Today is International Fairy Day and, whilst the fairies might not realise the significance, June 24th is Midsummer’s Night, when Shakespeare told us that Puck, Titania, and Queen Mab crossed the boundary and visited our world.
Shakespeare may have taken his inspiration for Puck from the Welsh Pwca, one of the fairy beings found in my home county of Breconshire. In fact, there is local tradition that Shakespeare visited the county town of Brecon and gained his knowledge of the Welsh Fair Folk (or Tylwyth Teg in Welsh) from his friend Richard Price, who lived in Brecon priory. Cwm Pwca, a magical valley nearby, may have been the inspiration for not only Puck but also the magical dreamworld in which Shakespeare’s play is set.
Pwca, in his less romanticised form, was not so benign. When a servant girl from Abergwyddon, who used to leave out milk and bread for the spirit, decided one night to consume everything herself, leaving only dregs and crusts for Pwca, he took a terrible revenge. Dragging the girl with fleshy but otherwise invisible hands, the records of 1875 describe her torment as ‘mortifying’ without adding any further details.
Pwca is one of the Ellyllon, or elves, who tend to haunt groves and valleys and, as well as bread and milk, feast on ‘poisonous’ mushrooms, probably the hallucinogenic fly agaric, and foxgloves. In fact, consuming fly agaric may have allowed some mortals to peer into the realm of the Ellyllon and see the spirits for themselves. This happened on a Glamorganshire farm where the Ellyllon took pity on a poor farmer and undertook all the work that needed doing about the place whilst he was tucked up in bed. Their only stipulation was that nobody must ever watch them doing it. One night, the farmer’s wife caught sight of the ellyllon and, caught up in their antics, laughed aloud. The Ellyllon promptly vanished, never to be seen again.
Much of south Wales is bound up with mining and these underground caverns have their own Tylwyth Teg called Coblynau. Grotesque to look at, these small dwarves are generally good natured towards the miners, unless anyone speaks ill of them that is. The Coblynau often work just out of sight of the miners, tapping their own veins of mineral. The tap-tap of their hammers gives the Coblynau their English name of Knockers. There is a record from 1813 of William Evan crossing the Brecon Mountain early one morning and observing the Coblynau busy at their work. Most miners consider their presence a good omen since they indicate the presence of good veins to work and will do nothing to disturb the dwarves’ industrious work. A more ominous menace in the mines is fire-damp – methane gas – which regularly caused explosions; events the early miners put down to the presence of malevolent basilisks or dragons.
Like the useful Ellyllon, helping the poor farmer from Glamorgan, the Bwbach is a good-natured goblin who assists Welsh maids in their chores. If a maid is tidy and leaves a basin of cream next to a filled churn of buttermilk, the Bwbach will drink the cream during the night and then churn the butter, saving the grateful maid hours of work the next morning. The Bwbach is not altogether benign, however, and takes particular exception towards those who favour prayers over jugs of ale. One Bwbach from Cardiganshire drove out a preacher from the village after hounding him with supernatural pranks. The Bwbach was both a household fairy but also a terrifying phantom. In some cases, it could even spirit away the recalcitrant or even the plain unlucky.
The Ellylldan is more dangerous still and, like the English Will-o’-Wisp, this hideous creature lured unwary travellers towards treacherous bogs with its supernatural light (‘dan’ in Welsh means fire). Whereas the Ellylldan dances across the marshy swamp, the poor victim flounders behind and eventually drowns. In 1839, Iola the Bard had a lucky escape when the Ellylldan he was following left to join a dance with his fellows, leaving a terrified Iola to escape his terrible ordeal.
No escape is possible for poor babies who the Tylwyth Teg spirit away, leaving a goblin child in their place. Often, the interloper will resemble the original child at first, but its malevolence and repugnant looks develop over time. People could only rid themselves of the goblin child by putting it into a hot oven, holding it over a fire, or bathing it in the plant of the Ellyllon, the foxglove. The goblin child will then vanish and the human child will return in its place. Another sure method was to place an entire meal in an eggshell or, similarly, to brew beer in an eggshell. Apparently, the shock of such a sight is enough to cause any goblin child to flee.
