Nine Tales From Wales : Dreigiau, Môr-forynion, & Y Tylwyth Teg [Dragons, Mermaids, & Faeries]

by Jude Johnson

Told primarily for those unfamiliar with Welsh myths and legends, this is a collection of nine folk tales from the Land of Three stories of Dragons, three of Mermaids, and three of faeries. Do not expect sparkles and glitter here; these are not cute cartoon characters with animal sidekicks. These are stories the Celtic people of Wales shared over generations to teach about responsibility, respect, life, and death. Not that there isn't a bit of humor involved, mind you now...A Monster in a mountain lake, a human obsessed with a Mermaid, and wrth gwrs those pesky Fae causing all sorts of mischief... There may be a few of these tales that sound familiar - how Y Ddraig Goch became the National Symbol of Wales, for one - but in this book, they're told a bit differently.This is a fun set of stories to read aloud, and good for intermediate readers to try on their own. There are words of Cymraeg - the Welsh language - with pronunciations and definitions at the beginning of each tale, but not so many as to be intimidating.

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2021

About the author

Jude Johnson is the granddaughter of a curandera and considers herself “native by proxy” to Arizona. She speaks moderately effective Bad Border Spanish and knows just enough Welsh to yell unique words while driving through construction zones.

Reviews

[Zenobia Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nine Tales From Wales is delightful and informative. I was instantly transported to Wales and got to learn about a culture I didn't know enough about. It was super fun to read about dragons, mermaids and fairies. These stories would make fantastic bedtime stories and are also a quick escape from modern life. I also learned a lot about Welsh pronunciation and culture. Absolutely charming!