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Here Be Dragons co-curated by Cressida Cowell and Toothless - opens 13 July. Admission included with ticket to the Galleries

1001 Stories Collection

The Girl from Llyn y Fan Fach

1001 The Girl From Llyn Fan Foch Thomas Tucker
Added on 03rd September 2020

Oral tradition Folktale from Wales

UK and Ireland Folk and fairy tales Magic
1001

The story of a man who falls in love with a girl from the Otherworld.

Story

One day, a young man is watching cattle grazing near the lake Llyn y Fan Fach when he sees a beautiful lady rising from the water. He falls in love with her and she agrees to marry him, but on one condition. If he strikes her three times she will leave him and go back to her own country.

Why we chose it

A story about a man who falls in love with a girl from the Otherworld. There are many Welsh stories about mortals who have dealings with the Otherworld and this is one of the best known.

Where it came from

This legend is associated with Carmarthenshire, Wales. The actual lake Llyn y Fan Fach is located here and it translates as “Lake of the Small Hill”. The story comes from an oral tradition so it is unknown when it was first told.

Where it went next

It was recorded in English in 1861 by the Reverend John Williams, as the introduction to the associated legend The Physicians of Myddfai. The location of the story, Llyn y Fan Fach, in the Brecon Beacons, is a popular tourist destination in Wales. People are drawn to the area because of the legend of the lady rising from the water.

Associated stories

The tale is closely linked to The Physicians of Myddfai which is a continuation of the story, following the lives of the sons of the young man in The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach.

Added on 03rd September 2020

Oral tradition Folktale from Wales

UK and Ireland Folk and fairy tales Magic
1001