Tylwyth Teg

The Tylwyth Teg (Middle Welsh for "Fair Family") are the primary name in Wales for fairy-like beings, akin to the Irish Aos Sí or the fairy folk of English and Continental traditions. They are also called Bendith y Mamau ("Blessing of the Mothers"), Gwyllion, and Ellyllon. The earliest known mention of the term appears in a 14th-century poem attributed to Dafydd ap Gwilym, where the main character becomes humorously and dangerously lost on his way to visit his sweetheart.

Later accounts describe the Tylwyth Teg as fair-haired beings who covet golden-haired human children. They kidnap these children and leave changelings, known as crimbilion (singular: crimbil), in their place. They are known to dance in fairy rings and live underground or underwater. They grant riches to those they favor, but these gifts vanish if spoken of. Fairy maidens sometimes marry human men, but these wives remain bound by taboos—for instance, they must avoid touching iron, or they will disappear back to their realm forever. As Bendith y Mamau, a southern Welsh name, they ride horses in fairy processions (called fairy rades) and visit homes where bowls of milk are left out for them. One changeling tale involves a woman whose three-year-old son was taken by fairies. A "cunning man" (a magician) gave her three instructions: first, she removed the top from a raw egg and stirred it; the changeling’s comments revealed its otherworldly nature. Second, she went to a crossroads at midnight during a full moon and observed a fairy rade to confirm her son was with them. Third, she roasted a black hen over a wood fire without plucking it until every feather fell off. The changeling then vanished, and her son returned.

Folklorist Wirt Sikes categorized the Tylwyth Teg into five general types: the Ellyllon (elves), the Coblynau (mine fairies), the Bwbachod (household fairies similar to brownies), the Gwragedd Annwn (female fairies of lakes and streams), and the Gwyllion (mountain fairies more like hags). The Ellyllon (singular: ellyll) inhabit groves and valleys, resembling English elves. They eat toadstools and fairy butter (a type of fungus) and wear digitalis bell flowers as gloves. They are ruled by Queen Mab and bring prosperity to those they favor.