| Creature information | |
|---|---|
| Other name(s) | Hounds of Annwn, Cwn Annwfn |
| Grouping | Legendary creature |
| Sub grouping | Spirit |
| Similar entities | Gabriel Hounds, Yell Hounds, Ratchets |
| Origin | |
| Country | Wales |
InWelsh mythology and folklore,Cŵn Annwn (Welsh pronunciation:[kuːnˈanʊn], "hounds of Annwn"), singularCi Annwn (Welsh pronunciation:[kiːˈanʊn]), were the spectral hounds ofAnnwn, the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of theWild Hunt, presided over by eitherArawn, king of Annwn inPwyll Pendefig Dyfed (Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed), theFirst Branch of the Mabinogi and alluded to inMath fab Mathonwy (Math, the son of Mathonwy) the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, or byGwyn ap Nudd as the underworld king and king of the fair(y) folk is named in later medieval lore.
InWales, they were associated withmigratinggeese, supposedly because their honking in the night is reminiscent of barking dogs.
Hunting grounds for the Cŵn Annwn are said to include the mountain ofCadair Idris, where it is believed "the howling of these huge dogs foretold death to anyone who heard them".[citation needed][1][2][3]
According to Welsh folklore, their growling is loudest when they are at a distance, and as they draw nearer, it grows softer and softer. Their coming is generally seen as a death portent.
Arawn, king of Annwn, is believed to set the Cŵn Annwn loose to hunt mundane creatures.[4] WhenPwyll, Prince ofDyfed, saw the Cŵn Annwn take down a stag, he set his own pack of dogs to scare them away.[4] Arawn then came to him and said that as repentance for driving away the Cŵn Annwn, Pwyll would have to defeatHafgan.[4]
Christians came to dub these mythical creatures as "The Hounds of Hell" or "Dogs of Hell" and theorised they were therefore owned bySatan.[5][6] However, the Annwn of medieval Welsh tradition is an otherworldly place of plenty[7] and eternal youth[8] and not a place of punishment like the Christian concept of Hell.
The hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag calledMallt-y-Nos, "Matilda of the Night". An alternative name in Welsh folklore is Cŵn Mamau ("Hounds of the Mothers").
Da Derga is also known to have a pack of nine white hounds, perhaps Cŵn Annwn.[9]
Culhwch rode to King Arthur's court with two "Otherworld" dogs accompanying him, possibly Cŵn Annwn.[9]
The Cŵn Annwn are associated with the Wild Hunt. They are supposed to hunt on specific nights (the eves ofSt. John,St. Martin, SaintMichael the Archangel,All Saints,Christmas,New Year,Saint Agnes,Saint David, andGood Friday), or just in the autumn and winter. Some say Arawn only hunts from Christmas toTwelfth Night.[citation needed] The Cŵn Annwn also came to be regarded as the escorts of souls on their journey to theOtherworld.
A Ci Annwn's goal in the Wild Hunt is to hunt wrongdoers into the ground until they can run no longer, just as the criminals did to their victims.[10]
The Cŵn Annwn are associated with death, as they have red ears.[9] The Celts associated the colour red with death.[9] White is associated with the supernatural, and white animals are commonly owned by gods or other inhabitants of the Otherworld.[9]
In other traditions similar spectral hounds are found, e.g. Gabriel Hounds (England), Ratchets (England), Yell Hounds (Isle of Man), related toHerne the Hunter's hounds, which form part of theWild Hunt. Similar hounds occur inDevon – particularly onDartmoor – andCornwall but it is not clear whether they stem fromBrythonic orSaxon origins.[11][12]