Despite their respectful name – Tylwyth Teg or the Fair Folk – Welsh fairies can be indifferent, annoying, or even malevolent to any humans they meet. But people always speak of them in elevated terms as, to name them otherwise, is to incur their wrath. Even today, it is best to be cautious, especially when wandering the Welsh countryside at night. After all, you can never be entirely sure that the light in the distance is not an Ellylldan come to lead you to your doom.
Wonderful article to celebrate Faery Day, Mike. Really enjoyed it! I often wonder, though, if all the terrible tales which instil fear in us about them were deliberately spread around by the Church, which didn’t want us believing in them? After all, you gave at least two or three examples of very selfless acts by them. Or possibly they are just like us and there are good ‘uns and bad ‘uns among them?
Anyway, thank you! And Happy Faery Day!
Thanks Ishtar. I am so pleased you enjoyed it and I thought it went well with your post earlier in the week at http://ishtarsgate.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/the-magic-of-a-midsummer-nights-dream/
I wonder if you are right about the fairies being blackened by later propaganda, although spirits always seem to have been capricious, even in Roman times. Maybe they are more like us than we might care to acknowledge!
Thanks again and Happy Fairy Day ~ Mike
What a great way to celebrate Old Midsummer’s Day, Mike. Up here in North Wales, the Fairies have their own dress code, as this quote from Wirt Sykes’ “British Goblins”, published in 1880, shows:
“In the legend of the Place of Strife, the Tylwyth Teg encountered by the women are called ‘the old elves of the blue petticoat.’ A connection with the blue of the sky has here been suggested. It has also been pointed out that the sacred Druidical dress was blue. The blue petticoat fancy seems to be local to North Wales.”
After all, we are close to Ynys Mon, the island of the Druids, which might explain a lot.
Thank you again & Happy Fairy Day!
Bor da, fy ffrind! Thanks for this wonderful little bit about the Fair Folk. Their capriciousness indeed means we are all somehow related to each other, at least in spirit. And just as it is wise not to intentionally irritate one’s neighbors, it is wise not to irritate the faerie folk. A little respect goes a long way. This post of yours started my day off with a smile — diolch!
Brian
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Thanks Peter.
Another piece of Welsh Tylwyth Teg tradition – fascinating about the blue petticoat too. I know that on Ynys Mon there is a field called the ‘Field of Bitter Lamentation’ and I wonder if it is the same as the ‘Place of Strife’. I link the first with the overthrow of the Druids so it would be fascinating if there was a link.
Thanks again and Happy Fairy day ~ Mike
Diolch yn fawr yawn Tarw.
Wise words about respect and a timely reminder too. I suppose if humans cannot seem to get along among ourselves it is no wonder that the fae folk are so wary of us.
Enjoy Midsummer’s Eve my friend.
Bendithion ~ Mike
No, Mike, it is a different story and it goes as follows:
‘In the parish of Trefeglwys, near Llanidloes, in the county of Montgomery, there is a little shepherd’s cot that is commonly called the Place of Strife, on account of the extraordinary strife that has been there. The inhabitants of the cottage were a man and his wife, and they had born to them twins, whom the woman nursed with great care and tenderness. Some months after, indispensable business called the wife to the house of one of her nearest neighbours, yet not withstanding that she had not far to go, she did not like to leave her children by themselves in their cradle, even for a minute, as her house was solitary, and there were many tales of goblins, or the Tylwyth Teg, haunting the neighbourhood. However, she went and returned as soon as she could;’ but on her way back she was ‘not a little terrifed at seeing, though it was midday, some of the old elves of the blue petticoat.’ She hastened home in great apprehension; but all was as she had left it, so that her mind was greatly relieved. ‘But after some time had passed by, the good people began to wonder that the twins did not grow at all, but still continued little dwarfs. The man would have it that they were not his children; the woman said they must be their children, and about this arose the great strife between them that gave name to the place. One evening when the woman was very heavy of heart, she determined to go and consult a conjuror, feeling assured that everything was known to him . . . . Now there was to be a harvest soon of the rye and oats, so the wise man said to her, “When you are preparing dinner for the reapers, empty the shell of a hen’s egg, and boil the shell full of pottage, and take it out through the door as if you meant it for a dinner to the reapers, and then listen what the twins will say; if you hear the children speaking things above the understanding of children, return into the house, take them and throw them into the waves of Llyn Ebyr, which is very near to you; but if you don’t hear anything remarkable do them no injury.” And when the day of the reaping came, the woman did as her adviser had recommended to her; and as she went outside the door to listen she heard one of the children say to the other:
Acorns before oak I knew;
An egg before a hen;
Never one hen’s egg-shell stew
Enough for harvest men!
