Llyn Y Dywarchen – Enigmatic Lake Shrouded In Myth And Legend

Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - The world is full of wonderful, beautiful, and mysterious places. One of them is a lake called Llyn Y Dywarchen. Located in Gwynedd,  at the top of a valley in Snowdonia, Northern Wales, the lake is shrouded in myth and legend.

Riddle Of The Floating Island

It has long been said that Llyn Y Dywarchen,' the lake of the Turf Island,' is home to a floating island.

Llyn y Dywarchen above Rhyd Ddu in Snowdonia - Credit: Richard Outram - CC BY 2.0

The first mention of the puzzling floating island comes from  Giraldus Cambrensis (1146 -1223), a writer and historian of the early Middle Ages. While journeying through Wales, Cambrensis reached Llyn Y Dywarchen, where he was surprised to see a floating island on the beautiful lake. In 1188, he described the lake as "having a floating island in it which is driven from one side to the other by the force of the wind'. Cambrensis suggested the island was probably made of turf. He also speculated that the landmass had detached itself from the lake's bottom, and gasses, such as methane, kept it floating.

Sightings of the floating lake continued, and more people reported seeing a large landmass moving freely across the waters. Finally, in 1698, astronomer and scientist Edmund Halley swam out to the island to confirm it did indeed float. It did.

Thomas Pennant (1726 1798), a Welsh naturalist, traveler, writer, and antiquarian, was very interested in geology. He stated he had spotted the floating island. According to his observations, sometimes the lake came very close to the shores, and cattle believing this was ordinary land, strayed upon it. When the island drifted away from the shore, the animals were occasionally stranded because they could not return to the mainland.

Cambrensis's first account of the floating island was accurate, which was later confirmed by other people who witnessed the same thing. Therefore, his explanation concerning the floating island was also rational. Furthermore, modern science has confirmed floating islands exist and are a common natural phenomenon found in many parts of the world.

Llyn Y Dywarchen - A Portal Of The Fairies

Llyn Y Dywarchen's floating island is not the only thing that makes the lake unique. The beautiful and mysterious lake is also associated with interesting legends and myths. Many say peculiar beings have been spotted around this place.

The belief in fairies has long been widespread in some European countries such as Iceland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. In Welsh folklore and mythology, the term Tylwyth Teg (Fair Family) is the term that describes mythological creatures known as the fairy folk of English and Continental folklore. Many stories from Wales tell of fairies that live near lakes, and Llyn Y Dywarchen is believed to be a portal to the fairyland.

One legend tells of a young farmer man who one day met a fairy woman there. He found her attractive, and she agreed to become his servant if he could guess her name. The man cheated. He eavesdropped on a fairy conversation and learned her name was Bela.

It is said that some who entered through the portal leading to the land of the fairies never came back. Credit: Adobe Stock - Kanea

Bela had an excellent connection with animals, and flocks loved being around her. As time passed, Bela told the man they could marry but only if he never touched her with iron. The couple had children and seemed to be happy, but then, a disaster happened. The young man accidentally tossed Bela a bridle, and she vanished instantly into the lake. Bela was no longer allowed to walk the earth.

Llyn Y Dywarchen has long been regarded as a meeting place of the fairies. Another legend tells of a man who spotted a group of fairies having a meeting at the lake one evening. As they danced, they invited him to join them, and he was transported to the mysterious land of the fairies, from which it took seven years to return. This particular Llyn Y Dywarchen reminds a little of Brigadoon, a mythical village in Scotland where time stands still. "People who visit Scotland often ask where they can find the mysterious and beautiful village of Brigadoon.

It's a place where the passing of a century seems no longer than one night. The village is hidden somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, and it appears every hundred years for just one day." ²

There are many fairy legends associated with the beautiful lake in Wales.

Buddhist Pilgrimage To Llyn Y Dywarchen

One may think a lake like Llyn Y Dywarchen is almost unknown to most, but that is not entirely true. Many years ago, Buddhists from The Hermitage of The Awakened Heart visited the lake where they performed rituals and mantra. The lake was blessed with prayers. According to Buddhists in Wales, there is "a strong connection between this site and Guru Rinpoche. The Welsh word Dywarchen sounds remarkably similar to the Tibetan name for the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha – Dewachen." ¹

Nominated as one of the 60 Wonders of Snowdonia, Llyn Y Dywarchen is today used mainly by fishermen, but beliefs in the fairies persist.

Updated on March 27, 2023

Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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