Tylwyth Teg - My D & D Character

Tylwyth Teg

The Tylwyth Teg ("the fair people") are Welsh fairies who live in lakes or streams or in hollows of the hills. The females are called y mamau (the mothers), a title which links them to the pagan Celtic deities, the Matres. Associated with them are the usual traditions of moonlight dance, the supernatural passage of time, the stealing of children, and the substitution of changelings. They are especially interested in children with golden hair. Their favourites they enrich with precious gifts, which disappear when these gifts are spoken of.

The Tylwyth Teg (Welsh: "the Fair Folk") is the common term in Wales for fairies. A synonym, Bendith y Mamau, means "Blessing of the Mothers". Until the early 19th century it was commonly believed that the Tylwyth Teg, described as ethereal, beautiful and fair-haired, dwelt in a number of places in Wales as genii loci similar to Greek nymphs, Norse elves or Irish Aos Sí. Such places included the lake Llyn y Fan Fach. Tylwyth Teg had Fairy paths upon which it was dangerous for a mortal to walk.

They are usually portrayed as benevolent but capable of mischief, neither entirely good nor completely evil, unlike the Scottish division into Seelie and Unseelie. In their benevolent capacity they might, for example, reward with gifts of silver a woman who kept a tidy house. Yet they might also leave a changeling child in place of a human baby. They are said to covet beautiful mortal children. They fear iron, so unbaptized children could supposedly be protected from them by placing a poker over their cradle.

IN the mountains near Brecknock, says Davies, [a] there is a small lake, to which tradition assigns some of the properties of the fabled Avernus. I recollect a Mabinogi, or mythologic tale, respecting this piece of water, which runs thus:-

In ancient times a door in a rock near this lake was found open upon a certain day every year. I think it was May-day. Those who had the curiosity and resolution to enter were conducted by a secret passage, which terminated in a small island in the centre of the lake. Here the visitors were surprised with the prospect of a most enchanting garden stored with the choicest fruits and flowers, and. inhabited by the Tylwyth Teg, or Fair Family, a kind of Fairies, whose beauty could be equalled only by the courtesy and affability which they exhibited to those who pleased them. They gathered fruit and flowers for each of their guests, entertained them with the most exquisite music, disclosed to them many secrets of futurity, and invited them to stay as long as they should find their situation agreeable. But the island was secret, and nothing of its produce must be carried away. The whole of this scene was invisible to those who stood without the margin of the lake. Only an indistinct mass was seen in the middle; and it was observed that no bird would fly over the water, and that a soft strain of music at times breathed with rapturous sweetness in the breeze of the morning.

It happened upon one of these annual visits that a sacrilegious wretch, when he was about to leave the garden, put a flower, with which be had been presented, in. his pocket; but the theft boded him no good. As soon as he had touched unhallowed ground the flower vanished and he lost his senses. Of this injury the Fair Family took no notice at the time. They dismissed their guests with their accustomed courtesy, and the door was closed as usual. But their resentment ran high. For though, as the tale goes, the Tylwyth Teg and their garden undoubtedly occupy the spot to this day, though the birds still keep at a respectful distance from the lake, and some broken strains of music are still heard at times, yet the door which led to the island has never re-opened, and from the date of this sacrilegious act the Cymry have been unfortunate.

Some time after this, an adventurous person attempted to draw off the water, in order to discover its contents, when a terrific form arose from the midst of the lake, commanding him to desist, or otherwise he would drown the country.

Tylwyth Teg (Fair Family) Rho’wch (People of the Blue Petticoat)
(pron. terlooeth teig) Welsh faeries who are good, dance & kidnap children with long golden hair. Their king is Gwyn ap Nudd. They possess glamour and can change into goats, dogs, cats and sionach/shynee: foxes. Gossamer is called Rhaffau’r Tylwyth Teg: the Ropes of the Fair Family because they use it to bind sleepers. They live underground in mountains and caves.

The way to their wooded country the Land of Enchantment: Gwlad Hud a Lledrith with meadows of bright flowers is underneath hollow banks that overhang the deepest parts of lakes, or the deepest pools in rivers. Mortals can not follow them further than the water.

They are dark-haired, one to three feet tall, wear birch leaf coats, moss breeches & gorse flower hats. They are associated with poisonous foxgloves which are called petticoats. They use glow worms for torches. They have white horses, the women have bright dresses of red, white, pink, blue and green on Mayday. They play harp and violin music; feast on wine in golden cups inlaid with gems on silver tables in palaces of gold and pearls. 

Their sacred well which cannot be drunk from is full of fishes of every color and golden fish. Pen y Boric, Corwrion, Wales, Afon Cegin Arthur is a portal and some have seen their houses submerged under the water. In rough weather the bells from the church tower of that town may be heard ringing, The lake is populated by herons, geese, cormorants, eels, leeches, water-hens, water-lilies, rushes & sedges. A sour apple-tree is lit up by fire during the winter half of the year. The faeries use spinning-wheels: troell bach in the summer and sing rounds: sìli ffrit: small fish divination.

