Welsh legends: The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach
By zteve t evans
The legend of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach is also known as the Lady of the Lake, though not the one associated with King Arthur. This is completely different and is associated with Myddfai in Carmarthenshire, Wales a small community situated on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons which encompasses six mountains. It is popular with tourists and the area around is steeped in the myths, legends and traditions of Wales.
Myddfai is associated with two related legends of which there are many different versions. The first is the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach, or the Lady of the Lake and the second is the Physicians of Myddfai, which sprang from the first. This article will deal discuss the legend of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach that has been pieced together from a number of sources and presented here.

The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach
According to one version of the legend the a boy would graze his sheep and cattle around the local lake of Llyn y Fan Fach which is situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. He would spend the long hours of the day gazing into the waters of the lake and daydreaming. The boy had been born on the day the first spring flowers opened their petals in the mountains. When he became old enough he had been given the job of tending the sheep and cattle that grazed up by Llyn y Fan Fach. He spent many of the years of his boyhood by the lake reaching an age when he was ready for marriage.
Now one day as a young man he gazed dreamily into the cold, clear, waters of the lake and was amazed to see the form of a most beautiful woman slowly walk out of the water towards him. He had never seen anyone so lovely in his life and he stood dumbstruck as she moved gracefully out of the water towards him. As their eyes met he instantly fell in love with her.
Whether she was a fairy, or one of the goddesses of old, he did not know but she must have been one, or the other, or some other kind of supernatural being. It did not matter to him he was absolutely lovestruck and under her spell. She seemed to be a fountain of wisdom and knowledge and had mystical and extraordinary powers. She presented him with the future she see saw for him explaining to him that he would become wealthy and respected if he would accept her proposition that the two of them be married.
The young man was besotted and would have done anything she asked anyway without the rewards of wealth and respect so he readily agreed. However there were certain conditions that had to be followed if they were to be married. The first condition was that he must never, ever, strike her three times. The second was that he must keep secret where she had come from and never reveal to anyone the supernatural source of their relationship and good fortune. The young man readily agreed to these conditions. It proved difficult to explain her sudden appearance and their marriage to the small, close-knit Welsh community of Myddfai, nevertheless, he managed to allay local curiosity and the couple married.
According to one version of the legend the a boy would graze his sheep and cattle around the local lake of Llyn y Fan Fach which is situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. He would spend the long hours of the day gazing into the waters of the lake and daydreaming. The boy had been born on the day the first spring flowers opened their petals in the mountains. When he became old enough he had been given the job of tending the sheep and cattle that grazed up by Llyn y Fan Fach. He spent many of the years of his boyhood by the lake reaching an age when he was ready for marriage.
Now one day as a young man he gazed dreamily into the cold, clear, waters of the lake and was amazed to see the form of a most beautiful woman slowly walk out of the water towards him. He had never seen anyone so lovely in his life and he stood dumbstruck as she moved gracefully out of the water towards him. As their eyes met he instantly fell in love with her.
Whether she was a fairy, or one of the goddesses of old, he did not know but she must have been one, or the other, or some other kind of supernatural being. It did not matter to him he was absolutely lovestruck and under her spell. She seemed to be a fountain of wisdom and knowledge and had mystical and extraordinary powers. She presented him with the future she see saw for him explaining to him that he would become wealthy and respected if he would accept her proposition that the two of them be married.
The young man was besotted and would have done anything she asked anyway without the rewards of wealth and respect so he readily agreed. However there were certain conditions that had to be followed if they were to be married. The first condition was that he must never, ever, strike her three times. The second was that he must keep secret where she had come from and never reveal to anyone the supernatural source of their relationship and good fortune. The young man readily agreed to these conditions. It proved difficult to explain her sudden appearance and their marriage to the small, close-knit Welsh community of Myddfai, nevertheless, he managed to allay local curiosity and the couple married.

After the wedding
After the wedding the young man's sheep and cattle grew fatter and healthier and many lambs and calves swelled the numbers and value of his livestock with exceptional rams and bulls being produced. His livestock increased in market value and his rams and bull were in demand for breeding.
