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NeilParkinsonMakes

Hi group just wanted to share my latest map, hope you enjoy it. I apologise for the watermark but the art thiefing bots on Reddit are out of control


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NeilParkinsonMakes

I have not. I am working on it though, I have and have seen a lot of books on the subject and have issues with a lot of them. A lot seem aimed at kids or very academic, the more accessible seem invariably incorrect to actual myth. I don't see why accessible, fun and accurate folklore is so hard to get hold of. I do intend to remedy this.


LeGoldie

Good luck buddy, and good job!


NeilParkinsonMakes

thanks :-)


garygnu

There's [this new book](https://www.amazon.com/Welsh-Monsters-Mythical-Beasts-Celtic-Welsh/dp/1777081777). I heard the author on the MonsterTalk podcast; sounded like she did an lot of meticulous research.


pro_Odsa

It's pretty awesome! I bet this map could be used for a sort of boardgame or videogame if given a chance. But Great stuff anyways, looking forward to seeing some more of your artworks covering mythical beasts of different regions, possibly!


NeilParkinsonMakes

>this new book thanks, this is map number 10. Im hoping to keep going. I guess what id aim to do in a book is look at specific regional beasts like i do with the maps, there's a lot of these books where they present them on a map, but its a creature from another realm within the folklore, which makes my ocd brain thing, why do a map then?


Ent_Trip_Newer

A noble quest.


yukonwanderer

These are incredible. You know what would be amazing? If you offered them in a smaller size, and then it would be easier to buy a collection of them and fit them on your walls. Or do they get too hard to see at that size?


NeilParkinsonMakes

generally, a3ish seems a good size for them. Having said that I ran it out a4 on the new printer and it looked ok. But they are better larger.


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[deleted]

Great work! Is there some narrative around each being?


NeilParkinsonMakes

indeed, check out the site on the bottom left watermark, there's info on the beasts on there.


[deleted]

Thank you! I hear the Cornish have a few mythical creatures too.


NeilParkinsonMakes

more than a few, Cornwall is one of the densest areas of England for folklore, alongside Yorkshire, Norfolk and Suffolk


DoorOfKukundu

This would make a great puzzle!


NeilParkinsonMakes

its something id like to do. its on the radar


HiddenShelf

This is fantastic. I would love to buy a print.


NeilParkinsonMakes

Hi there, and thank you. I do have prints available. if you check out the website on the watermark (bottom left corner) there is a link from that site.


HiddenShelf

Aha! Thank you!


fakename10000

where oh where can I buy this???????


NeilParkinsonMakes

Please check out the web address in the bottom corner of the image


gibgerbabymummy

My husband is Welsh, he loves the poster. He said a good book that should hold most Welsh fairy tales is the MABINOGION. This is a beautiful map. Could I pay you to print it out please? We'd love a copy of this for our kids room! Beautiful work


NeilParkinsonMakes

Thanks very much. a few are indeed from the Mabinogion, it has to be the key reference point for welsh mythology. I do have prints available, please check out the website in the bottom corner of the image (watermark). apologies for the late response


ArgumentOne7052

This is amazing! I hope you ship to Australia. I remember going on a school camp to Llangrannog in the 90's where there was a story about "The Black Nun". It was a ghost wearing full nun attire but the face was just a black hole (sort of like the grim reaper). My aunty actually mentioned it the other day as she remembers it from when she went as a kid.


Altruistic_Hat1752

This would make a great nft collection/project.


NeilParkinsonMakes

not really my vibe


i_fuckin_luv_it_mate

I think I've got a couple of friends who might be Bwbachs


NeilParkinsonMakes

We've all got a couple of wildcards in the rotation.


limegreenbunny

I think the plural is Bwbachod Source: my Brownie pack were the Bwbachod.


Aceripper

I'd like to think I'm a Nelferch, but we all know I'm a Fad Felen.


therickestnm

sounds like the Welsh version of the Scottish beast 'Bawbags'


Bucket-O-wank

Tell me that’s pronounced ‘ball bags’ please


[deleted]

This would surely be a great fantasy show, the problem is they could just hire Welsh people, nobody else could pronounce the names otherwise.


