What are the Formoris?

In Celtic mythology, the Formori opposed the Tuatha dé Danann ("The People of the Goddess Dana") when the latter rushed in to invade Ireland. Defeated at the second battle of Magh Tured, the Formoris disappeared and were later mixed up with demonic creatures or Cyclops. Behind this folk tale there could be the actual story of a resisting people, either Iberian (like the Basques or the Tartessians) or Ligurian (like the Etruscans), confronted with the arrival of the first Indo-European tribes, either Celtic or Proto-Celtic.

The modern Formoris are the inceptors and creators of a new culture, inspired by the myth of the ancient Formoris and dedicated through them to all the forgotten peoples and to the values of cultural tolerance and respect of human dignity which were denied by their eradication.

What is the goal of all this?

This is an attempt, both derisory and fascinating, to do something against the standardization of the modern world. To those who favor power, money and productivity, we answer with the values of honor, loyalty and cultural identity. To those who claim that you cannot struggle against technical advances, we'd like to show that this is not a matter of opposing progresses but not to be overcome by them and to loose our references and our essential values. If we cannot know where we are all going, at least we must know for sure who we are and, most important, who we want to be.

Why did you choose the Formoris?

When reading Celtic mythological texts, we felt that there was a big injustice in reducing the Formoris to the role of the villain. They reminded us the "cruel Indians" or the "cannibal Africans" in movies and novels of the early XXth century. We decided to try to repair this injustice.

On a more pragmatic side, the Formoris were the ideal illustration of a lost people that no one cares about. Moreover, by claiming on their spirit while everyone still consider them as monsters, we had the guarantee that no one would come to claim this recognition back from us.

Does the Formori myth have some historical reality?

Nobody knows for sure. Due to its geology, to the numerous historical turmoil it went through and to the sacred character of many places, Ireland is not the best place for intensive archeological researches. The study of geographical names (toponomastics) might show that the myth is actually of continental origin. Thus, it could be referring to the arrival of the first Indo-European tribes (either Celts or Proto-Celts) circa the IXth-VIIIth centuries B.C. in a Western Europe mostly inhabited by Iberian peoples (who came from the Caucasus a few millennia earlier), by Ligurians and by the descendants of the Neolithic tribes which settled there at the end of the Ice Age.

So, where is your founding myth coming from, then?

We have defined a series of postulates among all the options resulting from the initial hypothesis that the ancient Formori were an Iberian people of Western Europe. From these postulates, we managed to "reverse" the Celtic myth in order to provide a Formori point-of-view on the related events. Moreover, we have been studying the few available elements, both from archeology and mythologies, regarding the period from the XVth to the VIIIth centuries B.C. to determine if there was any possibility to connect the Formoris to other civilizations o the same times such as Tartessos, the Phoenicians, the Etruscans, the Minoans or the Mycenians. Eventually, we managed to integrate the values in which we, the modern Formoris, we believe, like honor, loyalty, tolerance, respect of the dignity of any living creature, of nature and the search for harmony... spiced with a touch of humor and fantasy.

What happened to the "real" Formoris?

If our hypothesis is somewhat related to the unknown truth, they would have lived around what is now the Northern Basque Country (French "Pays Basque"), before the Basques themselves, who were then in the valley of the Ebro, came to settle there. It is likely that the various populations merged together with the Formoris, already weakened and presumably enslaved, loosing their specificity and being outnumbered by the newcomers, both Celts and Proto-Basques. They may as well have become extinct, as many Amerindian tribes have on more recent times. Nevertheless, we think they left traces in the cultures and languages of the peoples who came after them. It is now our task to identify such likely traces and to integrated them back in our culture.

What is the filiation between the ancient Formoris and you?

None, even if genetics and probabilities teach us that if the Formoris existed, their genes are likely to be found in all European populations and even among most of the planet's inhabitants! We do not claim any filiation nor any historical or cultural continuity. Actually, we are dedicating the new culture we are building to them and we inspire ourselves of what we think we may find out or imagine about them.

Do you really believe in your founding myth?

We are not mythomaniacs. The myth is a creation of the mind, some kind of huge jigsaw and a very compelling stylistic composition. It is like a tapestry. The threads we are weaving with were scattered and we have to add new ones where they are lacking. Sometimes we have to un-weave part of it and do it again when we find a new element from our researches, our readings or our deductions.

How can you create a culture from nothing?

Everything comes from the myth In order to keep coherent, nothing can be created out of nothing. Everything must have a connection to the myth, either directly or indirectly, and sometimes in quite a complex way. This is a very demanding task and a tremendous challenge.

Is it a role-playing game?

No. We are not playing roles, we do not spend our nights in dark rooms with dices and figurines and we do not hit each other with rubber swords... At least no as Formoris. This is not a game but rather a new philosophy of life (which can keep a "playable" aspect for some of us), a work of arts (the plural is important), a "socio-poetical experiment" and a personal investment in a cause.

Are you a micronation?

The micronation designation encompasses a wide range of activities with little connections between them. Some micronations are only simulations for role-playing and diplomacy games, others are the creations of adolescents deciding to declare the independence of their bedroom or to form a club, or a band, with political structures mimicking those of actual states, usually monarchies.

We do not share any similarity with such "micronations".

However, other micronations are trying to build up real cultural and political activities, setting up actual services to their "populations" and to foster a real "national identity" beyond their sole Internet website. Some would also like to demonstrate the feasibility of innovative political or jurisdictional concepts, from direct democracy to non-territoriality. A few of them are claiming a verified cultural specificity or an historical incident which confers them some legitimacy.

We feel much closer to such micronations although we would actually be more a "micro-people" than a "micronation."

Do you plan to secede?

We plan to give ourselves a government-like structure in order to manage the non-cultural aspects of our community. We do not claim any territory and if we ever decide to declare our sovereignty, this would be as a non-territorial entity.

How can I become a Formori?

There are several reasons to want to become a Formori and several ways to achieve it. The "Formori nationality" is awarded automatically to every child born from a Formori mother. For the others, all you have to do is ask for it and present your motives for joining the Community. A major point is that to become a Formori, you actually have to meet Formoris since we consider very important for each of us to know as many members of the Community as he or she can. The Formoris are not an Internet-based community. They are a Community which uses the Internet.

When a new Formori is introduced among us, he or she has a sponsorship for one year. Unless there is a special waiver, the newcomer will definitely become a "Formori national" at the end of this year.

There are different kinds of Formoris, depending on their degree of involvement in the Project. This ranges from a simple moral support to a total immersion.

In accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we cannot revoke his or her "nationality" to a Formori unless he or she officially rejects it.