Jump to content

Mallt-y-Nos

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Addbot (talk | contribs) at 04:19, 28 February 2013 (Bot: Migrating 5 interwiki links, now provided by Wikidata on d:q1887642 (Report Errors)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), also known as the Night Mallt,[1] is a crone in Welsh mythology 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.[2]

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.[2]

References

  1. ^ Brooke, Stopford Augustus (1892). The history of early English literature: being the history of English poetry from its beginnings to the accession of King Ælfred. Macmillan and Co. p. 84. Retrieved October 10, 2010. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ a b Trevelyan, Marie (1973). Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales. Kessinger Publishing. p. 49. Retrieved October 10, 2010. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)