He became good at negotiating the best prices for his animals at the market and became a widely respected breeder and successful dealer and soon had his own farm. He began to make small profits which he invested wisely in buying land and renting it out and branched into horse breeding. He gained a reputation as a good and honest businessman who was respected far and wide and what ever he turned his hand to prospered. He was the friend of many and his advice was widely sought after and through his business enterprises the whole local community prospered.
Through all the years his wife kept quietly in the background running the household. The happy couple had three beautiful sons and his wife was always there to help and support her husband. The couple were very much in love and it showed. Over the years as his wealth and prosperity grew the young man became a little arrogant at times, sometimes ignoring old friends and acquaintances and sometimes forgetting some of his promises and values. The result of this was that people began to trust him less and he would lose out on business and profits and because of this he would become angry.
After the wedding the young man's sheep and cattle grew fatter and healthier and many lambs and calves swelled the numbers and value of his livestock with exceptional rams and bulls being produced. His livestock increased in market value and his rams and bull were in demand for breeding.
He became good at negotiating the best prices for his animals at the market and became a widely respected breeder and successful dealer and soon had his own farm. He began to make small profits which he invested wisely in buying land and renting it out and branched into horse breeding. He gained a reputation as a good and honest businessman who was respected far and wide and what ever he turned his hand to prospered. He was the friend of many and his advice was widely sought after and through his business enterprises the whole local community prospered.
Through all the years his wife kept quietly in the background running the household. The happy couple had three beautiful sons and his wife was always there to help and support her husband. The couple were very much in love and it showed. Over the years as his wealth and prosperity grew the young man became a little arrogant at times, sometimes ignoring old friends and acquaintances and sometimes forgetting some of his promises and values. The result of this was that people began to trust him less and he would lose out on business and profits and because of this he would become angry.

Three strikes
One day his wife went to meet him at the market but he was angry because business had not gone the way he wanted. As he seemed upset she asked what was the matter thinking that it would help him to talk about it. To his shame he struck her, not hard, but nevertheless he struck her. With great dignity his wife reminded him of the most important conditions of their marriage. Full of shame he begged her forgiveness and promised never to do such a thing again. His wife readily forgave him. But despite his promise it happened a second time and again she forgave him. To his eternal shame it happened a third time but this time his wife stood up straight and looked him in the eye and told him the marriage was now over.
The Lady returns to the lake
She immediately turned her back on him and walked back to the lake with him desperately trying to catch her. As she walked through their farm she called all the animals by name and all all the sheep, cows, ducks chickens and other farm animals followed her as she made her way to the lake. No matter how fast he ran he could not catch her and his cries for forgiveness echoed off the mountains but she never turned and never said another word. When she reached the lake she strode gracefully into the water without once turning back with all of the farm animals following her into the cold water of the lake. Her distraught husband and sons were left weeping on the lake's edge their cries of anguish ringing across the empty mountains.
One day his wife went to meet him at the market but he was angry because business had not gone the way he wanted. As he seemed upset she asked what was the matter thinking that it would help him to talk about it. To his shame he struck her, not hard, but nevertheless he struck her. With great dignity his wife reminded him of the most important conditions of their marriage. Full of shame he begged her forgiveness and promised never to do such a thing again. His wife readily forgave him. But despite his promise it happened a second time and again she forgave him. To his eternal shame it happened a third time but this time his wife stood up straight and looked him in the eye and told him the marriage was now over.
The Lady returns to the lake
She immediately turned her back on him and walked back to the lake with him desperately trying to catch her. As she walked through their farm she called all the animals by name and all all the sheep, cows, ducks chickens and other farm animals followed her as she made her way to the lake. No matter how fast he ran he could not catch her and his cries for forgiveness echoed off the mountains but she never turned and never said another word. When she reached the lake she strode gracefully into the water without once turning back with all of the farm animals following her into the cold water of the lake. Her distraught husband and sons were left weeping on the lake's edge their cries of anguish ringing across the empty mountains.

