Mermaid Stories From Wales

These stories show the allure and danger associated with mermaids in Welsh folklore, emphasizing their magical powers and the potentially tragic consequences of human interaction with these mythical creatures.
Folklore is tantalising. Around the coast of Wales and indeed the British Isles, stories, themes and fantastical creatures appear time and time again. It conjures up a sense of a past filled with goblins and witches, tylwyth teg, sirens and selkies.
These tales of folklore intertwine with the landscapes and seascapes, reflecting the mysterious and enchanting nature of the land itself. From the towering cliffs of Anglesey to the ancient forests of Snowdonia, the stories come alive in the whispers of the wind and the rustling of leaves.

Transcript

In Welsh folktales there's a group of golden-haired mermaids and water spirits and they are called Quagdaw,

Auwen.

They are also known as Morgans,

Water maidens,

Ladies of the lake.

Auwen,

They live in magical underwater towns in certain magical lakes.

I used to live in Wales so I have no problems believing this story.

Now the Auwen,

They are not typical mermaids,

They look more like humans,

They are water fairies.

They don't have these fishy qualities,

They don't have a tail,

They have legs.

You can see them walk on water,

They can glide on the water with their golden boats and like all these other mermaids sometimes the Auwen,

They mingle with people,

They can marry humans,

Take human lovers.

But if they don't get along with their spouse,

If the Auwen cannot adhere the rules of the relationship,

They return back to the lake.

Another type of water fairies in Wales are called Skarile and they are also known as water dancers.

These are spirits who live underwater but when nobody sees they can come up to the surface of the pond or a lake and dance.

We have a very similar character in Finnish folklore called Utuneito who also dances above lakes and ponds in the morning mist and in the night mist.

So they are known as Skarile or Asrai in Welsh and some people say that they are actually made of mist and when the sun gleams touches them they might disappear.

When the sunlight hits them the Asrai melts and disappears.

The Asrai can live to be 100 years old,

They never get old,

They look like beautiful young women eternally.

They have this pale silvery skin and they lure men and the touch of Asrai is like dried ice.

So it can burn a man's skin and you can find them from Wales,

England and Scotland.