Mallt-y-Nos
In Welsh mythology, the Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), is a crone who rides with Arawn and the hounds (Cŵn Annwn) of the Wild Hunt, chasing sorrowful, lost souls to Annwn. The Mallt-y-Nos drives the hounds onward with shrieks and wails, which some say are evil and malicious in nature.[1]
Others say that she was once a beautiful but impious Norman noblewoman who loved hunting so much that she said, "If there is no hunting in heaven, I would rather not go!" She is said to have regretted making this wish, and now cries out in misery rather than joy as she hunts forever in the night sky.[1]
References
- ^ a b Trevelyan, Marie (1973). Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales. Kessinger Publishing. p. 49. Retrieved October 10, 2010.
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