Welsh legends: The Afanc of the River Conwy
By zteve t evans
In Welsh mythology the Afanc was a monster that lived in rivers, lakes and pools. They were powerful supernatural beasts that would cause the waters they lived in to rise and flood the surrounding land when they became angry. They would also kill humans and animals when given the opportunity and were very dangerous.
Public Domain Image
In some versions of the legends the Afanc is a crocodile-like creature;
in others it resembles a dwarf or demon.
In this legend set around Snowdonia, Betws-y-Coed and the River Conwy it appears as a giant beaver-like creature.
There are many myths and legends about these creatures and many different versions of the same tale and their physical description varies. As with most legends their authenticity is lost in the mists of time and difficult to verify. With this version there are places that exist today that can be seen and visited though the existence of the Afanc, Hu Gadarn and other elements of the tale cannot be proved. The following account has been pieced together from some of these other versions.
The Afanc of the River Conwy
In years gone by the people who made their homes along the banks of the River Conwy suffered terribly from the frequent flooding of the river. The floods would destroy their crops, drown their livestock and ruin their homes.
The people knew that the floods were not the result of heavy rain or other natural causes. They knew the floods were caused by a monster called the Afanc who lived in a pool in the River Conwy called Llyn-yr-Afanc, in Welsh, which means The Beaver Pool, in English. For unknown reasons the Afanc was becoming increasingly angry and causing the river to flood more and more inflicting a great deal of harm to the people who lived along the river's banks.
The people were beginning to get desperate. As soon as they recovered from one flood, the Afanc would become angry and cause another. They had tried to kill it many times, in many ways, but its skin was so hard that it could not be penetrated by spear, sword or arrow. The people had now reached the end of their tether thinking that they may have to leave their homes and farms and move to higher ground where the flood waters could not reach them. The lands along the River Conwy were fertile and rich and they did not want to leave their homes and their farms to begin a new life where the land was not so good.
There are many myths and legends about these creatures and many different versions of the same tale and their physical description varies. As with most legends their authenticity is lost in the mists of time and difficult to verify. With this version there are places that exist today that can be seen and visited though the existence of the Afanc, Hu Gadarn and other elements of the tale cannot be proved. The following account has been pieced together from some of these other versions.
The Afanc of the River Conwy
In years gone by the people who made their homes along the banks of the River Conwy suffered terribly from the frequent flooding of the river. The floods would destroy their crops, drown their livestock and ruin their homes.
The people knew that the floods were not the result of heavy rain or other natural causes. They knew the floods were caused by a monster called the Afanc who lived in a pool in the River Conwy called Llyn-yr-Afanc, in Welsh, which means The Beaver Pool, in English. For unknown reasons the Afanc was becoming increasingly angry and causing the river to flood more and more inflicting a great deal of harm to the people who lived along the river's banks.
The people were beginning to get desperate. As soon as they recovered from one flood, the Afanc would become angry and cause another. They had tried to kill it many times, in many ways, but its skin was so hard that it could not be penetrated by spear, sword or arrow. The people had now reached the end of their tether thinking that they may have to leave their homes and farms and move to higher ground where the flood waters could not reach them. The lands along the River Conwy were fertile and rich and they did not want to leave their homes and their farms to begin a new life where the land was not so good.
Snowdon from Llyn Llydaw by User:Gdr
A Desperate Plan
A meeting of the Wise Men was convened in a village called Betws-y-Coed which was around 1 mile to the north of the Afanc’s lair. They put their heads together and hatched a desperate plan. They decided that if they could not kill or chase away the Afanc using force then they would have to use try subterfuge to get rid of it.
They decided they would try and lure or entice it out of its pool and take it to a new lake over the mountains which would be many miles away and from which it could not escape. Once there it would cause them no further floods or trouble and they immediately set about looking for such a place.
The Wise Men identified a lake under the summit of Yr Widdfa the highest mountain in Wales and known in English as Mount Snowdon, that they thought would be a good place for the Afanc's new home. It was a good distance from their homes and the sides of the lake were steep and sheer and the Afanc would not be able to escape.
They commissioned the best blacksmith in Wales to forge the strongest chains of iron ever made in the hope that the Afanc could be bound secure by them. Then they commissioned the great Welsh hero, Hu Gadarn, to bring his two mighty long-horned oxen to pull the Afanc out of its pool and to its new home. Hu Gadarn's two oxen were the biggest and strongest oxen in all of Wales and if they could not shift the Afanc then nothing could.