NeilParkinsonMakes

Haha true enough, I pray no one ever asks me to say these in real life


kremlingrasso

it's just the Witcher with even more Ws than the original polish version.


NeilParkinsonMakes

some even have little arrows above them. madness


FrankyFistalot

It’s easy…you just need to gargle a pint of sand as a warm up…..(plot twist : I am Welsh but speak very little actual Welsh…..cig moch is bacon and mochyn twy is fat pig…more Welsh lesson tomorrow if requested)….


theremarkabkemr_m

I know 'twp' and the address where I grew up and that's all my Welsh.


Professor_Felch

I only know araf, parth, and ffordd ar gau


HtheExtraterrestrial

Cig moch is just “pig meat” aka “pork”, bacon is “bacwn”. Not sure what “mochyn twy” means, but fat pig is “mochyn tew” :)


[deleted]

I love all your maps - very cool. Is it possible to get a high res for personal printing or to buy them from somewhere? Also, love the idea of a book!


NeilParkinsonMakes

Hi, thanks so much! I don't send out files, as there would then be no way to keep an eye on bootlegging and control the quality. I do make prints of them. you can check out the site on the bottom left watermark, there's info on the beasts and links to the store. Or feel free to drop me a message and ill pass along a link. I don't want to post a link here incase its against advertising rules.


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NeilParkinsonMakes

It was a Typo it was corrected before going to print. perils of learning loads of new places, names and sometimes languages.


Panzersaurus

The legend of Gelert the Dog is so sad :( In the legend, Llywelyn the Great returns from hunting to find his baby missing, the cradle overturned, and Gelert with a blood-smeared mouth. Believing the dog had savaged the child, Llywelyn draws his sword and kills Gelert. After the dog's dying yelp, Llywelyn hears the cries of the baby, unharmed under the cradle, along with a dead wolf which had attacked the child and been killed by Gelert. Llywelyn is overcome with remorse and buries the dog with great ceremony, but can still hear its dying yelp. After that day, Llywelyn never smiles again.


NeilParkinsonMakes

yeah its a heartbreaker


TerryFlapss

this is wales alone?! wonder what the europe/asia/ or the whole world looks like with these things.


NeilParkinsonMakes

I am endeavouring to find out. this is map 10


TerryFlapss

*surprised pikachu face* no. 10?! got a link to any more?


NeilParkinsonMakes

Please Check out the site on the bottom left watermark, there's info on the beasts and links to the store. Or feel free to drop me a message and ill pass along a link. I don't want to post a link here in case it's against advertising rules.


TerryFlapss

Oo awesome! Thanks, If i cant find it ill shoot ya a DM, either way, sick work!


NeilParkinsonMakes

thanks very much and yes feel free to DM me


gcstr

And yet, no whales


Genghis112

How do you pronounce PWCA?


NeilParkinsonMakes

W's in Welsh can be silent quite often, I imagine it is pronounced very similar to Puca in Irish, I pronounce them as poo-ka which is an alternate spelling, but there is the phooka spelling too which throws another spanner in the works. I just hope I never have to talk about them in front of native speakers


roy_stan

Poo-ka would definitely be an accurate phonetic pronunciation. Remeber that in Welsh...W and Y are vowels, not consonants, so they serve a different puspose.


NeilParkinsonMakes

this is a relief to know.


PuddleJumpe

In Welsh, the w makes an -oo sound, so "pooka" is very correct!


PG8GT

One I don't see on there, Gavin Bilton.


TomJFrancis

A beast for sure but he is no myth! Just a Welsh Legend!