A different version
In an other version there is no deterioration in the young man's behaviour and little if any violence attached. The first blow happens as the couple were on their way to a wedding and was no more than a playful flick on the back with a pair of gloves but it counted as the first blow. The second happened at a christening when his wife began crying when everyone else was happy for the babe. The husband tapped his wife on the shoulder and asked why she was crying. His wife, coming from the Otherworld had the gift of foresight and she told him that she could see that the poor baby would have a short life of pain and suffering and made her cry. She then told him that he had just struck her a second time and reminded him of the conditions of their marriage. Her husband was mortified because he loved his wife with all his heart and she had given him three young sons to be proud of and he begged forgiveness promising never to strike again.
Although from then on he was on his guard the third strike came at the funeral of the child whose christening they had attended. While all the men were sad and the women were weeping she suddenly laughed out loud. In shock he tapped her shoulder and asked her why she was laughing on such a terribly sad occasion. She told him that with her fairy sight she could see the child in the Otherworld alive and well, happy and free from all suffering and told then him that he had just struck her for the third time and their marriage was now over. With that she turned on her heel and walked out of the church heading towards the lake she had come from. As she crossed the land of their farm she called to all the animals and poultry and they all followed her up the path to the lake.
Her husband ran after her crying and begging her to stay but no matter how hard he tried he could not catch her. Her three young sons also ran behind calling to her. She walked straight along the path to the lake ignoring them all with all the farm animals following her. When she reached the lake she strode gracefully into the cold water disappearing beneath the surface followed by all of the farmyard animals.
The Physicians of Myddfai
Her husband was devastated and spent the rest of his life in regret and remorse. His farm and his business were ruined with the loss of his animals and all his luck had gone and he lived the rest of his life in despair pining for his wife. His three sons stayed with him and looked after him best they could. Sometimes the boys would wander up to the lake to search and call for their mother. One day she appeared to them from the lake and taught them the arts of medicine and herbalism. She told them they would be great healers who would teach the arts of the physician and the herbalist to humans and they would become known as the Physicians of Myddfai.
© 14/01/2015 zteve t evans
In an other version there is no deterioration in the young man's behaviour and little if any violence attached. The first blow happens as the couple were on their way to a wedding and was no more than a playful flick on the back with a pair of gloves but it counted as the first blow. The second happened at a christening when his wife began crying when everyone else was happy for the babe. The husband tapped his wife on the shoulder and asked why she was crying. His wife, coming from the Otherworld had the gift of foresight and she told him that she could see that the poor baby would have a short life of pain and suffering and made her cry. She then told him that he had just struck her a second time and reminded him of the conditions of their marriage. Her husband was mortified because he loved his wife with all his heart and she had given him three young sons to be proud of and he begged forgiveness promising never to strike again.
Although from then on he was on his guard the third strike came at the funeral of the child whose christening they had attended. While all the men were sad and the women were weeping she suddenly laughed out loud. In shock he tapped her shoulder and asked her why she was laughing on such a terribly sad occasion. She told him that with her fairy sight she could see the child in the Otherworld alive and well, happy and free from all suffering and told then him that he had just struck her for the third time and their marriage was now over. With that she turned on her heel and walked out of the church heading towards the lake she had come from. As she crossed the land of their farm she called to all the animals and poultry and they all followed her up the path to the lake.
Her husband ran after her crying and begging her to stay but no matter how hard he tried he could not catch her. Her three young sons also ran behind calling to her. She walked straight along the path to the lake ignoring them all with all the farm animals following her. When she reached the lake she strode gracefully into the cold water disappearing beneath the surface followed by all of the farmyard animals.
The Physicians of Myddfai
Her husband was devastated and spent the rest of his life in regret and remorse. His farm and his business were ruined with the loss of his animals and all his luck had gone and he lived the rest of his life in despair pining for his wife. His three sons stayed with him and looked after him best they could. Sometimes the boys would wander up to the lake to search and call for their mother. One day she appeared to them from the lake and taught them the arts of medicine and herbalism. She told them they would be great healers who would teach the arts of the physician and the herbalist to humans and they would become known as the Physicians of Myddfai.
© 14/01/2015 zteve t evans
References and Attributions
Copyright January 14th 2015 zteve t evans
Copyright January 14th 2015 zteve t evans