Ceffyl Dŵr
Also called CeffylDr.
In Welsh folklore, Ceffyl Dŵr is a water horse with an ethereal, shifting form. It can shape water into illusions to lure travelers into drowning.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Welsh folklore
- Region
- Wales (place of origin)
- Symbols
- Horse
Near this figure
Symbols
Judged against the description by a model. Meanings are our own paraphrase.
- Horse is image-domain The horse denotes harnessed striving power, mount of gods, sun and sea alike, carrying the dead as psychopomp and the living into their conquests.
why
In Welsh folklore, Ceffyl Dŵr is a water horse with an ethereal, shifting form.
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Form
- Shapeshifts human animal
why
Some legends suggest that the Ceffyl Důr can also take on human form, further enhancing its ability to deceive.
Behaviour
- Drowns riders
why
The Ceffyl Důr's primary goal is to lure unsuspecting victims into deep waters, where they meet their demise through drowning.
- Solitary and territorial by nature
why
the Ceffyl Důr is fundamentally solitary, interacting with others only as potential victims.
Sight and sound
- Materializes suddenly out of mist or shadow
why
it could manifest as a shimmering path across a misty lake
- Deceptive lure light over water
why
it could manifest as a shimmering path across a misty lake, promising safe passage.
Omens
- Most active at liminal thin veil times
why
It is said to be most active during twilight hours or on misty days when the boundaries between the physical and spiritual realms are at their thinnest.
Utility powers
- Illusion crafting
why
The Ceffyl Důr possesses an uncanny ability to manipulate water, crafting intricate illusions that can captivate and deceive even the most vigilant of travelers.
- Shapeshifting
why
is a shape-shifting water horse that embodies the mystical and treacherous nature of bodies of water.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Anima carries both readings
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Shadow carries both readings
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Trickster carries both readings
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Water carries both readings
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Hero meets
3 citations
- Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters, and Dragons, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."
- Theresa Bane, Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore, s.v. "Ceffyl-Dwr."