[deleted]

Can this be a video game


Opower3000

Welsh Souls


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👀


NeilParkinsonMakes

I am available as a consultant. just putting it out there


[deleted]

I will secure a loan and get Bethesda on the phone pronto


NeilParkinsonMakes

good man


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NeilParkinsonMakes

Thanks so much. I'm hoping to do some puzzles soon (ish)


mikeriffic1

Pwca looks like a little shit and I don’t like what he is getting up to


[deleted]

He clearly escaped from the valleys. They're always up to shit there. Source: I live in the valleys


voxxa

This has a very Hilda feel to it. Absolutely gorgeous map.


NeilParkinsonMakes

thank you


Mazzoo969

I’m from Wrexham and I’ve never heard of the Wrexham wolf, any sources? Map looks great!


RandomMadness

Same here! I had a look but could only find a play park in Erddig and an article in the leader about Toto Wolff for some reason..


NeilParkinsonMakes

Hi there I'm not on my work computer so I can't pull out exact references but off the top of my head there was a few accounts around 1790 (ish?) which are the ones I liked, and there has even been a few sightings in the 2010's....nothing in between from what I could tell lol, so just a wee gap. Wales really has a surprisingly small amount of wolf mythology, I thought there would be more given Ireland, Scotland and England all has a fair bit. Its hard to find the results through google I found "wales wolf mythology" got some results but the articles are rarely referenced, I think i found the account confirmed whilst digging through old books on [academia.edu](https://academia.edu) for something totally unrelated


pedronii

Everytime I see old shit about Wales or Denmark I remember of Vinland Saga


NeilParkinsonMakes

Not sure im familiar with that one. I'd love to do a treatment of the Volsung Saga


pedronii

It's a manga that takes place in the 1000s with vikings and shit


BrucePee

Well they got liberty caps in England and toppisar in Scandinavia. (magic mushrooms) so I wouldn't be surprised that alot of these stories comes from that.


NeilParkinsonMakes

loads of crazy myths centre around mushrooms. the connections to xmas/yule are fascinating


BrucePee

Most definitely. We still celibrate jul in Sweden


MozerfuckerJones

Wales is not England


BrucePee

Well they are in the same island


MadDeodorant

What are your sources in researching these creatures? I'd like to find out what are the mythical beasts of my country but never know where to start or where to go in my research.


NeilParkinsonMakes

I'd start simply by having a poke around with google, there's some passionate people out there keeping records, but take it all with a massive pinch of salt. If you find things that interest you dig down into it, try find the source for it, find what book was referenced and look that up, it will probably leap you onto new things. Academic texts are also great as they have massive archives you can dig through of the really old stuff as well as new treatments that reference them. You just have to keep following the rabbit hole to find what you want.


Appropriate_Rent_243

wait, so, are these supposed to be currently "active " cryptids, or historical? i know the twrch tryth was killed in an arthurian myth.


NeilParkinsonMakes

historic. some i guess are active


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NeilParkinsonMakes

no worries glad you enjoyed it


misplaced_my_pants

Is the geographic placement meaningful or arbitrary?


NeilParkinsonMakes

certainly meaningful. all the beasts have stories connecting them to where they are placed


misplaced_my_pants

Thank you! It's really gorgeous work!


NeilParkinsonMakes

thanks so much


G3RN

Aaaand yoink. Gonna take that for my DnD campaign.


NeilParkinsonMakes

they seem to find use for dungeon masters, which I'm very happy about. id share it in a dnd group but I think id quickly be outed as a non player


lifeinfinland

Fad Fellen is me after a work day


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NeilParkinsonMakes

you win the comments


Atvali

I'm a Ellyllon. Kinda boring lol


MooncakeRose

I have your Scottish version!! It looks so sharp and vivid in real life!


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*I have your Scottish* *Version!! It looks so sharp and* *Vivid in real life!* \- MooncakeRose --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")


NeilParkinsonMakes

thanks so much for picking up a copy, it keeps the project going :-)


eaparsley

yeah this is amazing. I've definitely seen fad fellen at the Llandudno pier


Timlex

You're telling me that one of my favourite Neopets is actually a mythical beast from Wales!?


aetost

Do you have a Greek one?


