Classification of Welsh Fairies - British Goblins CT003

Classification of Welsh Fairies - British Goblins CT003

Author: Gary & Ruth Colcombe June 7, 2017 Duration: 41:08

Classification of Welsh Fairies

British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881)

Book 1 Chapter 2

by

Wirt Sikes

Examining the different types of Welsh Fairies, from the Pwca (and Shakespeare's Puck) to the Ellylldan, Coblynau, Knockers and household fairies. Sikes also looks at Dwarfs, bogies and hobgoblins as well as telling us a humourous story of the Preacher and the Bwbach.

Rowli Pugh and the Ellyl

Rowli Pugh and the Ellyl

Running Order:

  • Section 1 0:42
    • General Designation 1:53
    • Habits of the Tylwyth Teg 3:43
  • Section 2 5:38
    • Ellyllon, or Elves 5:42
    • Shakespeare's Use of Welsh Folk-Lore 7:41
  • Section 3 8:28
    • Rowli Pugh and the Ellyll 9:24
    • Household Story Roots 12:22
  • Section 4 13:42
    • The Ellylldan 13:44
  • Section 5 17:19
    • The Pooka 17:20
    • Puck Valley, Breconshire 18:11
    • Where Shakespeare got his Puck 21:07
  • Section 6 21:43
    • Pwca'r Trwyn 21:44
    • Usual Form of the Pooka Story 21:57
  • Section 7 22:44
    • Coblynau or Mine Fairies 22:46
    • The Knockers 23:01
  • Section 8 24:14
    • Miner's Superstitions 24:18
    • Basilisks and Fire Fiends 27:50
  • Section 9 28:54
    • A Fairy Coalmine 29:20
    • The Dwarfs of Cae Caled 30:29
  • Section 10 32:18
    • Counterparts of the Coblynau 32:18
  • Section 11 34:36
    • The Bwbach, or Household Fairy 34:40
    • Legend of the Bwbach and the Preacher 35:33
  • Section 12 37:20
    • Bogies and Hobgoblins 37:23
    • Carrying Mortals through the Air 37:47
    • Counterparts and Originals 38:04

 Charcoal drawn figure of the Pwca

Pwca

 

Names Used in this Section

All proper names, and words in Welsh or other languages, are recorded here in the show-notes and we've done our best to get the pronounciations right for you.

Keightley
The Elves
The Dwarfs or Trolls
The Nisses
The Necks, Mermen & Mermaids
The Ellyllon (Elves)
The Coblynau (Mine fairies)
The Bwbachod (House fairies)
The Gwragedd Annwn (Lake Fairies)
The Gwyllion (Mountain Fairies)
Y Tylwyth Teg (yn y Coed), Tylwth Teg y Mwn
Bendith y Mamau
Eumenides
Sir Walter Scott
Dayak
Laplander
Ammam
El - 'spirit'
Elf - 'element'
Elihim (Hebrew)
Davydd ab Gwilym
Yr doedd ym mhob gobant
Ellyllon mingeimion gant
Ymenyn tylwyth teg
bwyd ellyllon
menyg ellyllon
Gwyn ap Nudd
Shakespeare
Mercutio
Mab
Cymric
mabgar
mabgath
mabiaith
mabinogi
Mabiogion
Peterston-super-Ely
Cardiff
Glamorganshire
Rowli Pugh
Ellyll
Catti Jones
Bwbach
Mr. Baring-Gould
Grimm's Witchelma(umlaut)nner
Hausma(um.)nner
Milton's L'Allegro
Ellylldan
Will-o'-wisp
Scandinavian Lyktgubhe
Breton Sand Yan y Tad (Saint John the Father)
Dan (fire)
ignis fatuus
Jack-muh-lantern
Iolo the Bard
Pwca, or Pooka, Puck

 

