the axis of the 18 megalith menhirs (large upright stones) before Patrick's cult destroyed it in the 400s CE. The bonfires took place outside the stone circle in the burnt area where ritual offerings were given.
Cromm Cruaich and St. Patrick. Illustrated by L.D. Symington. Photo Credit: By Katharine Tynan - The rhymed life of St. Patrick
St Patrick casts down Cromm Cruach and the twelve idols; from a 1911 illustration by Curtis Dunham.
Credit: Wikimedia: Wurra-Wurra; a legend of Saint Patrick at Tara
The Irish Old Gods
The Irish Old Gods
Thus conflating Crom with Satan or Balor is a Christian habit, and does not accurately represent Celtic understanding or practices.
The oldest annalistic (historic) sources only briefly mention The Dagda in passing, unlike later Medieval (much later) and Christian Period Irish folklore and mythologies that feature him prominently. However, both Crom and Lugh figure prominently as two of the oldest of the old gods, as does Manannán mac Lir as god of the sea, probably adopted by the Tuatha (see The Invaders) from the Fomarians (see Native Irish). Thus Crom and Lugh and their interplay are likely evidence of the oldest of the old Irish gods, and Irish beliefs shifted after the arrival of the Roman Catholic monk Saint Patrick who spread Christianity in the Emerald Isle.
And the accounts equating Balor of later Irish mythology and the earliest accounts that claimed
Crom Cruach
Crom Cruach
Crom is often remembered as a dark, crouching idol—a god of animal and even human sacrifice and harvest. But this view stems from Medieval (from the Middle Ages) Irish Catholic monastic texts like the Annals of the Four Masters, which sought to demonize earlier beliefs, and associate them with devil worship in order to make the practice of the Celtic Druidic religion taboo. According to older lore and oral tradition, Crom was not a devil but an elemental chthonic force tied to the land, cycles, and ancestors.
Crom had control over the portals to the Celtic Otherworld which he opened on Samhain (October 31st) and again on Beltaine (say it BEL-tuh-NAH, May 1st, May Day). Irish myth and folklore explained winter death and darkness by Lugh, the light-bringer, being annually captured and subdued by Crom in the Otherworld, who, if properly satisfied by offerings to him, released Lugh in the spring from the Otherworld, guaranteeing agricultural offspring and bountiful harvest.
Lugh:The Light Bearer
Source: Crom Cruaich and St. Patrick. Illustrated by L.D. Symington in Katharine Tynan's The rhymed life of St. Patrick Note: Here, Crom is depicted but with Balor's imagery in this book as Balor with the Evil Eye — demonstrating Medieval monastic Irish Catholic bias associating both Crom and Balor with the devil. Lugh:The Light Bearer
Lugh (say it Luh) is one of the most revered deities in Irish mythology—an all-encompassing figure associated with light, skill, and craftsmanship. Known for his role as a warrior god and master of the arts, Lugh embodies both the solar and the creative aspects of the divine. He is the god of the harvest, of mastery in a multitude of crafts, and of the triumph of life over darkness.
Lugh’s symbolism is closely tied to the sun and its power to nurture life, yet he also possesses the ability to bring swift, destructive force. His most famous mythic act in later Irish mythology is the defeat of Balor of the Evil Eye, symbolizing the victory of light over darkness and the renewal of fertility. As the champion of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Lugh represents the quintessential hero—a god who both nurtures and protects, bridging the mortal and divine realms, a liminal (in between border spaces, light and dark, turning of the seasons, dawn and dusk) deity just like Crom.
Like Crom, Lugh's influence can be seen in the turning of the seasons, yet he represents the hope and vitality that springs forth after winter’s dormancy, associated with the festival of Lughnasadh (celebrating the first fruits of the harvest).
Much like Crom’s dual nature, Lugh is both a force for creation and destruction, demonstrating how the gods of old encapsulate paradoxes—bringers of life who are also capable of wrath. Lugh is the god of Lughnasadh, a god of harvest, of plenty, and yet of sacrifice—the end of the cycle of growth and the preparation for the coming winter.
The Irish New Gods of Irish Mythology: A Cryptic (Hidden) Concealment of Crom & Lugh?
The Irish New Gods of Irish Mythology: A Cryptic (Hidden) Concealment of Crom & Lugh?
