Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts: A Guide to the Legendary Creatures from Celtic-Welsh Myth and Legend

by Rowynn Ellis, Stephanie Law (Foreword by), Sian Powell (Introduction)

Overview

"A love letter to the Welsh language... Ellis’ detailed watercolor illustrations are the main attraction, providing fresh artistic representations to inspire a new generation of readers. Mythology fans and art enthusiasts alike will enjoy this beautiful book." — Booklist

‘‘Packed with lore, history, and beautiful illustrations, Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts is an indispensable registry of everything that lurks in the shadows, glides just beneath the surface, or goes bump in the night. I love it!’’ — Todd Lockwood

''My first thought upon seeing Welsh Monsters was “Goodness, what a useful book!” —John Howe

Upon the dramatic landscape of Wales there have been born many creatures and beings of legend. This lushly illustrated guide delves into the dragons, beasts, fair folk, and spirits of Wales. Tales become blended and one with history, and this history meets illustration with C.C.J. Ellis’ rich renderings of these creatures. Detail and colour lift these beings off the page and bring this compendium to life. Now available worldwide, this new edition includes a Welsh language guide so that each of the creatures might be known by their original Welsh names. You may have heard of the Red Dragon (Draig Goch) featured on the national flag of Wales, but have you heard of the Water Leaper (Llamhigyn Y Dŵr) or of the Mary White (Mari Lwyd)? Ellis aims to re-introduce the beasts of Welsh myth and legend to the world and bring a touch of Wales to your shelves. Part of the Wool of Bat series focused on the preservation and promotion of folklore and oral history from around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781777081775
Publisher:	Eye of Newt Books
Publication date:	08/16/2022
Series:	Wool of Bat
Pages:	88
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Rowynn Ellis is a full-time illustrator, author, and researcher of mythozoology from North Wales, U.K, and their fantastic work is inspired by fantasy, legend, and Welsh culture. Their artwork has been exhibited across the U.K at numerous Comic Cons, solo exhibitions, and three successful Kickstarter campaigns, including Welsh Monsters and Mythical Beasts, the precursor to this book.

Read an Excerpt

The Annwn (an-noon) or Otherworld is a magical realm, home to a host of magical creatures and spirits. It is a place of eternal youth. There is no sickness or disease and there is often an abundance of food. According to legend, the Annwn appears strikingly similar to our own world. It’s believed to exist in parallel to our reality, only occasionally intruding into our plane of existence. The Annwn features prominently within Arthurian legend, and is referenced frequently in the stories of the Mabinogion and in several Irish myths. It is within the first branch of the Mabinogion that it is referred to the most. Humans often stumble into it by mistake or by invitation from one of the beings that live there. Transference to the Annwn is often signalled by a sudden lack of wind, an eerie silence, the onset of a sudden thick fog, or the appearance of unusual animals which glow with a supernatural light.

Table of Contents

FORWARD BY STEPHANIE LAW 8 AN INTRODUCTION TO WALES 10 THE ANNWN 12 DREIGIAU (Dragons) 14 AFANC 16 CEILIOG NEIDR 18 DDRAIG GOCH 20 THE DRAGONS OF DINAS EMRYS 22 GWIBER 24 THE GWIBER OF PENMACHNO 26 BWYSTFILOD (Beasts) 28 ADAR LLWCH GWIN 30 CATH PALUG 32 CEFFYL DŴR 34 CŴN ANNWN 36 GWYLLGI 38 LLAMHIGYN Y DŴR 40 TWRCH TRWYTH 42TYLWYTH TEG (Fairfolk) 44 TYLWYTH TEG 46 BWBACHOD 48 BWCA 50 CEWRI 52 COBLYNAU 54 ELLYLLON 56 GWRAGEDD ANNWN 58 GWYLLION 60 MORGEN 62 PWCA 64 YSBRYDION (Spirits) 66 ANGELYSTOR 68 CYHYRAETH 70 Y DYN GWYRDD 72 GWRACH Y RHIBYN 74 MARI LWYD 76 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 78

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

‘‘Packed with lore, history, and beautiful illustrations, Welsh Monsters & Mythical Beasts is an indispensable registry of everything that lurks in the shadows, glides just beneath the surface, or goes bump in the night. I love it!’’ - Todd Lockwood

My first thought upon seeing Welsh Monsters was “Goodness, what a useful book!” If that adjective sounds a little staid and uninspired, let me elucidate. U for Unexpected. I did not realize, though it makes perfect sense, that there were so many astonishing creatures in Welsh legend. S for Serendipitous. Encountering the intricacies of the genesis and syncretism of myth, and the originality of the creatures inhabiting the wild spaces of the Welsh mind. E for Exotic. The names of the creatures themselves are fantastical and are already a journey in themselves. F for Fascinating. Half-familiar (they do have aspects in common with other fantastical denizens of the British Isles, but we are clearly in another world but nevertheless doubly other-worldly. U for Understandable. The book is well constructed, clear and legible, a must for any guide, especially a guide to the fantastic. L for Lovely (just plain) … See? Very USEFUL. A must-have guide to those creatures you hope never to encounter except in story and imagination. —John Howe

Editorial Reviews

"A love letter to the Welsh language... Ellis’ detailed watercolor illustrations are the main attraction, providing fresh artistic representations to inspire a new generation of readers. Mythology fans and art enthusiasts alike will enjoy this beautiful book." — Booklist

From the Publisher