Gillian Clarke, the national poet of Wales, draws on a tradition older than books in her pick of beautiful, funny and moving Welsh myths, from the familiar - King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone - to the wonderfully weird.
Myths and legends, traditional stories passed down the generations from adult to child, told by the fire or round the table as long as people have gathered to eat, drink, sing or pluck a harp, are really a kind of history. Myth is how people explained the world, long ago, and such stories are often associated with real places.
This year is the centenary of the birth of T Llew Jones, writer of many fine children’s books in Welsh. Twenty five years ago, I was commissioned to translate his retelling of 26 traditional stories Lleuad yn Olau (One Moonlit Night). This is my top 10 favourite Welsh myths, all contained in this wonderful collection.
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