The Monstrefact Redux: The Afanc

In this episode of STBYM’s The Monstrefact, Robert discusses the monstrous Afanc of Welsh tradition… (originaly published 12/4/2024)

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hi, my name is Robert Lamb and this is the
Monster Fact, a short form series from Stuff to Blow
Your Mind, focusing on mythical creatures, ideas and monsters in time.
I spent last week in Wales, taking in the majestic
beauty of the Welsh countryside as well as its vibrant history.

(00:31):
During my travels, I asked my tour guide O'shan which
monster from Welsh traditions really stands out to him, and
his answer was the avonc. The exact nature of the
Avonk varies from telling to telling, as does its exact name,
but drawing on the book Folklore of Wales by Anne
Ross as well as Carol Rose's Giants, Monsters and Dragons,

(00:54):
I think we can start with a general consistent tale.
Medieval and later Welsh traditions hold that the avank was
a terrifying water monster that preyed on human beings until
such time as it was chained and dragged away by
oxen across the Welsh countryside, sometimes through the moors, till
it could be imprisoned in the Lake of shin kum

(01:16):
Ethanon in Snowdonia. In other tellings of the tale, it
was merely dragged by Oxen onto dry land, where it
became powerless. Sometimes this is the work of the Knight Peridur,
other times Sir Percival, and even King Arthur himself in
some tellings. Again, there are many variations, but this seems
to be a good skeleton of a tale to work from. Now.

(01:39):
What was the exact nature of the beast in question, Well,
Ross and Rose mentioned several different alleged forms, a great
supernatural crocodile, a giant beaver, a water demon, a dwarf,
a hippocampus or water horse. In at least one telling,
according to Ross, it boasts the powers of the Scotch

(02:00):
Irish kelpie, taking on the fair form of a horse
or a youth in order to lure in its prey. Mostly, however,
the avank was said to lurk in the waters and
simply attack any human who came too close to the shore,
but it was also said to occasionally thrash around in
the water with sufficient force to cause devastating, even primordial floods.

(02:23):
In one telling, a fetching maiden lured the beast from
shin Ur Avunk a pool by the Knwei River, and
the Avank fell asleep on her knee, clutching one of
her breasts in its claw. And while the creatures slept,
men crept up with chains and bound the creature. When
the Avank woke to this imprisoned state, it panicked and

(02:46):
it fled back with all its strength towards its watery home.
The maiden's breast still gripped in its claw. And while
the monster did indeed make it back to the waters
of shin Ur Avank, trailing its chains the whole way.
The men succeeded in binding its chains to Oxen, which
succeeded in dragging the monster away to its watery prison

(03:08):
in shin kum Ethanon, where it is said to lurk
to this day. So if you find yourself in Wales,
look out for the Avank and don't get too close
to strange waters. Tune in for additional episodes of The
Monster Fact each week. As always, you can email us
at contact at Stuff to Blow your Mind dot com.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
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