Category: Medieval Tales

  • The Legend of the Afanc: A Welsh River Monster

    The Legend of the Afanc: A Welsh River Monster

    In Welsh folklore, the afanc is often described as a type of river monster. Depending on the legend or tradition, the afanc may take the form of an enormous beaver, a monstrous crocodile, or a worm (dragon). The word afanc appears to have changed meanings over time as well, which may account for the different versions of the creature. The more…

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  • The Magical Birds of Rhiannon

    The Magical Birds of Rhiannon

    The birds of Rhiannon are magical birds referenced in the Mabinogion, a collection of medieval Welsh tales. As their name implies, these birds are linked to Rhiannon, an otherworldly woman who plays a prominent role in the Mabinogion. A Brief Description of the Mabinogion The Mabinogion includes eleven Welsh tales that originally appeared in two manuscripts: the White Book…

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  • An Overview of How Faeries Were Portrayed During Different Literary Periods

    An Overview of How Faeries Were Portrayed During Different Literary Periods

    There are many different ways to experience faerie folklore: through shared oral tradition, by reading tales collected by folklorists, and via its inclusion in literature, art, and even science. I find the interchange between folklore and creative endeavors fascinating, so I thought we’d explore how faerie folklore was incorporated into literature during different literary periods.…

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  • Apple Trees and British Folklore

    Apple Trees and British Folklore

    When I make my grocery shopping list for holiday dinners and ask my family if they’d like a pie, their eyes grow as large as pie tins, and they answer with a resounding, “Yes!” When I ask what flavor of pie they’d like, the one flavor almost everyone agrees on in our family is apple.…

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  • Cŵn Annwn: Welsh Supernatural Hounds

    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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