On nights when the moon is full they celebrate a noswaith lawen: merry night. At midnight they rise out of the ground in every combe and valley; then, joining hands, form circles, and sing and dance until cock-crow, where they then vanish.

 The Tylwyth Teg are a distant relatives to pixies but still remain part of the sprite family - if just by a hair - even if they carry no true magic through their bloodline, which is acquired instead of being inherited like many other Fey. They are known for their particular nature for both good and evil deeds and so are called the Tylwyth teg or 'The Fair Folk' as a term of endearment for fear of reprisal. Very few adventurers or even their Fey cousins have ever met and talked with a tylwyth teg as they are very secretive folk, only moving when all backs are turned in order to preserve their mysterious nature - their greatest strength being others fear of their presence. Often they will enter human households uninvited whilst they sleep or vacate and inspect the upkeep of the dwelling, rewarding housewives who are dutiful with gifts of silver. If they are angered however, they have been known to kidnap healthy human children and replace them with sickly Changeling babies, the real child is usually returned upon the removal of all iron implements from the house and an offering of sweet pastries - the size of the offering dependent upon the severity of their wrongdoing. Babies would only be removed from households which are not suitable for the youngling to be raised in. Thoughtless parents have been known to have been struck unconscious by falling pans and pots or have the hems of their clothes catch alight with no warning.

 Tylwyth Teg are light-hearted folk but at the same time carry a heavy burden which is their reputation when away from their hidden homes. If one were to talk with a tylwyth teg the experience would be as if talking to a child, often they would appear shy and bashful - their understanding of common and sylvan languages is only basic amongst the older generations - but when under threat or intimidated retaliation usually comes in the form of a few magical curses and illusions although very rarely will the experience be fatal unless there is an obvious foreboding of danger. The Tylwyth Teg have always been on good terms with the creatures of the forest, for they take little but offer great deals of protection within the small forest glades which they rest - warded against intruders of all kinds. It is because of this ancient bond that many of the tylwyth teg tend towards raising abandoned animals and healing the injured, releasing them from traps and snares hunters set and animals will aid caught tylwyth teg - no matter how unlikely the situation might seem.

Tylwyth Teg have an appearance much like pixies with the exception that they are little more than half the size and bear much smaller, squarer wings upon their back much like the fins of a fish. Their proportions are startlingly similar to that of humans, with the exception of their ears - whose tips reach the height of the crown of their head. Often both the tips of their ears and hair will be a myriad of blues and greens, changing in the light depending upon the angle. They possess very bright and colorful eyes, more present amongst the women than the men. In all aspects they appear limber and unrestricted in movements, their garments usually layered soft silk and fine cloth - a full size tylwyth teg cloth garment fit for a human has been known to be given as a gift for selfless acts such as the release of a tylwyth teg prisoner without ransom or accepting a lost tylwyth teg into your home and making the appropriate arrangements - including the complete removal of all pure-iron implements from the house. 

The Tylwyth Teg are not known for associating long with truly intelligent beings for long, staying close to home and in tight knit kin-ordered groups. However the tylwyth teg in secret migrate to fellow tylwyth teg safe havens in order to cement marriages and prevent the dying out of their ancient civilization. It is often a rule of thumb that all relations with humans and tylwyth teg be only temporary, regardless of the situation with the possible exception of the situation warranting a reward which the tylwyth teg is yet to prepare. The fairies will often watch over children in their sleep should their name be uttered for protection although is often mistaken as a term used to ward off the removal of healthy babies from their cradles.

No alignment has been known to capture a tylwyth teg for long, though their tendency for both good and evil is always dependent upon the situation lead an immoveable belief in what actions warrant both positive or negative results - though these may vary from fairy to fairy. The most common aspect of the tylwyth teg is Chaotic Neutral, whimsical beings who will take their own decisive acts regardless of local rules or regulations. Should irregularity not be apparent, the tylwyth teg usually resume small tasks such as planting small seeds and other deeds which it finds fun or amusing. 

The Tylwyth Teg are usually secluded to one protected glade per forest, comprised of several family group and possibly a dozen blood relatives per family given the size and ease of maintenance. Each glade is set in a place of half-shade, warm enough to feel the sun when it rises and yet cool enough to keep the forest floor soft and lush. Each glade has enough room to fit an entire group of tylwyth teg and a handful of large animals while they rest, usually set next to a steam or pond or crystal clear water. This safe haven is usually hidden under more than a dozen wards, one that shield it from sight and discourage further searches - magically imbued thorns, illusions of gigantic spider webs and even sentient plants although these wards will not affect children of any race, for humans those under the age of twelve can safely pass between the barriers without ill effect.

The Tylwyth Teg devotion to the fairy-gods is a powerful spiritual bond, granting them many of their essential magical abilities. Each family will devote their line to a particular aspect of the fairy-gods, such as luck, growth and even larceny, though these faiths have strangely secretive rituals which are non-aparent to many other races unless specifically shown or directed towards minor actions such as rolling a set of miniature dice to make decisions or divine the future.