A Flaw in the Plan
So the best blacksmith in Wales forged the strongest chains that could be made and took them to the Wise Men at Betws-y-Coed and Hu Gadarn took his mighty oxen there to attempt the task. The Wise Men now had all the components of their plan in place, or so they thought. However, they quickly realised there was a flaw in their wonderful plan. Before they could secure the Afanc with chains and then connect them to the oxen they had to somehow entice the monster out of the water.
One of the Wise Men remembered something he had been told many years ago by a very, very, old wise man. It was that Afancs, like some other water monsters, had a liking for beautiful maidens and the River Conwy Afanc was especially fond of them. Now that was all very well but would one of the local girls be as brave or foolhardy enough to volunteer for the task. But they had to try so they asked many beautiful maidens to volunteer, but no would do so.
Luckily, there was one very brave and beautiful maiden who was the daughter of a local farmer who eventually volunteered. The Wise Men and all the men who lived along the River Conwy hid in the trees and bushes with the chains and the oxen ready as the maiden approached the Afanc's pool.
The Maiden’s Lullaby
She stood on the bank and softly called to him. The waters of the pool bubbled and churned as slowly the Afanc raised its huge monstrous head out of the water. Although the girl was understandably frightened she very courageously stood her ground and began singing a beautiful, gentle Welsh lullaby very, very, softly.
Slowly the monster moved through the water until it was close enough for the girl to look into its great, green, eyes. Although she was very frightened the girl kept singing sweetly and slowly backed off. As she did so the Afanc slowly followed her dragging its monstrous body out of the pool and swaying slowly from side to side. Bravely the girl kept singing and so sweet was her voice the Afanc slowly closed its eyes and fell asleep at her feet.
At the girl's sign the men crept up to the sleeping monster and began securing the chains around it and harnessing them to the mighty oxen. Suddenly the Afanc awoke from slumber and realised it had been tricked. Roaring and snorting with rage the beast tried to escape sliding quickly back into the water, but it was too late. The men had secured the chains around it and harnessed them to the oxen. The mighty oxen and all the men began pulling on the chains and very, very slowly the Afanc was pulled inch by inch out of the water. It took all the strength of the oxen and men to pull the Afanc right out of the water and on to the bank.
A meeting of the Wise Men was convened in a village called Betws-y-Coed which was around 1 mile to the north of the Afanc’s lair. They put their heads together and hatched a desperate plan. They decided that if they could not kill or chase away the Afanc using force then they would have to use try subterfuge to get rid of it.
They decided they would try and lure or entice it out of its pool and take it to a new lake over the mountains which would be many miles away and from which it could not escape. Once there it would cause them no further floods or trouble and they immediately set about looking for such a place.
The Wise Men identified a lake under the summit of Yr Widdfa the highest mountain in Wales and known in English as Mount Snowdon, that they thought would be a good place for the Afanc's new home. It was a good distance from their homes and the sides of the lake were steep and sheer and the Afanc would not be able to escape.
They commissioned the best blacksmith in Wales to forge the strongest chains of iron ever made in the hope that the Afanc could be bound secure by them. Then they commissioned the great Welsh hero, Hu Gadarn, to bring his two mighty long-horned oxen to pull the Afanc out of its pool and to its new home. Hu Gadarn's two oxen were the biggest and strongest oxen in all of Wales and if they could not shift the Afanc then nothing could.
A Flaw in the Plan
So the best blacksmith in Wales forged the strongest chains that could be made and took them to the Wise Men at Betws-y-Coed and Hu Gadarn took his mighty oxen there to attempt the task. The Wise Men now had all the components of their plan in place, or so they thought. However, they quickly realised there was a flaw in their wonderful plan. Before they could secure the Afanc with chains and then connect them to the oxen they had to somehow entice the monster out of the water.
One of the Wise Men remembered something he had been told many years ago by a very, very, old wise man. It was that Afancs, like some other water monsters, had a liking for beautiful maidens and the River Conwy Afanc was especially fond of them. Now that was all very well but would one of the local girls be as brave or foolhardy enough to volunteer for the task. But they had to try so they asked many beautiful maidens to volunteer, but no would do so.
Luckily, there was one very brave and beautiful maiden who was the daughter of a local farmer who eventually volunteered. The Wise Men and all the men who lived along the River Conwy hid in the trees and bushes with the chains and the oxen ready as the maiden approached the Afanc's pool.
The Maiden’s Lullaby
She stood on the bank and softly called to him. The waters of the pool bubbled and churned as slowly the Afanc raised its huge monstrous head out of the water. Although the girl was understandably frightened she very courageously stood her ground and began singing a beautiful, gentle Welsh lullaby very, very, softly.
