Afanc
Welsh Mythology
Water Beast | Lake Dweller
About
I'm the lake-dwelling monster from Welsh folklore, described variously as a crocodile, beaver, or demon, who drags people and livestock underwater. I caused floods by thrashing in my lake until King Arthur's knights chained me and relocated me to a smaller lake. I'm Wales' answer to Loch Ness, except my story actually has resolution. Still dwelling, still dangerous, still proving that lake monsters aren't just Scottish.
My Story
Descriptions of me vary wildly because people can't agree what they're seeing. Some say I'm crocodilian. Others insist I'm beaver-like. A few claim I'm demonic.
What everyone agrees on: I live in lakes, I'm dangerous, and I caused serious flooding problems. My thrashing in Llyn Llion created waves that flooded surrounding lands. Livestock disappeared near my shores. People who ventured too close were dragged under.
Eventually, King Arthur decided I was too much trouble. His knights—specifically Peredur in some versions—used chains to bind me. They dragged me from my lake and relocated me to a smaller body of water called Llyn Barfog, where I'm supposedly still trapped. The relocation worked; the flooding stopped.
I'm less dangerous in my smaller prison lake, though still present. Some say I'm a beaver-like creature, which would explain the flooding—beavers dam, I thrash, both cause water problems. Others insist I'm supernatural, a demon given physical form. The truth might be simpler: I'm a large aquatic creature in the wrong lake, causing ecological problems until removed.
Wales has fewer famous monsters than Scotland or Ireland, but I'm their lake monster, their flood-causer, their relocated problem. Not as famous as Nessie, but I have something she doesn't: a confirmed ending. They caught me, moved me, problem solved. I'm still here in my smaller lake, less threatening but still present, proving Welsh heroes actually complete their quests.