Thursday, May 3, 2012

Gwrach Y Rhibyn


Thank you to all of you that followed me for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I appreciate all of the support.  The format for the challenge worked so well I thought I would incorporate it into my Faerie Friday posts.



Sort of like this but not really.


Origin: Wales (Welsh)
 

Description:  The Gwrach Y Rhibyn is a hag and she looks like one.  She has tangled red hair, sunken eyes and a hooked nose. She has really long, black teeth.  What really gets me are the disproportionally long, shriveled arms.  Yuck.


Her deal:  She is a Welsh Banshee.  She follows besides a person she wants to warn. She is invisible to said person.  When she comes to a crossroad or stream, she lets out her warning.  It could be one of a couple things.  “My husband” means you husband is going to die.  “My wife” means your wife is going to die.  “My child,” means… well, I think you get the picture.  If you can’t make out she is saying, you are going to die.

Many scholars look at her as an ancestral figure or a mother goddess.  Have you noticed that a lot of the old mother goddesses are now portrayed as hags?  I spell a conspiracy!

7 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. She's another faerie that I wouldn't want to run into in a dark alley! Thanks for stopping by.

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  2. Very cool. I am a new follower thanks to the A to Z challenge.

    I 'll have to look this one up.

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  3. Yes, the old mother goddesses seem to never be young and beautiful anymore. I like that you picked a picture of the sea hag from "Charmed" for the story. She was creepy!

    I've done the same thing because of the A to Z and now have Fantasy Fridays. :D

    Laura
    Laura's Fantasy Fridays

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    1. I started Faerie Friday last year and then I got lazy in March. The A to Z Challenge was a way to restart my blogging. Heading over to you blog right now to read your Fantasy Friday post!

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  4. Buffy.

    I am writing a novella about a town in America - it is called Rwsia (Welsh for Russia). It is discovered by a man called Bob Dwayne. Needless to say, he encounters "Broblemau Mawr" (Big Problems) as nobody there speaks English! I want to site Rwsia in New York if possible - do you know of any towns in the State along deserted highways that are suitably creepy? Preferably with non-existant parking, dimly lit at night and also creepy as I want to include reference to the Gwrach-Y-Rhibyn as my mother was born in Cwmgwrach and I was born in Crawley!!!

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