Slowly the monster moved through the water until it was close enough for the girl to look into its great, green, eyes. Although she was very frightened the girl kept singing sweetly and slowly backed off. As she did so the Afanc slowly followed her dragging its monstrous body out of the pool and swaying slowly from side to side. Bravely the girl kept singing and so sweet was her voice the Afanc slowly closed its eyes and fell asleep at her feet.
At the girl's sign the men crept up to the sleeping monster and began securing the chains around it and harnessing them to the mighty oxen. Suddenly the Afanc awoke from slumber and realised it had been tricked. Roaring and snorting with rage the beast tried to escape sliding quickly back into the water, but it was too late. The men had secured the chains around it and harnessed them to the oxen. The mighty oxen and all the men began pulling on the chains and very, very slowly the Afanc was pulled inch by inch out of the water. It took all the strength of the oxen and men to pull the Afanc right out of the water and on to the bank.
Llyn Glaslyn or Lake of the Blue Spring by Euan Nelson
The Journey to the Lake of the Blue Spring
The Wise Men called for reinforcements of men from further a field to help. It took the combined strength of all the men and Hu Gadarn's mighty oxen to drag the struggling Afanc up the Lledr Valley and then north west to its new home of Llyn Glaslyn, which means Lake of the Blue Spring, in English. The oxen and men struggled to pull the Afanc up one mountain and one of the oxen pulled so hard one of its eyes popped out. From the poor beast's tears a new lake was formed called Pwll Llygad yr Ych, in Welsh which means Pool of the Ox's Eye in English.
The men and the oxen continued their struggle finally pulling the Afanc up Mount Snowdon until they reached Llyn Glaslyn just below the summit. Releasing the chains the Afanc shook and roared and leaped into the deep water of its new home.
The Foolishness of Men
The men gave a loud cheer and immediately began congratulating themselves on the successful completion of their task. They began boasting and bragging of the part they played in it. Each claimed it was their mighty pull that caused the Afanc to be dragged from the water and they began arguing and fighting amongst themselves.
The Wise Men shook their heads in despair at the foolishness of the men. They knew that it was only the combined strength of the men and the oxen working together in unison that defeated the monster. As for the Afanc it is said it remains to this day in the Lake of the Blue Spring, trapped by the steep rocky banks for all time, but doing no harm to anyone.
© 14/01/2015 zteve t evans
The Wise Men called for reinforcements of men from further a field to help. It took the combined strength of all the men and Hu Gadarn's mighty oxen to drag the struggling Afanc up the Lledr Valley and then north west to its new home of Llyn Glaslyn, which means Lake of the Blue Spring, in English. The oxen and men struggled to pull the Afanc up one mountain and one of the oxen pulled so hard one of its eyes popped out. From the poor beast's tears a new lake was formed called Pwll Llygad yr Ych, in Welsh which means Pool of the Ox's Eye in English.
The men and the oxen continued their struggle finally pulling the Afanc up Mount Snowdon until they reached Llyn Glaslyn just below the summit. Releasing the chains the Afanc shook and roared and leaped into the deep water of its new home.
The Foolishness of Men
The men gave a loud cheer and immediately began congratulating themselves on the successful completion of their task. They began boasting and bragging of the part they played in it. Each claimed it was their mighty pull that caused the Afanc to be dragged from the water and they began arguing and fighting amongst themselves.
The Wise Men shook their heads in despair at the foolishness of the men. They knew that it was only the combined strength of the men and the oxen working together in unison that defeated the monster. As for the Afanc it is said it remains to this day in the Lake of the Blue Spring, trapped by the steep rocky banks for all time, but doing no harm to anyone.
© 14/01/2015 zteve t evans
References and Attributions
Copyright January 14, 2015 zteve t evans
Copyright January 14, 2015 zteve t evans
- File:Glaslyn - geograph.org.uk - 1671148.jpg - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence. Attribution: Euan Nelson
- Snowdon from Llyn Llydaw CC BY-SA 3.0 - User:Gdr - Photograph by en user User:Gdr
- Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic licence - Attribution: James Petts from London, England
- Historic UK
- Mysterious Britain and Ireland - Llyn-yr-Afanc (The Beaver Pool)
- Mysterious Britain and Ireland - Llyn Glaslyn (Lake of the Blue Spring)
- Mysterious Britain and Ireland – Snowdon
- Afanc, From Wikipedia
