Tradition / Region: Welsh Mythology
Alternate Names: Petitcreiu, Petitcru, Pticru
Category: Dog
The Myth
Petitcrieu was a wondrous dog said to come from the enchanted isle of Avalon. He belonged to Duke Gilan of Wales, who had received him as a gift from a goddess who loved him.
The little dog was unlike any creature of the ordinary world. His coat shimmered with many colors, beautiful beyond description, and around his neck he wore a collar with a small golden bell. Whenever the bell rang, its sound filled all who heard it with joy and drove away sorrow and grief.
Petitcrieu was a strange being even among magical creatures. He could not move on his own and had to be carried wherever he went. He never ate and seemed to have no need of food. He simply existed as a living marvel, bringing comfort to those near him.
When the knight Tristan was living in exile from Cornwall, he came to the court of Duke Gilan. The Duke, wishing to cheer his guest, showed him the fairy dog. Tristan was deeply taken with the creature and resolved to win him.
A giant named Urgan was troubling the land, and Tristan promised that if he defeated the giant, the Duke would grant him whatever reward he chose. Tristan fought and killed the giant, and when the time came to claim his prize, he asked for Petitcrieu.
The Duke honored his word, and Tristan took the dog with him. But Tristan did not keep the magical creature for himself. Instead, he sent Petitcrieu to Iseult, the woman he loved, hoping the bell’s enchantment would keep her forever free from sorrow.
When Iseult received the dog, she understood the magic of the bell and what it would do to her heart. She did not wish to live without grief, nor to have her true feelings hidden behind enchantment. Taking the collar, she removed the golden bell and cast it into the sea.
From that moment, Petitcrieu’s magic could no longer banish sadness. Yet the little dog remained with her, no longer a charm against sorrow but a faithful companion who stayed beside her in both happiness and grief.
And so the fairy dog of Avalon passed from being a creature of enchantment to one of quiet loyalty, remembered in the tales of Tristan and Iseult.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Petitcrieu. In Wikipedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petitcrieu
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive