Welsh Fairy Tales

by William Elliot Griffis

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Classics, Mythology, Short Stories, Folklore

97 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1921

About the author

American orientalist, Congregational minister, lecturer.

Griffis was an English and Latin language tutor for Tarō Kusakabe, a young samurai from the province of Echizen.

In September 1870 Griffis was invited to Japan to organize schools along modern lines.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked these stories. They were interesting and included themes, motifs and even whole tales that I had heard in other forms in childhood. For instance there is a tale here which has a family resemblance to one we know better as "Rumplestiltskin." And I remember reading a variant of "King Arthur's Cave" in grade school.

The realm of Faery looms large in these pages. Though some of its inhabitants are kindly, some are fickle and even dangerous. There are usually risks to be taken, and rules are broken at the peril of the human who waxes forgetful. This is especially true where water spirits are involved. All this is the stuff of which folklore is made, and it is familiar from authors past and present, such as the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Neil Gaiman and Susanna Clarke.

The collector of these tales was an American orientalist of Welsh descent. Although he narrates the stories with panache, occasionally he talks down to his American readers and takes pride in the fact that great Americans such as Thomas Jefferson were of Welsh origin and still spoke the language of the Old Country. This patriotism is understandable, but but rings a little oddly alongside tales of King Puck (how did he end up here?), Queen Mab, King Arthur, Merlin and the Red Dragon of Cymru.

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute tales full of fairies and the like, but the author took a great deal of liberties when explaining the tales to the American audiences he was writing to, which definitely detracted from the stories.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Welsh Fairy Tales is a very interesting and entertaining book with some of the oldest fairy tales to have been recorded. These tales have it all: Merlin, Arthur, magic, dragons, damsels, fairies, elves, witches, mermaids, knights, etc. But I must say that all these fairies that bet on their names always fall on their hubris. And I learned that fairies don't like to be struck which is practically a nudge or touch and they don't like iron.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1857, Griffis' work was meant to be a semi-scholarly review of Welsh mythological beings such as fairies and the like. Griffis collected stories, beliefs and sightings from locals while the Celtic belief in such mythological beings was still extant. I enjoyed comparing these beliefs with the Irish gaelic versions.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyable, especially if you have Welsh roots. Bit repetitive and excessively patriotic but still charming.

This is a double-dip for the Popsugar 2021 Reading Challenge by fulfilling prompt #30 (book set somewhere you want would like to visit this year) and prompt #40 (Favorite prompt from previous challenge: book set in a country beginning with 'c' = Cymru)

[Gary · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the first couple of tales, I was interested. However, the number of errors in meaning, and the historical inconsistencies became intensely annoying. I would not recommend anyone read this to understand either Welsh history or folklore.
Many of the tales include unforgivable anachronisms, such as the inclusion of characters named William in supposedly ancient tales, when the name was introduced to Britain by the Normans.
This is an awful book.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it 60% of the way through and just could not get into the stories.

[S. Roit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales

It’s a bit strange to me, having this partly like the older tales, yet modern ideas and language cut into it.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully old-fashioned. Unashamed pro-Welsh sentiment. Good times.

[Tugce Bahceci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels more like a boring lecture on welsh fair tales.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairy tales

Lovely fairy tales from Welsh lands. Stories are filled with cultural nods that being Welsh history and stories to life. Great read

[Perry Whitford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this retold collection of Welsh fairy tales was an American of Welsh ancestry. In his introduction he pointedly gives thanks to 'those inheritances from the world of imagination, for which the Cymric Land was famous, even before the days of either Anglo-Saxon or Norman.'

Griffis clearly targeted this book young readers of Welsh lineage, to foster their interest and make them proud of the cultural legacy of their land. This explains a few narrative interventions of this type:
'Now at Bettws-y-Coed-that pretty place which has a name that sounds so funny to us Americans and suggests a girl named Betty the Co-ed at college'

It also explains why his tale introducing Saint David focuses on the patrons invention of cheese on toast as much as anything else. This is followed by 'The Great Red Dragon of Wales', which retells the myth of the young Merlin's trick and prophesy, where the waring red and white serpents he conjured up represented the Cymric and Saxon antagonists.

Many of the stories are taken direct from the ancient Mabinogian, loosely translated as The Young Folks' Treasury of Cymric Stories. They variously feature the playful fairy Puck and his fair, consort Queen Mab.

Everyone knows that the Welsh love music, a tradition highlighted wittily in 'The Golden Harp', where an atrocious singer is given an irresistible gift by a fairy.
Griffis is keen to point out just how much Welsh men love their women, yet no less than three of the stories tell of how fairy maidens agree to marry human men on the condition that their husbands do not strike them, only for the men to fail each time, albeit by accident.

Back to the theme of pride in the national heritage, Griffis boldly asserts that 'Cornwall is, in soul, a part of Wales', a point stressed in a few of the stories, which is historically true.
Also historically true - or at least as true as any other interpretation - is the tradition that suggests that King Arthur was a Welsh monarch. A couple of stories reflect that.

An engagingly written collection which aims to educate, clarify and entertain in equal measure.

[Anwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a strange little book. Griffis, an American of Welsh decent, has evidently heard much of Wales, but has not entirely grasped the meaning of everything so heard. There are some glaring errors here in names, meanings and history. His borrowing of Shakespeare's Puck is annoying, as is his constant references to the 'Welshery'. To anyone growing up in Wales, most of the tales are familiar, though there were one or two which were new to me in association with Wales, but which are common tropes elsewhere in the UK. The book is evidently aimed at children, but the political commentary is out of place in such a collection. There are much better introductions to Welsh lore out there. A curiosity, but that is all

[CaroleHeidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually enjoy traditional Fairy tales, even when they’re a bit weird and stilted but this collection was dire.

I know it was written a long time ago but the language was dull and the random ‘modern’ comparisons Griffis used were jarring and out of place.

I struggled my way through stubbornly but there was very little enjoyment to be had – I knew several of the stories from living near to Wales all of my life and these retellings were far from the best I’ve heard.

I certainly won’t be rushing to recommend it to anyone, luckily it was free.

[Eleri Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first few stories interesting to read however the more I read I found the stories became repetitive. I was also disappointed to note a few errors - namely the spelling of eisteddfod. Whilst errors are to be expected in a book/ebook to find such a word as Eisteddfod, that is integral to Welsh history, misspelt was shame.
I personally think it is a book where it is best to read only 2 or three tales at a time.

[Kathryn Parry · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Welsh Rabbit and Hunted hates. How did we get from cheese on toast to a saint? Did not make sense.
A lot of mistakes on the history of Wales. For example London bridge was described as Tower bridge(I know that's in London), a welsh hat was described as a witches hat not a bonnet. For me being welsh this was a waste of my time.

[Preet · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are lovely stories. I never knew King Arthur was Welsh! I find it fascinating that there was another part of the Great Britain I did not know about, not that I know all that much, but still! Wales is now on my list of places to visit and travel!

[Ashley Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. There is Welsh in my family and that's why I started reading it. I love hearing tales from
Different culture's.

[Rusila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of lore from the past.

[Annanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welsh Fairy Tales is a lot better than English fairy tales.But the drawback is that some stories contain a lot old English.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories were new to me, but the compilation is repetitious in places and the modern references felt odd in the telling of these ancient stories. Glad it was free.

[Patrik · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather disappointing re-telling. Find a version by a different author.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for children. I love to read the old school fairy tales, they always teach children the little important things of life.

[Gen Giggles · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book got far to political and involved in Welsh Nationalism for a collection of fairy tales.