The Shattered Realm

The legend of The Grey King (Y Brenin Llwyd) is the product of centuries of Welsh Folklore surrounding the aggressive psychopomp of the Insular Brythonic traditions. It is a name that reflects the mythical earthly incarnation of the King of Annwn, a title synonymous with Arawn, Gwyn ap Nudd, and Cernunnos as the leaders of the Wild Hunt and lords over the dead in the Otherworld. As the ‘Monarch of the Mists’ he bears the role of the conjurer of ‘Y Niwl’, the mist that confounds the lost travellers whose souls are then claimed when they have perished. His form is described as hideous and terrible to behold, though in the form of Arawn he appeared as a man dressed in greyish brown hunting attire with a hunting horn about his neck, riding a dapple-grey horse and sometimes accompanied with the vicious old crone Mallt-y-Nos (Matilda of the Night), whose frenzied shrieking drives on the dazzling white coated, red eared Cwn Annwn (Hounds of Hell) that lead the hunt. In modern times the name Y Brenin Llwyd has also become regionally linked to the ubiquitous ‘bigfoot’ folklore that spans the globe. This particular beast-man has supposedly scared dogs away and fears light of any description.

The Grey King’s residence in the mountains of Snowdonia in North Wales, in particular Cadair Idris is linked to both the roles these mountains have played as places of otherworldly intrigue since ancient times, and the notorious low grey clouds that roll in from the Irish Sea. The deadly combination of centuries old ghost stories and wet slippery rocks have combined to create a monster from a legendary being who shows the capability to give great wisdom or great severity. The name of the mountain itself is taken from the legendary King Idris Gawr of Meirionydd (c.560-632 CE). He is described as a ‘giant’, and astronomer whose chair on the summit of Cadair Idris would supposedly grant the gift of death, madness, or inspiration to those who spent a night upon it. Some draw the conclusion that the spirit of Idris and the Grey King are culminations of the same legends, and I feel I agree with that summary.

Celtic myth bears numerous other examples of sacred places, usually hilltops, that act as oracular gateways to numinous knowledge. Gorsedd Arberth for example was reputed as a place where the boundaries between the Otherworld and our own world were particularly thin. Those seeking knowledge, or inspiration would come to such places where they would either be granted that which they sought, or as punishment for unworthiness would be dealt a grievous wound. In the First Branch of The Mabinogion (1976 ed.), Pwyll (whose name translates to ‘Wisdom’), receives a vision of Rhiannon, the woman he will marry, whilst at Gorsedd Arberth, whereas when the mists cleared at that place for Pryderi (whose name means ‘Trouble’) in the Third Branch his people and livestock had all vanished, and the land became dreadfully cursed.

Cadair Idris, like Gorsedd Arberth is a location where seekers have gone in times past with the hope of invoking the spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and guidance. The medieval folk tale of Belyn ap Madoc as related by Ross (2001) sees a young warrior climbing to the top of Cadair Idris to seek divinatory aid as to whether he would ever be a legendary leader and hero. On nearing the summit he spends his time contemplating the dramatic scenery and the questions that drove him there, waiting for the last rays of sun to begin to fade before making the final approach to the Chair of Idris itself. After sensing his feelings of growing isolation from the world, he took his place in the chair, and gazed upwards at the stars as they appeared in the clear sky. He became fevered and restless, afraid of what may come in the sleep he came to seek, feeling an oppressive mist of darkness descend upon him. As the darkness faded he had a vision of the giants and spirits of old that were reputed to live in the mountains seeking the wisdom of the stars. His visionary experience came in a series of questions and answers from two beings in this vision, a greater voice and a lesser voice, which spoke to each other of the matters of which Belyn came in search of guidance. The vision ended after the voices addressed him directly with a summary of their words. After descending the mountain the following morning, he looked back to see the grey giants looking upon him with kindness, no longer figures of fear.