Adar Llwch Gwin is a legendary creature from Welsh mythology depicted as a very large and intelligent bird. It soars gracefully through the skies with immense wings and keen eyes. Its association with the griffin underscores its majestic and mysterious nature.

Adar Llwch Gwin

Adar Rhiannon are three magical birds from Welsh mythology, featured in the Mabinogi. Their enchanting song possesses the power to wake the dead and lull the living to sleep. With an uncanny effect on spatial perception, these birds epitomize the mystical realm of Rhiannon.

Adar Rhiannon

Aderyn y Corff is a ghostly, featherless bird from Welsh folklore known for portending death. It is said to chirp outside a soon-to-be deceased person's door with a cry that resembles 'dewch'. Living partly on an alternate plane of existence, it remains an enigmatic omen steeped in ancient tradition.

Aderyn y Corff

The Afanc is a legendary lake monster from Welsh mythology known for its variable and enigmatic appearance. Often described as resembling a crocodile, beaver, dwarf, or even a platypus, it has been depicted as both a creature of nature and a demonic entity. Its elusive nature and association with various Welsh lakes have made it an enduring figure in regional folklore.

Afanc

Bloody Mary is a legendary ghost from urban folklore known for her mirror-based apparitions. She is conjured through a ritual that involves chanting her name repeatedly. Her ambiguous nature has led her to be seen as both a harbinger of future events and a figure of haunting terror.

Bloody Mary (folklore)

Brân the Blessed, also known as Bendigeidfran, is a giant king of Britain in Welsh mythology. Renowned for his enormous size and legendary strength, he plays a pivotal role in medieval Welsh literature. His name, translating to 'Blessed Crow', highlights his symbolic association with the crow.

Brân the Blessed

Cath Palug is a monstrous cat from Welsh mythology renowned for terrorizing the Isle of Anglesey. Born of the pig Henwen, it embodies a supernatural hybrid nature beyond that of an ordinary feline. Associated with Arthurian legend, it is depicted as a relentless predator opposing heroes like Kay, King Arthur, and Ogier the Dane.

Cath Palug

Ceffyl Dŵr is a mythical water horse from Welsh folklore known for its deceptive allure and fatal nature. It appears as a striking horse, often dark in colour with a white mane, and may even sport wings or a glowing form. Luring unwary travellers, it either carries them with supernatural speed or causes them to fall to their death after vanishing into mist.

Ceffyl Dŵr

Coblyn are diminutive, gnome-like mine spirits from Welsh folklore, known for their peculiar knocking sound that guides miners to rich ore veins. They are typically portrayed wearing miniature mining outfits and working tirelessly underground. Despite their unattractive appearance, they are friendly and benevolent, sharing similarities with other mine-dwelling spirits such as the Knockers.

Coblyn

The cyhyraeth is a ghostly spirit from Welsh mythology, known for its disembodied, doleful moaning that heralds impending death. It is typically heard near the River Tywi and along the coast of Glamorganshire, with its sound echoing three times as a fatal warning. Comparable to the Irish banshee and Scottish Cailleach, the cyhyraeth evokes a chilling, otherworldly presence in Celtic lore.

Cyhyraeth

Dormarch is a mythological hound from Welsh folklore, used by hunters for tracking game. It is closely associated with Gwynn ap Nudd, the ruler of Annwn and leader of the Wild Hunt. Its legendary status bridges the mortal realm with the mystical afterlife.

Dormarch

Gwragedd Annwn, also known as the Dames of the Lower Region, are beautiful female fairies from Welsh folklore who dwell beneath lakes and rivers. They are an integral part of the Tylwyth Teg, the Welsh fairy folk, and are associated with the origin of Welsh black cattle. Occasionally, they ascend into the upper world, enchanting mortals with their ethereal presence.

Gwragedd Annwn

Gwyllgi is a spectral canine from Welsh folklore, manifested as a fearsome apparition resembling a large mastiff or dire wolf with blazing red eyes and baleful breath. Its eerie presence is a harbinger of impending doom. As the Welsh incarnation of the black dog figure of English folklore, it embodies both terror and supernatural mystery.

Gwyllgi

The hobgoblin is a traditional English household spirit known for its dual nature of helpfulness and mischief. Historically revered as a benevolent domestic helper, it later became associated with playful trickery following the spread of Christianity. Shakespeare’s depiction of Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream further cemented its image as an enigmatic and capricious figure in folklore.

Hobgoblin

Jack o' Kent is a legendary English and Welsh folkloric figure renowned for his cleverness and magical prowess. As a cleric or wizard, he consistently outsmarts the Devil in bets and games. His exploits are intrinsically linked to the origins of various geological formations in the Welsh Marches.

Jack o' Kent

Lailoken, also known as Merlyn Sylvester, was a semi-legendary wild man and prophet from the Caledonian Forest of late 6th century Scotland. He is noted for his prophetic abilities and is often linked with Myrddin Wyllt, the early form of the legendary Merlin. His accurate predictions, including the foretelling of King Rhydderch Hael's death, have ensured his enduring place in Celtic lore.

Lailoken

Llamhigyn y Dŷr, also known as the Water Leaper, is a fearsome creature from Welsh folklore. It is depicted as a giant frog with bat wings and a long, stinging lizard tail. Known for its malevolent nature, it terrorises swamps and ponds by snapping fishing lines and preying on livestock and fishermen.

Llamhigyn y Dŵr

Maelor Gawr is a legendary giant king from Welsh mythology known for his immense stature and a fateful, destructive horn blast. Captured and condemned to death, he used his horn to unleash a powerful sonic force. His story epitomizes the tragic grandeur of ancient Celtic giants.

Maelor Gawr

The martlet is a mythological, footless bird featured in English heraldry. It is depicted as being continuously in flight from birth until death. This perpetual motion serves as an allegory for continuous effort and relentless perseverance.

Martlet

Menw is an Enchanted Knight of King Arthur's court renowned for his shapeshifting abilities. He plays a pivotal role in the early Arthurian tale 'Culhwch and Olwen' as one of Arthur's chosen warriors. A hero of Welsh literature, his magical prowess is attributed to an enchantment learned from Uther Pendragon.

Welsh Creatures