Gwragedd Annwn

Gwragedd Annwn
GroupingFaeries
Similar entitiesTylwyth Teg
FolkloreMyth
Other name(s)Lake Maidens
Wives of the Lower World
Dames of Elfin Land
CountryWales
RegionNeath Port Talbot

Gwragedd Annwn, (singular Welsh: gwraig annwn) alternatively known as Dames of the Lower Region, Dames of Elfin Land, or Wives of the Lower World, are beautiful female fairies who live beneath lakes and rivers found in Welsh folklore.[1][2][3] They are counted among the Tylwyth Teg or Welsh fairy folk.The mythological narrative of Gwragedd Annwn is intertwined with the origin of the Welsh black cattle. Some legends hold that the existence of the Gwragedd Annwn was owed to the famed Saint Patrick. Occasionally, the fairies were said to ascend into the upper world, and be visible to ordinary people.

  1. ^ Davies (1859–1932), Jonathan Ceredig; Davies, Jonathan Ceredig. "Folk-lore of West and Mid-Wales". Folk-Lore of West and Mid-Wales. Retrieved 2023-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Sikes, Wirt. "British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions". Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  3. ^ Rhŷs, John; Rhys, John. "Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx (Volume 1 of 2)". Retrieved 2023-04-18.