Category: Animals
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The Unicorn Rests in a Garden as Part of the Hunt for the Unicorn Tapestries
The tapestry known as The Unicorn Rests in a Garden has fascinated me for much of my life. A print of it hung on the wall of my childhood bedroom, and I remember spending a great deal of time examining the flowers, admiring the unicorn, and wondering what the letters “A” and “E” meant. I lost track…
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The Legend and History of the Unicorn
I had originally planned to explore the subject of unicorns as a way to discuss a piece of medieval art that I’m very fond of. However, once I began digging into the research for it, I discovered that what I wanted to share with you would be too much for this month’s post. (It was…
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Cŵn Annwn: Welsh Supernatural Hounds
Cŵn Annwn are Welsh supernatural hounds whose howls served as a death omen to those who heard it. Death portents are quite common in Welsh folklore. According to Delyth Badder and Mark Norman, authors of The Folklore of Wales: Ghosts, Cŵn Annwn “represent perhaps one of the oldest omens within Welsh tradition.” The Welsh name for these hounds, Cŵn Annwn,…
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The Magical Birds of Rhiannon
Rhiannon is an otherworldly woman, who is generally considered a Celtic horse-goddess. She plays a prominent role in the Mabinogion, which is a collection of medieval Welsh tales. The birds of Rhiannon are magical birds that also appear in the Mabinogion, but they are somewhat elusive—it is unknown how they are linked to Rhiannon or what their…