‘On this the mother returned to her house and took the two children and threw them into the Llyn; and suddenly the goblins in their blue trousers came to save their dwarfs, and the mother had her own children back again; and thus the strife between her and her husband ended.’ ['Cambrian Quarterly,' ii., 86.]
Hi, I am from the united states and am fastened by stories in England of the fairy folk. Do people still claim to have encounters with them?
A lovely way to celebrate Fairy Day – thank you!
Hi Mike, Timely enjoy the read. Seems Wales has it all. For according to Lewis Spence Fairy Tradition in Britain.
No Where in Europe are so many apparently different Fairy castes or varieties gathered into a comparativley restricted area. All Rather enchanting really.
Zena.
Hi Mike, hope it’s O.k to relate this Fine tale here.
Edward Davies of “Druidic” fame relates a singular story concerning the Tylwyth Teg. In the mountains near Brecknock, he says is a small lake in rock which stood a door which was found open on a certain day each year, perhaps May Day. If anyone could muster up sufficient courage to enter he was conducted by way of a secret passage to an island in the centre of the lake, where he found himself in an enchanting garden, inhabited by the Tywyth teg and replete with fruit and flowers. here the visitor was regaled with luscious fruits, while surrounded by blossoms of unearthly beauty and listened to exquisite music. In the course of his sojourn secrets of futurity were divulged to him. It was said however, that he must not carry away anything from this paradise, which was well- nigh invisable from the shores of the lake. On one such occasion , however, “a sacrilegious wretch” bore away a particular gorgeous bloom with which he had been presented. As soon has he regained the mainland, the blossom vanished and his senses forsook him. After this example of human behaviour , the Tykwyth Teg refrained from throwing open the door in future. although their music was still imperfectly heard on the adjacent shores. It is further recorded that a later attempt to make contact with this mysterious enclave was followed by the appearance of a terrible spectre, who announced that were it repeated the entire valley would be submerged.
He goes on to say that… The resemblance of the story to the legend of the fall of man is obvious enough, though it is scarcely necessary to credit it with a biblical origin when similar tales from aboriginal sources which certainly owe nothing to Scriptural associations are recalled.
Thank you all for yet more Fairy lore – especially the long stories from Peter and Zena – we should jointly author a book!
And Malcolm, yes, there is still a lot of encounters today, although people tend to look for ‘rational’ explanations to explain them. In Ireland (and Iceland), roads still have to sometimes divert from their course if they might affect a known fairy site, such as a rock or a tree. So even those in authority take no chances.
Still to this day in the Isle of Man one dares not cross “Fairy Bridge” without a Greeting to the Fair Folk. I witnessed this whilst on a bus ride. Made my day to here so many people offering there greeting, knowing that for all our modern ways we still have this belief with in us.
and finally, Mike, please note that all spelling mistooks and grammatical errors are computer generated.
Blessings Zena.
That’s fascinating Zena. Many people seem to think it’s best to stay on the right side of the Fair Folk, however little they might profess to believe in such things. And it sounds as if you might have a goblin in your computer!
Have you seen these folk?
It’s funny you should ask Maria since for the past few weeks, someone (or something) has been plaiting the horse’s mane. We have seen nobody in the field with the horses, so we are beginning to wonder…
Shwmae, in fact the Pwca, Gwarwyn a Throt, is very much part of Gwentian history in Cwmbran, where we have accounts told from Church clergy and their are many appearances of Gwarwyn, the Pwca and we have 3 raods named after him and a house that he visited in on of the accounts of his visit!, In fact a inspiration for Shakespeare mid Summer nights Dream, Puck being the Dark elf that lived in an Oak tree at the Bendaith eu mamu spring in Abergavenny, but you can read about it in the old Gwent .(.Monmouthshire English name for Gwent) book by Roy Palmer; ISBN 1-873827-40-7.
Sut mae Hyddgen and thanks for the fascinating information. Can’t wait to follow up on the leads you have given me – diolch yn fawr iawn.