Afanc facts for kids

The Afanc, which is also sometimes spelled Addanc, is a famous lake monster from the old stories of Welsh mythology. No one could agree on what it looked like! Some stories described it as being like a crocodile, a giant beaver, or even a dwarf. It was known as a fearsome creature that lived in the deep waters of Welsh lakes, such as Llyn Llion or Llyn yr Afanc, a lake near Betws-y-coed that was named after it.

Legends of the Lake Monster

The Afanc was a terrifying creature that was said to attack anyone who was unlucky enough to swim in its lake. Over the centuries, many exciting stories have been told about this monster and the heroes who tried to defeat it.

One of the first written descriptions of the Afanc comes from a poet named Lewys Glyn Cothi, who wrote about it in the 15th century.

The Maiden's Trap

One famous story tells of a brave maiden who tried to trick the Afanc. She let the monster fall asleep with its head in her lap. While it was sleeping, villagers snuck up and tied it up with heavy chains.

But when the Afanc woke up, it was furious! It thrashed around wildly, and sadly, the maiden was caught in the struggle. In the end, the monster was dragged to another lake, or in some versions of the story, it was defeated by the hero Peredur.

The Hero Peredur

In another legend, the hero Peredur son of Efrawg (who is similar to Sir Percival from the King Arthur stories) decided to face the monster. In this story, the creature was called the "Addanc of the Lake" and lived in a dark cave.

The Addanc was a very tricky monster. It could turn invisible and used poison darts to attack its victims. On his journey, Peredur met a helpful queen who gave him a special magic stone called an adder stone. This stone allowed Peredur to see the invisible monster.

With the help of the stone, Peredur bravely entered the cave, fought the Addanc, and defeated it for good. The local people were finally safe from the creature.

Other Famous Tales

A writer named Iolo Morganwg, who collected many Welsh myths, shared some other interesting stories about the Afanc.

The Great Flood

Iolo Morganwg told a story that the Afanc was so powerful that its thrashing in the lake caused a giant flood. The story says this flood covered all of Britain, and only two people, named Dwyfan and Dwyfach, survived to start a new generation of people in the land of Prydain (an old name for Britain).

Hu Gadarn's Oxen

Another tale from Iolo Morganwg tells of a mighty hero named Hu Gadarn. He didn't fight the Afanc with a sword. Instead, he used his two powerful oxen to drag the monster right out of the lake. Once it was on dry land, the Afanc lost all its power and was easily defeated.

The Creature's Name

The name of this monster has a few different spellings because the Welsh language has changed over time.

• In Middle Welsh, an older form of the language, it was sometimes written as avanc or addanc.
• In modern Welsh, the word afanc actually means "beaver"! This might be why some people described the monster as looking like a giant beaver.
• Today, Afanc is the most common way to spell the creature's name.