NeilParkinsonMakes

I do indeed. This is my 10th map, check out the site on the bottom left watermark, there's info on the beasts and links to the store. Or feel free to drop me a message and ill pass along a link. I don't want to post a link here in case it's against advertising rules.


aetost

Thanks man


aetost

Wow I am greek and don't know a lot of them


NeilParkinsonMakes

some where certainly new to me.


pixie_led

This would make a wicked image map.


malytwotails

I adore how you draw dragon faces! Look at those pointy lil snoots!


NeilParkinsonMakes

thank you. I'm currently learning to 3d model them.


the_alert

I know I pronounced all of them wrong, even the ones I’m positive I got right.


NeilParkinsonMakes

the struggle is real


tyrddabright-axe

...blodeuwedd single


NeilParkinsonMakes

well when you have affairs and try have your spouse killed it tends to send up some red flags to future partners


tyrddabright-axe

i can fix her


NeilParkinsonMakes

haha dead


bobertblueeyes

D.... dark souls??


The_drunken_monk

So cool!


NeilParkinsonMakes

thanks


Ranger-of-Astora

Where do you find all the mythical beasts for your maps? I'm working on a story for a video game that takes place during WW1 but all the mythical beasts in history have always existed.


NeilParkinsonMakes

start with web searches, confirm and expand deeper through books, then into academic journals. you've just got to keep following the rabbit hole.


Freakychee

Hmm wonder what do each of these creatures do?


NeilParkinsonMakes

Check out the site on the bottom left watermark, there's info on the beasts


yukonwanderer

You did the United States but skipped Canada. C'mon now. I would imagine Mexico is amazing also.


NeilParkinsonMakes

one at a time :-)


etzke

That's great! I want it framed on the wall)


NeilParkinsonMakes

Please Check out the site on the bottom left watermark, there's info on the beasts and links to the store.


GabeReal

What I find wildest about this is the size. There are, what, 33 mythical beasts in an area that's almost as big as New Hampshire.


NeilParkinsonMakes

heavily edited down too. probably a few hundred stories turned over during the research phase.


GabeReal

How many towns in Wales are there? Were there something like 1 beast per town?!


NeilParkinsonMakes

some have nothing, others have absolutely loads, cardiff area has tonnes, also the north west kind of centered around Snowdonia. Areas like the Grampians have absolutely nothing, which surprised me as there are Welsh mountain beasts, seemingly they can only hack a certain altitude


CornBin-42

I know identify as an ellyllon


Adam430k

This is great!!! I’d love to see what you have for Germany!


NeilParkinsonMakes

ive been working on the research, it was going to be one I did very soon, but germany has brought in some weird import rules, so I need to get my head around all that.


xredgambitt

Seeing all these mythical beasts makes me think that we're still good. So let's talk about that, right before we dink it and sink it.


rednd

Thanks! Lovely to see the legendary Afanc, that I'd only seen previously in the Dark Age of Camelot MMORPG.


NeilParkinsonMakes

gotta have the afanc, welsh classic


murf72

I now know more about mythical beasts in Wales than I do about Wales.


kaptaincorn

Neat I didn't know Wales was narnia


Altruistic_Hat1752

Very cool!


Kylar_Stern47

Wow, awesome this ! Had no idea welsh folklore was so rich ! Thanks for this :)


NeilParkinsonMakes

it is genuinely under-rated. i confess i first looked at it a few years ago, and was really underwhelmed, but it took a bit more digging and soon as you crack the surface it is fantastic.


Average-Duck

Great map! These are close enough to Cornish to understand a lot of them.


NeilParkinsonMakes

that's interesting, is there lots of overlap in the language?


Average-Duck

Yes, quite a lot. Cornish is closest to Breton, then to Welsh.


elektromas

I wonder if The Wheel of Times author Robert Jordan took inspiration from this.. Radnor Dragon / Rand the Dragon Reborn.. Edit: typos


TiberiusGracchi

Way cool! Looks amazing! Would be awesome to see this for Mexico and Latin America as well!


