WHICH WITCH IS WHICH?
As Halloween looms, Lowri Llewelyn talks to Efa Lois – and discovers that North Wales has got quite a bewitching history…
Witches have had a tough old time throughout history, with torture, hanging and being burned at the stake all hazards of the job. Between 1482 and 1782, 40-50,000 people across Europe were accused of witchcraft and murdered – though ‘luckily’, only five witches were ever executed in Wales. In her project Gwrachod Cymru (Welsh Witches), Efa Lois documents witches from across the nation. “Welsh folklore has always been a part of my art; even in primary school, I was portraying figures from Welsh mythology,” she explains. “The legends and women of Welsh history are still an integral part of my artwork. In more recent years I’ve focused on less familiar aspects of Welsh folklore – such as witches. “For some years I’ve been collecting books about Welsh mythology and old articles in order to compile some sort of archive of Welsh witches. What is interesting about these ‘witches’ is that some feel more mythical than others, and it is likely that most myths are inspired by real women.”
BETWEEN 1482 AND 1782, 40-50,000 PEOPLE ACROSS EUROPE WERE ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT AND MURDERED – THOUGH ‘LUCKILY’, ONLY FIVE WITCHES WERE EVER EXECUTED IN WALES
So far the fruits of her labour have produced two prints – Welsh Witches, and Welsh Witches II – which document 60 witches in all. In 2019 and 2020 she shared an image of a witch along with her legend on Instagram every day throughout the month of October.
heal those around them through herbal remedies, along with rituals and chants.”
“These witches were often blamed for things people didn’t understand,” she continues. “Contrary to the frightening
Efa shares some of her most interesting discoveries. “Legend
portrayal of witches in films and storybooks, most simply
has it that Lowri and Siân Owen were witches who lived in
felt a deep connection to the earth and utilised nature to
Llanarmon, near Pwllheli. They ran a school in a cottage and
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