The only appearance of a unicorn in a medieval Welsh legend is a surprisingly savage creature that attacks any human it finds and drinks lakes dry, killing all the fish. Peredur (the Welsh Sir Percival) slays the unicorn, but then discovers it's the pet of a fairy lady.

In Arthurian legends, many of King Arthur's knights are so virtuous and devout that God grants them saintly miracles, such as prophetic visions or banishing demons. The most common miracle for these knights is the "laying on of hands" (healing people with a touch).
Arthur Hughes

In Welsh legends, the fastest of King Arthur's knights were the brothers Henwas and Henbedestyr. Both were quicker than any horse. Their brother Sgilti Light-Foot's footsteps were so light, branches didn't break under him. Even grass didn't bend under his feet.
Gustave Dore

One of the most beautiful women in Welsh folklore was Princess Olwen, daughter of Ysbaddaden, king of the giants. Her hair was yellower than the broom plant, and gorgeous white flowers sprung up in her footprints. King Arthur helped Prince Culhwch woo Olwen.
Alan Lee

Sir Percival was one of King Arthur's most virtuous and pious knights. He was the "holy fool," whose innocence protected him from the world's sins. Percival was inspired to become a knight as a child when the light gleaming off their armour made him mistake the knights for angels.
Howard Pyle

Dagonet the Fool is an eccentric warrior of King Arthur. Depending on the source, he is depicted as either an incompetent coward, a dangerous madman, or King Arthur's official jester - who was knighted for his courage, and who plays tricks on the king's enemies.

Next to prophecy, Merlin's defining magic was shapeshifting. According to legend, he could transform himself into virtually anyone - young or old, man or woman. It was often hard to know if you were dealing with the person you thought or Merlin in disguise.
Alan Lee

Despite being one of King Arthur's greatest knights in legend, Sir Tristan was also a trickster and master of disguise. He adopted numerous personas (travelling minstrel, swineherd, jester...) in order to meet with his lover Queen Iseult without her husband knowing.
A. L. Grace

In Welsh folklore, King Rhitta was a giant who fashioned a huge cloak out of the beards of all the kings he conquered. When King Arthur received a message from King Rhitta demanding Arthur's beard to patch the cloak, Arthur dueled the giant and forced Rhitta to shave his own beard.
Walter Crane

#FolkyFriday FairyFriday #Mythology #WelshMythology #CelticMythology #Folklore #WelshFolklore #CelticFolklore #Wales #Celtic #KingArthur #Arthuriana #Arthurian #Giant #Fairy #Faerie #Monster

In Welsh folklore, when King Arthur attacked the first sister of the giant Cribwr, he said his name was "Hot Porridge." When the giantess screamed that she needed help with Hot Porridge, her brother called back from another room that she should just let it cool.
Jim Kavanagh

In Welsh legends, the warrior Iddawc was so eager to witness war and slaughter that when delivering messages between King Arthur and Mordred, he made them as insulting as possible. This destroyed any chance for peace, and thus Arthur and Mordred killed each other.
Gino D’Achille

#868 K.E. Maltwood - The Enchantments of Britain: King Arthur's Round Table of the Stars. James Clarke & Co Ltd, Cambridge, 1982, 1st edition. #KEMaltwood #JamesClarke #Mythology #Arthurian #Glastonbury #BookOfTheDay

Morgan le Fay "espied [her husband] King Uriens lying in his bed sleeping. Then she called unto her a maiden of her counsel, and said, 'Go fetch me my lord’s sword, for I saw never better time to slay him than now.'"
- Thomas Malory, "Le Morte d'Arthur"
Iren Horrors

Owain ap Urien was a 6th-century Brythonic Celtic king who became mythologized as one of King Arthur's champions. In French Arthurian legends, Owain is the son of Morgan le Fey. However, in Welsh legends, he is the son of Modron ("Mother," a fairy mother goddess).
Howard Pyle

#ThickTrunkTuesday: Le Chêne Eon or Chêne A Guillotin stands now on the outskirts of the famous wood Brocéliande, that plays such a prominent role in #Arthurian Legend. #Celtic #TreeTuesday #TreeOfTheDay

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland. The castle stands on the site of what some claim may have been Lancelot's castle the Joyous Gard in Arthurian legend. Lancelot captured the castle - then called the Dolorous Gard - when it was under an evil enchantment. Inside he found a tomb with his name on and realised the castle was his destined home and burial place. #mythology #folklore #psychogeography #Arthurian #medieval #history

The Celtic hillfort of Brent Knoll, #Somerset. Three incredibly wicked giants are said to have once lived on it, who were slain by a young knight called Ider, who aspired to join Arthur's Round Table. Earthworks were often said to be the work of giants, as later peoples found it hard to conceive how such enormous structures could have been created. Brent Knoll may have been a signal station in a chain linking it to Glastonbury Tor and Cadbury Castle, a more complex earthwork said by some to have provided a loose model for later tales of Camelot. #Arthurian #folklore #mythology #history #Glastonbury #psychogeography

Two upcoming online lectures next Tuesday, 14 May (alas, their times overlap).

Here's the first, sponsored by the Celtic Studies Association of North America: Sarah Waidler (NYU) will speak on ‘Arthur, Authority and the Saints Revisited’ at 12 noon EDT (= 5 pm BST).

Here is the link to register:
https://uconn-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqdOqtqTgtH9W5DjYRwfskiOe0tFdRU0LF#/registration

#CelticStudies #Arthur #Arthurian #hagiography #saints #Wales #Ireland

@medievodons

I just finished reading ‘Spear’ by Nicola Griffith and am now reading her Author’s Note about the history of #Arthurian stories

She mentions that a Norman poet named Robert Wace changed the name of Arthur’s sword from Caliburnus to Excalibur

and I’m LOLing, thinking that’s basically like calling it FKA Calibur