The Pooka

The Pwca


Cambrian fairies
Richard Price, son of Sir John Price
Brecon
Cym Pwca, Puck Valley
Clydach in Breconshire
Frere and Powell
Trwyn Farm, near Abergwyddon (Abercarne)
Pwca'r Trwyn
Campbell
Mrs. Fletcher
Mrs. Siddons
The Oswestry Advertiser
Cefn
Penrhyn
Priestley
Knockers
Newport, Monmouthshire
William Evans of Hafodafel
Beacon Mountain
Egbert Williams
Denbighshire
Cae Caled
Parish of Bodfari
Lanelwyd House
Barbara Jones
Wichtlein (little Wights)
Haus-schmiedlein (little House-smiths)
Heldenbuch
Catskill Mountains
Hendrik Hudson
Cardiganshire
Cwrw da
Bogie
Hobgoblin
Gobelin
'Le gobelin vous mangera, le gobelin vous emportera.'
hob, hopp, coblyn, goblin
Slavonic 'bog'
Baga of the Cuneiform Inscriptions
Professor Fiske
Aryan Bhaga, Sanskrit of the Vedas
Phrygian Zeus "Bagaios"
Xerxxes
Southey

Coblynau

Coblynau

 

British Goblins can be found on Sacred Texts.

You can find out more about Wirt Sikes on Wikipedia.

Try the Celtic Myth Podshow for the Tales and Stories of the Ancient Celts at http://celticmythpodshow.com or on Apple Podcasts.

Our theme music is "Gander at the Pratie Hole" by Sláinte.  You can find their music on the Free Music Archive.

 

Save

Save

Save


Imagine a shelf of old, beautifully bound volumes filled with tales of ancient heroes, elusive fairy folk, and age-old wisdom from the misty hills and shores of Celtic lands. Celtic Tomes is an invitation to open those books with Gary and Ruth Colcombe, who serve as your guides through this rich literary landscape. Each episode is a curated reading from classic texts, bringing to life the myths, legends, and folklore of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and beyond. This isn't just a recitation; it's a shared experience for anyone who has ever admired those collections in a shop or library but found the time to delve into them elusive. You'll hear the stories of the Celts themselves, the deep lore of the Otherworld, and accounts of magical encounters that have shaped cultural imagination for centuries. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a conversation in a cozy study, where the weight of history meets the warmth of storytelling. Whether your interest lies in bardic poetry, ancient battles, or the mysterious customs surrounding fairy forts, Gary and Ruth provide a direct, engaging pathway into these narratives. They handle the reading so you can simply listen and be transported, making the vast world of Celtic literature accessible and vividly alive one episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Celtic Tomes
Podcast Episodes
Cult Accessories CT054 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:16
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 19: Accessories of Cult by J. A. MacCulloch This chapter covers Temples, Altars, Images, Symbols, and the Cult of Weapons of the Ancient Celts. Religion of the Ancient Cel…
Festivals CT053 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:46
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 18: Festivals by J. A. MacCulloch The Celtic year was not at first regulated by the solstices and equinoxes, but by some method connected with agriculture or with the seas…
Tabu CT052 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:38
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 17: Tabu by J. A. MacCulloch The Irish geis, pl. geasa, which may be rendered by Tabu, had two senses. It meant something which must not be done for fear of disastrous con…
Sacrifice and Prayer CT051 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:46
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 16: Sacrifice and Prayer by J. A. MacCulloch The Celts offered human victims on the principle of a life for a life, or to propitiate the gods, or in order to divine the fu…
Cosmogony CT050 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:33
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 15: Cosmogony by J. A. MacCulloch The Celts may have possessed the Heaven and Earth myth, but all trace of it has perished. There are, however, remnants of myths showing h…
Animal Worship CT049 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:41
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 14: Tree and Plant Worship by J. A. MacCulloch Animal worship pure and simple had declined among the Celts of historic times, and animals were now regarded mainly as symbo…
Tree and Plant Worship CT048 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:43
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 13: Tree and Plant Worship by J. A. MacCulloch The Celts had their own cult of trees, but they adopted local cults. This chapter also details how the Celts made their sacr…
River and Well Worship CT047 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:11
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 12: River and Well Worship by J. A. MacCulloch Among the Celts the testimony of contemporary witnesses, inscriptions, votive offerings, and survivals, shows the importance…
Primitive Nature Worship CT046 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:31
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 11: Primitive Nature Worship by J. A. MacCulloch McCulloch talks about animism, where everything was a person and the greater objects of nature were worshiped for themselv…
The Cult of the Dead CT045 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:36
The Religion of the Ancient Celts (1911) Chapter 10: The Cult of the Dead by J. A. MacCulloch The custom of burying grave-goods with the dead, or slaying wife or slaves on the tomb and other grave customs is the subject…