Editing Cŵn Annwn

{{short description|Welsh mythical creature}}
{{Infobox mythical creature
|name = Cŵn Annwn
|AKA           = Hounds of Annwn, Cwn Annwfn
|Grouping      = [[Legendary creature]]
|Sub_Grouping  = Spirit

|Country       = Wales
|Region        =
|Similar_entities = [[Gabriel Hounds]], Yell Hounds, Ratchets
}}
In [[Welsh mythology]] and folklore, '''Cŵn Annwn''' ({{IPA|cy|kuːn ˈanʊn}}, "hounds of Annwn"), singular '''Ci Annwn''' ({{IPA|cy|kiː ˈanʊn}}), were the spectral hounds of [[Annwn]], the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the [[Wild Hunt]], presided over by either [[Arawn]], king of Annwn in {{Lang|cy|[[Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed]]}} (Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed), the [[Mabinogi|First Branch of the Mabinogi]] and alluded to in {{Lang|cy|[[Math fab Mathonwy (branch)|Math fab Mathonwy]]}} (Math, the son of Mathonwy) the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, or by [[Gwyn ap Nudd]] as the underworld king and king of the fair(y) folk is named in later medieval lore.

In [[Wales]], they were associated with [[Bird migration|migrating]] [[goose|geese]], supposedly because their honking in the night is reminiscent of barking dogs.

Hunting grounds for the Cŵn Annwn are said to include the mountain of [[Cadair Idris]], where it is believed "the howling of these huge dogs foretold death to anyone who heard them".{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}}<ref>[[Katherine Mary Briggs|Briggs, Katharine M]]. ''An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobglobins, Brownies, Bogies and Other Supernatural Creatures''. New York: Pantheon Books. 1976. p. 85. {{ISBN|0394409183}}</ref><ref>''The Celts: history, life, and culture''. [[John T. Koch]], general editor; Antone Minard, editor. ABC-CLIO. 2012. p. 238. {{ISBN?}}</ref><ref>Abad, Rubén Abad. (2008). "La divinidad celeste/solar en el panteón céltico peninsular". In: ''Espacio, Tiempo y Forma''. Serie II, Historia Antigua, 21: 95.</ref>

According to Welsh folklore, their growling is loudest when they are at a distance, and as they draw nearer, it grows softer and softer. Their coming is generally seen as a death portent.

== Owner ==
[[Arawn]], king of Annwn, is believed to set the Cŵn Annwn loose to hunt mundane creatures.<ref name="Ross">{{cite book |title=Druids, Gods, & Heroes from Celtic Mythology |last=Ross |first=Anne |year=1986 |publisher=Eurobook |location=London, England |isbn=978-0856540493 |pages=65–69 }}<!--|access-date=August 8, 2012--></ref> When [[Pwyll]], Prince of [[Kingdom of Dyfed|Dyfed]], saw the Cŵn Annwn take down a stag, he set his own pack of dogs to scare them away.<ref name="Ross"/> Arawn then came to him and said that as repentance for driving away the Cŵn Annwn, Pwyll would have to defeat [[Hafgan]].<ref name="Ross"/>

Christians came to dub these mythical creatures as "The Hounds of Hell" or "Dogs of Hell" and theorised they were therefore owned by [[Satan]].<ref>{{cite book |last = Pugh |first = Jane |title = Welsh Ghostly Encounters |publisher = Gwasg Carreg Gwalch |year = 1990 |pages = 135 Pages |isbn = 0863817912}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title = Celtic Mythology |publisher = Geddes and Grosset |year = 1999 |pages = 480 Pages |isbn = 1855342995}}</ref> However, the Annwn of medieval Welsh tradition is an otherworldly place of plenty<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Loomis|first=R. S.|date=1941|title=The Spoils of Annwn: An Early Arthurian Poem|jstor=459010|journal=Publications of the Modern Language Association of America|volume=56|issue=4|pages=887–936|doi=10.2307/459010|s2cid=163900692 }}</ref> and eternal youth<ref>{{Cite book|title=Welsh Gothic|last=Aaron|first=J.|publisher=University of Wales Press|year=2013|location=Cardiff}}</ref> and not a place of punishment like the Christian concept of Hell.

The hounds are sometimes accompanied by a fearsome hag called [[Mallt-y-Nos]], "Matilda of the Night". An alternative name in Welsh folklore is Cŵn Mamau ("Hounds of the Mothers").

[[Da Derga]] is also known to have a pack of nine white hounds, perhaps Cŵn Annwn.<ref name="Dawn">{{cite book |title=Celtic Myth: Heroes of the Dawn |last1=Fleming |first1=Fergus |last2=Husain |first2=Shahrukh |last3=Littleton |first3=C. Scott |last4=Malcor |first4=Linda A. |year=1996 |publisher=Duncan Baird Publishers |isbn=0705421716 |page=29 }}<!--|access-date=August 8, 2012--></ref>

[[Culhwch]] rode to King Arthur's court with two "Otherworld" dogs accompanying him, possibly Cŵn Annwn.<ref name="Dawn"/>

== The Wild Hunt ==
The Cŵn Annwn are associated with the Wild Hunt. They are supposed to hunt on specific nights (the eves of [[John the Apostle|St. John]], [[Martin of Tours|St. Martin]], Saint [[Michael the Archangel]], [[All Saints' Day|All Saints]], [[Christmas]], [[New Year]], [[Saint Agnes]], [[Saint David]], and [[Good Friday]]), or just in the autumn and winter.  Some say Arawn only hunts from Christmas to [[Twelfth Night (holiday)|Twelfth Night]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}} The Cŵn Annwn also came to be regarded as the escorts of souls on their journey to the [[Otherworld]].

A Ci Annwn's goal in the Wild Hunt is to hunt wrongdoers into the ground until they can run no longer, just as the criminals did to their victims.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures |last1=Matthews |first1=John |last2=Matthews |first2=Caitlín |year=2005 |publisher=HarperElement |isbn=978-1435110861 |page=119 }}<!--|access-date=August 8, 2012--></ref>

== Colouring and meaning ==
The Cŵn Annwn are associated with death, as they have red ears.<ref name="Dawn"/> The Celts associated the colour red with death.<ref name="Dawn"/> White is associated with the supernatural, and white animals are commonly owned by gods or other inhabitants of the Otherworld.<ref name="Dawn"/>

== Similar creatures ==
In other traditions similar spectral hounds are found, e.g. Gabriel Hounds (England), Ratchets (England), Yell Hounds ([[Isle of Man]]), related to [[Herne the Hunter]]'s hounds, which form part of the [[Wild Hunt]]. Similar hounds occur in [[Devon]] – particularly on [[Dartmoor]] – and [[Cornwall]] but it is not clear whether they stem from [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic]] or [[Saxon]] origins.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/outdoors/moors/hound_baskervilles.shtml|title=The story behind the Hound|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>The Hound of the Baskervilles: Hunting the Dartmoor Legend, P Weller, Halsgrove, 2008 {{ISBN?}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Barghest]]
* [[Black dog (folklore)]]
* [[Black Shuck]]
* [[Cu-sith]]
* [[Dip (Catalan myth)]]
* [[Gwyllgi]]
* [[Hound of the Baskervilles]]
* [[Huan (Middle-earth)|Huan]]

==Notes and references==<!-- Folklore113:71. -->
{{reflist}}

{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cwn Annwn}}
[[Category:Welsh legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Welsh folklore]]
[[Category:Mythological dogs]]
[[Category:Mythological canines]]
[[Category:Dogs in religion]]
[[Category:Dogs in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wild Hunt]]