Myths & More

Lake of the Green Well It was a gray, cloudy day when a wanderer passed through the mountains of Cwym Dyli. After walking for miles, the traveler was tired and decided to take a break. Looking around they happened to find a lake that was a deep shade of evergreen, and resolved to rest by the water bank for the afternoon. It was then that they spotted something quite odd swimming around in the water. Peering closer, they saw the scaly hide of something large and gliding about. Before they could utter a sound, a large creature rose up from the water and hissed, sneering down at them. “What are you?” said the stunned traveler. “I am the Afanc,” said the serpent, writhing about. “Have you come here to make a mockery of me?” “Why would I do that?” “Because that is what your people do,” the Afanc hissed. “They come to Llyn y Ffynnon Las to see if they can catch a glimpse of me. They like to taunt and tease the beast you see before you.” The Afanc swished its tail and gave the traveler a ...

Having reached the peak of the cavern’s entrance,  Kweku Tsin turned to face the beast. Once there was a man named Kweku Tsin, a brave hunter and the provider of his village. He was as strong as he was clever, being the son of the quick-witted Anansi. Everyone admired Kweku Tsin and felt safe in his presence. One day, the people in the village began to go missing. Every day that passed, more of the villagers disappeared. Concerned, Kweku Tsin gathered his hunting gear and left the village to investigate. Reaching the lush forests, Kweku Tsin walked deftly through the trees, looking for any sign of the missing villagers. In his wake he spotted something weaving through the foliage. Kweku Tsin reached for his bow when suddenly, the large figure arose. A dragon, unlike anything he had ever seen before, reached out to grab him. The beast flew off with Kweku Tsin and dropped him in a dark den on the highest mountain. Gathering his surroundings, Kweku Tsin saw the missing villagers...

"The Legend of Princess Tamatori," illustrated by Natalie Homsher “You lost the jewel?” The Empress spoke, dangerously low. The head council did his best not to flinch, but failed. His skin crawled in fear. He began to speak. “Your majesty, I-“ “Go.” She didn’t have time for his apologies. They were in the middle of a war, and without the power of the jewel to destroy their enemy, their chances of winning would be slim to none. “And don’t come back without the jewel.” She turned her back on him, and the councilman knew that he was dismissed indefinitely. — Takeuchi looked over the steep cliff side and into the ocean, staring into the emerald depths below. He peered through the waters in search in the gem, to no avail. The Jewel of Heart’s Desire, the one thing that could save the country of turmoil, was lost. Worse, he had disappointed his love, Empress Jingū. He stared at the jagged rocks below in despair. Nearby, the pearl divers had returned from work and swum up to sh...

Surgeon's Tools Once, there was a doctor who did not believe in fate. Though many relied on fortune telling as a way of life, he was an exception. The doctor was kind in nature, but also a man of practicality.The notion of having a set destiny was something of fiction. At the very least, he assumed that those who believed in fate were just wishful thinkers, daydreaming to pass the time.  The doctor often traveled far and wide to treat his patients, as healers were hard to come by. It was on his many journeys that he encountered interesting people from different walks of life, including the occasional fortune teller. One particular day, the doctor encountered an oracle beckoning him over to their stall off the side of the road. Too polite to ignore them, the doctor went over to give the fortune teller a spare moment of his time.  What this oracle said was peculiar, unlike anything the doctor had heard before. “You, my good young man,” they started, “are destined to m...

Martha and the Tarasque In the days of old, when monsters and miracles were unwavering, there was much ruin in the world. In order to stop the constant destruction, there were those who served to leave the world much better than they found it. Among those where Martha, a healer and a devout. After the event of her baptism, she set sail across the sea to share the name of the good lord, along with many others. Traveling for many days and many nights, she soon arrived in what we now know as France, settling down in Aix. There, Martha spread the gospel and acted as the local healer, treating the sick and the elderly who lived nearby. One day, word spread throughout the town of a man-eating beast who lived in the woods nearby, somewhere between Arles and Avignon. Concerned for the townsfolk, Martha traveled along the Rhône and set out for the woods with nothing but holy water and a cross. Sure enough, she discovered a beast hidden deep in the forest, feasting on an unrecognizable man. ...

The Basilisk Mary Once, there lived a mother with her three daughters in a humble cottage. A market was to open soon in a nearby town, and as such the mother planned to go. She asked her daughters if they would like anything from the market. The two eldest daughters named many things, the sort of things young women would admire. After their many requests, the mother turned to the third and youngest daughter and asked, “And you, is there anything you would like?” The youngest, whose name was Mary, only smiled and kindly replied, “I am fine, thank you. But if you like, three roses would be lovely.” And so the mother traveled to the town market and found many things, such things that her eldest daughters would enjoy. The journey back home was long, and even longer in the dark. As night fell, it became harder for the mother to find her way back, especially for someone traveling alone. Through the forest she came across a palace which seemed strange-she did ...