Tribes of the Welsh Fae
A Word on the Seelie and Unseelie Courts:
Unseelie Courts are actually Scottish
in origin, but they make it much
easier to understand the confusion
of Faerie society.
Traditionally, the Seelie Court
was associated with day
and summer and ruled from Beltaine
to Samhain. They placed great
importance on courtly traditions.
For them, oathbreaking, treason, cowardice,
and dishonor were the worst of crimes.
The Unseelie, on the other hand,
were associated with night
and winter, and ruled from Samhain
to Beltaine. Rather than placing importance
on courtly ways, they enjoyed
travelling the countryside by night
and ravaging innocent humans.
The Unsidhe were the anarchists
of the Faery world--they mocked
tradition and the ways of Light.
Clearly, it is hard to distinguish
between good and evil when
discussing faeries and their ways.
Even faeries which may otherwise
be considered "good" are often
prone to mischief which we may look
uppon as "evil" by our modern, human standards.
And those we may call "bad" sometimes
are not entirely "evil",
at least not in the truest sense of the word.
Therefore, it is easier to divide them into the Courts--
Seelie and Unseelie--understanding
that neither is entirely good or entirely bad.
The Welsh Courts
of Welsh Faerie. Led by Gwynn Ap Nudd,
a horned deity, similar to Cernunnos,
the Gwragedd Annwn, or Plant Annwn,
as they are sometimes called,
are roughly the equivalent
of the Irish Tuatha De Dannan.
For the sake of clarity,
we will consider them Seelie.
Tylwyeth Teg--Although called the "Fair Folk,"
these are anything but friendly, sparkly fairies,
as we think of them today.
The Tylwyeth Teg have a reputation
for stealing children and fair-haired
youths, and are the source of many changeling
legends in Wales. They are the other
"Main Court" of faeries in Wales.
For the sake of clarity,
we will consider them Unseelie.
Plant Rhys Dwfen--This is a smaller tribe of faeries
who inhabit a small invisible island
somewhere in Wales. They have a reputation
for kindness.
Ellyllon--Led by Queen Mab,
these are the elves of Wales.
They are smaller than the Tylwyeth Teg,
and generally less malicious
in their mischief.
There are also other faeries in Wales,
who do not fit neatly into any
of these courts. These include
the Bwca, Pwca, Gwyllion, and Coblynau,
among others, who we will discuss as independents.
