hwch ddu gota

"bob-tailed black sow." A spectral pig in Welsh tradition. It arises from the dying embers of a bonfire at Hollantide and catch the dawdling participants in these festivities. The creature is regarded as an embodiment of the Devil.

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Hollantide is the Welsh equivalent of Samhain, the Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season (31 October - November 1).

References

Source

  • MacKillop, James. (2004). Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.