The Dagda
The Dagda
(an old God, but reinvented palatably for the Catholic Christians)
Source: Artstation.com, Artist: Ogmios(an old God, but reinvented palatably for the Catholic Christians)
The Dagda — the jovial god of life, death, and abundance—may reflect Crom’s light-bringing aspect. The Dagda is one of the most prominent gods of Irish mythology, often described as a father figure of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Known as the god of life, death, abundance, and the harvest, the Dagda embodies a deep connection to the cycles of nature and the balance between light and dark. He is portrayed as a jovial and powerful figure, with immense strength and wisdom, but also with a playful side. His many attributes—control over fertility, agriculture, and prosperity—position him as a god of both nurturing and destruction.
The Dagda is often depicted carrying a great club, which could both kill and revive the dead, symbolizing his role as a deity who governs life’s cycles. His cauldron, another of his treasures, is said to never run dry, providing an endless supply of food and drink, representing abundance and the sustenance needed to support both gods and mortals. The Dagda’s harp, however, holds a more complex significance—it has the power to control the seasons and the moods of the earth, calling forth the spring or winter, joy or sorrow, just as the tides of the year ebb and flow.
Balor: Fomarian Chief
Source: Crom Cruaich and St. Patrick. Illustrated by L.D. Symington in Katharine Tynan's The rhymed life of St. Patrick Note: Here, Crom is depicted but with Balor's imagery in this book as Balor with the Evil Eye — demonstrating Medieval monastic Irish Catholic bias associating both Crom and Balor with the devil. Balor: Fomarian Chief
Balor of the Evil Eye (Wikipedia) is a fearsome figure in Irish mythology, often remembered as a giant with a single, destructive eye. His gaze, capable of bringing death or destruction, embodies the terrifying aspect of power—one that is both feared and revered. Balor is the leader of the Fomorians, a race of supernatural beings often depicted as hostile and chaotic forces. He is a god of destruction, but his role goes beyond mere villainy—he represents the darker, untamed aspects of nature, especially the destructive side of seasonal cycles.
Balor’s myth is intertwined with the idea of fate, as his eye, when opened, could lay waste to armies or entire regions. In the famous myth of the Battle of Mag Tuired, Balor’s eye is the weapon of his destruction, but it is also his undoing—his own grandson, Lugh, defeats him, symbolizing the inevitable triumph of light over darkness and renewal over decay. This story illustrates Balor’s connection to the dark aspects of the world—decay, winter, and death—yet, through his defeat, balance is restored.
Like Crom, Balor’s power is cyclical, tied to the inevitable forces of nature. Where Crom represents the thresholds of life and death, Balor embodies the destructive side of nature's cycles—bringing destruction to make way for the new. While Crom is the god of endings, Balor is the force that clears the way for renewal to occur, whether through the destruction of crops or the defeat of tyrants. This duality in the mythology of Balor mirrors that of Crom—a dark force that must be overcome for the cycles of life to continue.
Oral traditions, particularly those preserved by the Sidhe and Bards, emphasize that Balor’s myth was not just a tale of destruction but also a reminder of the necessary balance between creation and destruction. In death, Balor’s eye is closed, symbolizing the end of winter and the advent of spring. Balor is the god of destruction, of winter’s death, and the necessary chaos that precedes renewal. Sort of reminds us of one of the oldest of the old gods.
Are Dagda, Balor, and Lugh really just faces of Crom?
Are Dagda, Balor, and Lugh really just faces of Crom?
The Dagda — the jovial god of life, death, and abundance—may reflect Crom’s light-bringing aspect.
Likewise, Balor of the Evil Eye may embody Crom’s destructive seasonal side.
Similarly, Lugh, the god of the sun, may represent Crom’s connection to life-giving light and the triumph of renewal.
All four share domains: death, prophecy, fertility, seasonal power.
These may, in fact, be split masks of one older deity: Crom.
Oral testimony from a living bardic clan—a seanchaí (pronounced shan-kee) memory keeper in one Hiberno [Irish]-Norse clan—describes Crom as the overgod of both the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Fomorians. In personal correspondence with Hallowfolk creator Azriel Anthony, one such tradition bearer called the theory that Dagda and Balor were dual faces of Crom “an astute and insightful observation,” with a chuckle in traditional Irish wit and humor. They hinted that our conclusion that the Irish Celts themselves, under persecution, split Crom into more narratively acceptable figures to continue honoring him in veiled forms was an accurate one.
This cultural camouflage allowed Crom’s worship to persist beneath the surface—folk survival via mythological metaphor. Crom is the god of Samhain. He rules thresholds, endings, and the hinge of the year and he, along with Lugh, are arguably, truly the oldest of the old gods.
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