International Fairy Day

 

Mark Rees 

Did You Know… Welsh Fairies Rode Corgis Into Battle?

June 24 is International Fairy Day — a date chosen because it falls near Midsummer, when the boundary between our world and theirs is said to be at its thinnest.

In Welsh folklore, the Tylwyth Teg — the mysterious and enchanting Fair Folk — were said to ride into battle on the backs of corgis. Small but swift, these fairy steeds were loyal companions and fierce fighters, perfectly sized for their supernatural riders.

Even the name “corgi” may hint at this magical origin. Cor means “dwarf” and gi means “dog” in Welsh — making corgi the “dwarf dog,” or as some like to call it, the “dog of the fairies.”

And if you’ve ever noticed the faint dark markings across a corgi’s shoulders, take a closer look. Folklore calls it the fairy saddle — a lasting trace of their time in the service of the Tylwyth Teg.

So today, if you pass a corgi, be polite. It might not be alone...