What is a Firebolg?

[Beholder1995]

Throughout this site I have seen references to these creatures, which I assume to be in a supplementary rulebook. I haven't a clue as to what they are, besides that they're quite powerful and probably have the [fire] subtype. So... what are they?

[Morty]

First, it's a firbolg, not a firebolg. Second, wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firbolg) is your friend. It doesn't say what are they in D&D, but according to WoTC site they're some kind of a giant from Monster Manual II.

[sktarq]

Orignally found in D&D 2e in monterous compendium 2 or 3 (I think 2 but my 2e stuff is in storage) They are a smaller type of giant-kin very human like and basically forestdwelling norsemen on HGH. Long wooden houses, civilized demeamors, red or blond hair classically. They are size large and thus one of the smallest of the giants. Thus placing them where they are on the sliding scale of sized creatures "in the Playground" (with the wonderful exception of Barbarians.....Except if you go all the way back to First Quest....After that Barbarians dropped out untill 3e when any nonlawful race could be one-IIRC)

[blademaster42]

Not all of those are neccesarily references to giants. Firbolg is a term for Irish soldiers from a long time ago. I think it means 'man of the bag', because they wore neck bags for stuff they needed that they couldn't neccesarily pick up readily at hand from the wilderness.
It was in a book I read, called Finn Mac Cool. It was a sort of novelization of Some poems about the Irish hero, Fionn Mac Cumhail. It was pretty good.

[Pyro]

I've been wondering about that for a while. I think I one point I tried looking it up on wikipedia, but I spelled it wrong and then gave up. It's nice knowing what that title comes from now.