Snowdonia is a land steeped in Myth, the Rocky Mountains for aeons capturing the imagination of locals and adventurers.
The Mabinogi is a collection of medieval stories. They detail the lives and times of characters adventuring in the North Wales area, the epic tales involve dealings with mortals and legendary creatures.
One prominent character that is found in this collection is none other than King Arthur. His mythologies are found all over the region, with several lakes claiming to hold the sword Excalibur. There is a hoof mark found on the banks of lake Barfog near Betws y Coed, which is said to be made by Arthur’s horse when his steed and he were pulling a creature from the lake.
Bardsey Island off the coast of the llyn is said to be the final resting place of Merlin, and King Arthur. It’s also claimed to be the legendary Avalon.
Vortigern, a hated warlord escaped perusing enemies by escaping to Bedgellert. He tried to build a castle there but every night the work of the day before was always destroyed. After being told that underground by a child Merlin, that the Welsh Dragon was in mortal combat with a White Dragon (representing the Saxons) and was thwarting it, Vortigern abandoned his project.
The mountain of Cadair Idris is named ‘the Chair of Idris’. Said to be the chair of a great Giant named Idris. The local lakes were said to be reportedly without a bottom. It is said that to spend the night on the mountain, you will awaken as a madman, a poet… or perhaps not awaken at all!
Snowdon itself is named in Welsh as Yr Wyddfa ‘ the tomb’. This is said to be because it is the burial mound of a giant, who had a notoriety for killing kings and making cloaks from their beards.
Back to King Arthur – who is also said to be buried inside a cave of the Lliwedd, one of the peaks of Snowdon where he waits with hundreds of warriors waiting to make his return.