Familiar Spirits

British Goblins: Welsh Folk Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions (1881) Book 2 Chapter 5

by Wirt Sikes

Familiar Spirits are known to often throw stones, especially when at Preachers trying to exorcise them! We also hear about the familiar spirits of Magicians and others who deal in the Black Arts. Sikes tells us the legend of the Lady of the Wood, and how she bewitched those around her with illusions. The Devil himself can be seen as a form of familiar, and can transform himself into a huge black mastiff, a black calf or even a round bowl! Finally, we learn how to both summon and exorcise familiars, and how the terrible tailor of Glanbran was asked to summon the Devil.

Running Order:

• Familiar Spirits 0:55
• The Famous Sprite of Trwym Farm 2:10
• Was it a Fairy? 6:40
• The Familiar Spirits of Magicians 7:35
• Sir David Llwyd's Demon 7:43
• Familiar Spirits in Female Form 10:26
• The Legend of the Lady of the Wood 13:40
• The Devil as a Familiar Spirit 21:15
• His Disguises in this Character 22:41
• Summoning and Exorcising Familiars 26:12
• Jenkin the Pemrokeshire Schoolmaster 26:50
• The Terrible Tailor of Glanbran 29:00

Names Used in this Section

All proper names, and words in Welsh or other languages, are recorded here in the show-notes and we've done our best to get the pronunciations right for you.

Trwym Farm Sir David Llwyd Pemrokeshire Glanbran diawl Job John Harry Mynyydyslwyn Pwca'r Trwyn Ellylldan Thomas Evans Pwll y Gasseg Morris Roberts William Reilly Blanch y Byd Dos yn iach ('fare thee well') Crumlyn Abercarne Californian Bwbach Cardiganshire Oxford Rev. Mr. Thomas Lewis, Landdw & Tolachdy Radnorshire 'Tafl gerrig o'r afon' (throw stones out of the river) River Wye Giraldus Caerleon, Monmouthshire Melerius Lower Gwent Iolo MSS Einion Gwalchmai Treveilir Angharad Kent Monmouthshire Maenol Gorwenydd Gwyn Nudd Ednyved Vychan Gruddydd ab yr Ynad Coch cythraul dera diafol Hermes Vavasor Powell Pemrokeshire Narberth Henry Llewellyn Ystrad Defoc Glamorganshire Marquis of Bute William Jones Risca village Merthyr Tydfil John Jenkin Glanbran, Carmarthenshire Mr. Gwynne

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