The Celtic Fairies
Part V
In the time after the bwbach went back above ground on this island, the tall people just knew they were there, somewhere, because of all the strange things happening, such as we have just read; but they could not catch them, never mind how hard they tried.
The bwbach used their powers of invisibility and the ability to morph into animals, so that they could only be seen when they chose, then only with some tall people, who they trusted; such as the wise woman whose legs were not what they used to be; she could not chase them anyway and she grew to know them and they her so they lived quite happily side by side.
The bwbach started to trust other people, such as the farmer and his wife, who once they knew they could not oust them from their house decided to make them part of their family and give them the little it took to keep them well fed. In return the bwbach looked after the farmhouse for the farmers, should they be away from their home and made sure nothing happened to the children. A trust grew up between the people of the farms and villages and the fairies which was heartening. The valley people thought that the fairies should not be slaves but be left alone to live their lives as they wished, in the same way they themselves were able to.
But there were still tall people in the towns in charge of everything and everyone. They wanted power over other people and to be important and what better or easier way to get it than through having slaves. If they had their slaves back then they would be powerful and everyone would look up to them and know they were in charge. A person who has no one to look down on cannot be important.
The little people were far more intelligent than the tall people but because they were small those people who wanted to be important would bully them and ignore the fact of their cleverness, so they had someone who they could make afraid of them. Then they would feel important.
So it came about that the tall people, who wished to be important, took to riding through the forests on hunts, with spears and all manner of weapons looking for anything to catch and kill.
Because the little people could morph into animals the tall people, who wished to be important, and who we will call from now on what the little people called them the Pwwntobi (People Who WaNted TO Be Important), would chase anything and everything in the forest. They wanted badly to catch some little people to have as slaves.
So the fairies had to stay underground longer or be in danger of being caught, enslaved or killed by the Pwwntobi.
The Pwwntobi searched and searched. If there were reports of a bwbach in anyones home they would storm in to the house and turn it upside down looking for the creature to no avail; they could not catch one of them. They became more and more frustrated as time went on.
Then they decided to make a huge onslaught into the forest in the hope of unearthing their lost slaves.Early one spring morning, the Pwwntobi gathered together in the forest, they had hundreds of weapons and rode through the forest killing everything they could find; then, before their very eyes as a beautiful red deer breathed it's last breath, its blood seeping out of the arrow hole in it's heart, the creature changed into a beautiful miniature person.
With long flaming red hair and dressed in a dress the colour of the sunset there lay a Dynon bach Coch, one of the Red Fairy Clan.
The Pwwntobi who had pierced her heart so cruelly, picked her up and galloped out of the forest, whipping his horse frantically, shouting and holding her lifeless body aloft as he cried out "Look at it, I have one, they are still there, they did survive".
The people of the valleys were heartbroken and afraid because the Pwwntobi had killed one of the celtic fairies ; they thought that by killing the small people harm could come to them all.
They vowed then to help the little people all they could and the Pwwntobi became the outlaws; the Pwwntobi were now those who were not welcomed into homes and who were not wanted to sit at the table in the humble homes of the farms and villages.
Annwm was in mourning. The Council was called immediately and the husband of the red fairy who had been killed spoke of his loss as they gathered around Gwyn ap Nudd, the King of the Fairies.
"She was only up there looking for fresh leaves for our children", the distraught Red Fairyman cried,
"She could not find the leaves in the dark of the night and she needed her children to have fresh food to grow big and strong, like the children who live in the sunlight."
The fairies gathered around and for the first time we see them all here together. They came to the Council from all corners of the underworld to mourn the death of the red fairy by the hand of the Pwwntobi, their sworn enemy.
The Bendith y Mamau
The Mothers Blessings
The little fairies who were given the biggest job of all fairies in the Master Plan which you will read about soon. Little people with big, big, hearts who all the other fairies loved and protected with a passion. They could be fierce to tall people as they had been hurt so much by them for not being fair of face. The Mothers Blessings managed the crèches and nurseries in the underworld, arms open to cwtch all children as anyones children were their world.
Dynon Bach Teg
The Fair People
The Dynon bach teg who all sat around Gwyn ap Nudd the King of the Fairies were the smallest of the fairies, they rode miniature white horses and held greyhounds on jewelled leads. They were the clan of the King of the Fairies, his people. The fair people wore dresses and garments of the purest white made from the foam of the waterfalls and their white gold hair fell about their faces and shoulders, men, women and children. The gentlest of the Fairies they were the healers, the soothers and the herbalists and they wrapped the heartbroken red fairy man in one of their healing cloaks and laid their hands on him so he should be whole again.
The Elves of the Blue Petticoats
The Elves of the Blue Petticoats stood with the Mothers Blessings, they were a small clan but the fleetest of foot of all the fairies. They could lift up their petticoats and run like the wind. Not as speedy to morph as the bwbach but far faster on their little feet. The Elves of the Blue Petticoats were the helpers of the Mothers Blessings in the Endless Task ,which was bestowed upon them by this very council and which became part of the Master Plan of which you will learn shortly.
The Ellyllion
The Lake Fairies
Never let the spray from the water touch you or they will draw you into the lakes and rivers to live with them and you can never return to the light again. Their kingdom is the deepest in Annwm, water is their love and they live deep down in the earth amidst the creatures from darkest times. Ethereal and unworldly the Lake Fairies are the spirits of the underworld.
The Gwrach y Rhyben
The Welsh Witch
Fierce and protective of all the fairies and a law unto themselves. Their magic is not always used for the good, as their powers are mighty. They will never harm another Fairy but the Pwwntobi learned to fear these creatures who would rise in front of them in the night and scare the living daylights out of them.
Dynon bach Mynydd
The Mountain Fairies
Friends of the Welsh Witch but not as solid as the witch, as the Lake Fairies exist in the water deep underground, so their brothers and sisters the Mountain Fairies float in the mists of the mountains and valleys. They are misty beings as though they were formed from the mist they lived in and they would lead the tall people over cliff tops on the mountains if they ever strayed from the paths. They had the sweetest voices you have ever heard, voices that would draw people to their death if they ever followed the song of the Mountain Fairy.
