Dormarch or possibly Dormarth is a

hound A hound is a type of hunting dog used by hunters to track or chase prey. Description Hounds can be contrasted with gun dogs that assist hunters by identifying prey and/or recovering shot quarry. The hound breeds were the first hunting dogs. T ...

, normally used to assist hunters by tracking or chasing the animal that is being hunted, however in Welsh mythology Dormarch's master is Gwynn ap Nudd although formerly owned by

Maelgwn Gwynedd Maelgwn Gwynedd ( la, Maglocunus; died c. 547Based on Phillimore's (1888) reconstruction of the dating of the ''Annales Cambriae'' (A Text).) was king of Gwynedd during the early 6th century. Surviving records suggest he held a pre-eminent position ...

, a 6th-century king of

Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...

.Evans, Page XI As king of the

Tylwyth Teg (Middle Welsh for "Fair Family"; ) is the most usual term in Wales for the mythological creatures corresponding to the fairy folk of English and Continental folklore and the Irish . Other names for them include ("Blessing of the Mothers"), and ...

fairy folk A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic mythology, Celtic, Slavic paganism, Slavic, Germanic folklore, Germanic, ...

, Gwynn ap Nudd was the ruler of

Annwn Annwn, Annwfn, or Annwfyn (in Middle Welsh, ''Annwvn'', ''Annwyn'', ''Annwyfn'', ''Annwvyn'', or ''Annwfyn'') is the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn (or, in Arthurian literature, by Gwyn ap Nudd), it was essentially a world of de ...

, the Welsh equivalent of '

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

' and as such he is closely associated with the

Wild Hunt The Wild Hunt is a folklore motif (Motif E501 in Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature) that occurs in the folklore of various northern European cultures. Wild Hunts typically involve a chase led by a mythological figure escorted by ...

where he is responsible for escorting newly deceased souls of British warriors from the battlefield to the afterlife.

In myth

Dormarch has a single head, two front legs, and a body that narrows rapidly from the chest and terminates in three fish-like tails. The Dormarch's natural habitat is described in Welsh as being 'ar wybir', that is 'riding on the clouds' which haunt the mountain peaks.

In literature

''The Dialogue of Gwyn ap Nudd and Gwyddno Garanhir'' is found in the

Black Book of Carmarthen The Black Book of Carmarthen ( cy, Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin) is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written solely in Welsh. The book dates from the mid-13th century; its name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Ev ...

describing how Gwyn ap Nudd meets Gwyddno, king of

Cantre'r Gwaelod , also known as or ( en, The Lowland Hundred), is a legendary ancient sunken kingdom said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between Ramsey Island and Bardsey Island in what is now Cardigan Bay to the west of Wales. It has been des ...

and converses with the king, boasting of his battlefield prowess and describing his role with the

, gathering the souls of fallen British warriors with the help of his hounds, thereby making Dormarch a member of the

Cŵn Annwn In Welsh mythology and folklore, Cŵn Annwn (, "hounds of Annwn"; singular Ci Annwn () 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 ...

, the 'Hounds of Annwn'. Similar

hounds are found in other traditions, such as the Gabriel Hounds, Ratchets, Yell Hounds (

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

Herne the Hunter In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. He is said to have antlers growing from his head, ride a horse, torment cattle, and rattle chains. The earliest m ...

's hounds, etc. One translationGwyn ap Nudd
from the

gives :

In art

Dormarch is shown as a pictorial representation on page 97 of Evans'

in a Christianised form that reduces the canine attributes and instead draws from influences such as

whale Whales are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. As an informal and colloquial grouping, they correspond to large members of the infraorder Cetacea, i.e. all cetaceans apart from dolphins and ...

s in Biblical legends, typically that of

Jonah Jonah or Jonas, ''Yōnā'', "dove"; gr, Ἰωνᾶς ''Iōnâs''; ar, يونس ' or '; Latin: ''Ionas'' son of Amittai, is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran, from Gath-hepher of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th cent ...

Etymology

The meaning and exact form of the name "Dormarch" is uncertain because although written twice in this form by the scribe, the ''r'' has been erased at some stage, probably by another individual at a later stage. The form "Dormarth" has been interpreted as 'Death's door' although contradictory evidence exists and the word "mach" translates as 'a bail or surety'.Evans, Page XIV

References

;Notes ;Sources *Evans, John Gwenogvryn (1906). ''The Black Book of Carmarthen''. Pwllheli. {{Refend

External links