Dark Souls

Featured Welsh Content

Some villains in Dark Souls have Welsh naming inspirations and reference Welsh mythology.

Gwyn, Lord of Cinder, has a Welsh name. In the Welsh language, Gwyn can have multiple meanings, including “white, pure, holy, blessed”.

Gwyn has much in common with the Welsh mythical figure Gwyn ap Nudd.

In Dark Souls lore, Gwyn was once a ruler of Anor Londo and hunted dragons, bearing a resemblance to the otherworldly paradise Gwyn ap Nudd led over and the souls he sought during the Wild Hunt. Similarities continue with Gwyn’s hollowed flesh referencing the “blackened face” of Gwyn ap Nudd, while the latter was also the king of the fair folk known as the Tylwyth Teg, resembling the gods of Lordran.

Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight, can be said to take inspiration from Gwenhwyfar, the Queen of Britain and wife of King Arthur, and whose name means “white phantom”.

Dark Sun Gwyndolin may derive from the Welsh female name Gwendolyn or Gwendolen, meaning “white ring”. According to legend, Gwendolen became Queen of Britain after defeating her husband King Locrinus in battle.

Lloyd, uncle of Gwyn, is a variant of the Welsh word llwyd, most commonly meaning “grey”.

The character Domhnall of Zena has a distinct Welsh accent, and is voiced by Welsh actor Matthew Morgan.

Domhnall greets the player with the phrase, “Aye, siwmae”. “Siwmae” (or “Shwmae”, “S’mae”) is a common Welsh greeting that can be roughly translated as, “Hey, how’s it going?”.

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