Introduction CW// incest and infant death discussed in one short story. The Druid has had a negative press, or, to quote Aaron, 'enjoyed a demonic reputation', since Julius Caesar's account in De Bello Gallico (c.58-49 BC). Caesar claimed that Druids officiated at human sacrifices and mentions the infamous 'wicker man', powerfully re-imagined by Folk Horror… Continue reading Welsh Gothic Tropes III: The Druid
Introduction In Chapter 5 of Welsh Gothic, Jane Aaron picks four main figures who recur throughout Welsh Gothic fiction: the Witch, the Druid, the Cŵn Annwn, and the Sin-Eater. This post looks at the figure of the Welsh witch, an ambiguous figure, usually female in fiction but not necessarily in life, part goddess, part demon, but… Continue reading Welsh Gothic Tropes II: The Witch
IntroductionOne element that recurs throughout Welsh Gothic fiction is ... the death omen. Whether it's a raven being shot and showering the bride-to-be in blood as it plummets down a well ('The Prediction', 1827), or a cow biting off its own teats on a failing farm (Martha, Jac a Sianco, 2004, I kid you not),… Continue reading Welsh Gothic Tropes I: Death Omens
Introduction Dr Emma Schofield's doctoral thesis (2014) Independent Wales?: The Impact of Devolution on Welsh Fiction in English is worth a look, covering English-language fiction from 1979 and the first failed Devolution vote, to 1997. The final section and conclusion look beyond the Yes vote, but it is a good companion to the chapter and epilogue Aaron devotes… Continue reading #AmReading: Post-Devolution Welsh Gothic (1997-2013)
Introduction The vampires of Wales are few and far between, and Aaron only looks at novels featuring vampires set in the Welsh borders. In this post, I start by looking at some of the vampire/vampiric lore in Wales, from Arawn's doomed men of the Hunt to seriously weird tales of vampiric furniture, and then at… Continue reading #AmReading: Wales, Land of the Living Dead III: Welsh Vampire Lore & Vampire Lit (1940s-1997)