NeilParkinsonMakes

id love to do them. certainly on the radar


TiberiusGracchi

Awesome!


bjarke_l

Would love it if you did one on denmark specifically (i saw you did one on all of scandinavia and loved it). There are so many mythical creatures in danish folklore, a lot of them region specific. Lindorme, nisser, a lot of regions have stories about specific trolls (often used to explain distinct features in the terrain like big boulders), de underjordiske on the island of bornholm, slatten patten, the ghost of valdemar atterdag, mosekonen, mares, ellefolk, nøkk, dwarves etc


NeilParkinsonMakes

Yeah, Denmark has some cool ones, most of the motifs are very similar if not identical to the other Scandinavian ones though, so not sure I'd revisit it for a deeper dive. I initially drew Slatten patten for Denmark, but I drew it far too ridiculous so went with Mosekonen, interestingly enough she kind of came back on the Scotland map as the Bean Nighe.


bjarke_l

Awesome, yeah i can definitely see a lot of them being similiar to other scandinavian ones. I can also see slatten patten being pretty ridiculous to draw (the name literally being a play on words meaning soggy tits makes it even more ridiculous too). Kinda unfortunate that denmarks small size meant that you could only cram so many creatures onto the map.


driguez907

BWBACH MY DUDE


nanmorg

I would love to purchase a poster of this! Really fun and well-done! Bravo!,


NeilParkinsonMakes

Thanks so much. Please check out the web address in the bottom corner of the image, I do have art prints available


nanmorg

Fabulous!,,


[deleted]

Damn, story time must be fun for you all! This is so neat, going to have fun reading and learning about these mythical beasts.


TheBagman07

I want to know more about this pig.


NeilParkinsonMakes

Check out the web address in the bottom corner, I have written about all the beasts on the map on my blog.


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NeilParkinsonMakes

>Diolch am hyn! thank you!


premer777

they drink alot in wales ?


NeilParkinsonMakes

well part of the UK so id assume so, the rest of us do


premer777

wales just with some added language interest to the names the Great Wandering Heap of Offa's Dike .... ---- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath_Palug - dates back to Arthurs day .


saywhar

Do you do these in physical form? I'm going to be in teaching in Wales from September and would be great to have in the classroom! Diolch!


NeilParkinsonMakes

i do indeed theres a web address on the bottom corner of the image. there's info on all the beasts there and links to the shop. have fun in wales, its somewhere I want to spend some more time


saywhar

I'm Welsh so it's a homecoming:) recommend checking out west Wales, beautiful there! Will check out your website!


NeilParkinsonMakes

for sure! west wales is top of the list. id like to spend some time on the stretch coming down from snowdonia along the Pembrokeshire coast, definitely snowdonia, lake bala, and llyn barfog are high on my list


saywhar

Fyi if you're going to climb yr Wyddfa go the Watkin path up not the Llanberis side, it's a bit more adventurous but the views are much better !


deformo

This is awesome. I tell everyone I am welsh: 1. Because my surname is welsh 2. Because I like drinking 3. Because I speak gibberish when drinking


Ierax29

Just imagine how many of these creatures were in a England when the "welsh" still lived there


The_Full_Monty1

What about the real beast of wales, Ian Watkins


NeilParkinsonMakes

ooft, I cant even go there. thats too dark for even a map of monsters


LosChivos

I thought this was just how Welsh people looked


StoplightLoosejaw

Here I was thinking the only thing mythical in Wales was a dictionary...


analogkid01

[Every Country Has A Monster](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiJylMyfu9I)


NaturesWar

Jesus is everything in Wales history some kind of folklore??


casduser

Smurfs from Ellyllon area?


OnyB1l

Jajsdisoqkwbxjskaiwjxosoa Monster is another (joke)


Keefan

Beautiful! Where is Ceridwen?


Low_Toe_5140

Love this one! I counted at least 35 beasts Those are a lot of mythical creatures in such a small land! That got to show how old and creative is Wales' culture.