Afanc

"A beast born of clay and conjured only by the most powerful sorcerer."

- Gaius to Merlin about the Afanc

An Afanc is a creature of magic forged using the elements of earth and water. It can only be killed by the opposing elements of wind and fire.

Afancs are also known to be poisonous. When Nimueh transported one into Camelot's well, its presence contaminated the city's water supply, causing many of its residents to sicken and die.

Biography
The High Priestess Nimueh conjured and Afanc and transported it to Camelot's water supply. Soon afterwards, a plague swept through the city that killed dozens of people, turning their skin pale, their eyes milky, and their veins blue.

After determining that water was the source of the disease, Merlin and Gaius collected a sample from Camelot's well and discovered the Afanc. Merlin later returned with Arthur and Morgana and destroyed the creature by combining an air current with the fire from Arthur's torch, ridding Camelot of the plague (The Mark of Nimueh).

Creation
To conjure the Afanc, Nimueh shaped a piece of clay into the figure of a small animal while chanting a spell. She then placed the figure inside an egg-shaped container and dropped it into a fount of water that led to Camelot's water supply (The Mark of Nimueh).

Spells

 * Used by Nimueh to bring the Afanc to life (The Mark of Nimueh):
 * "Berbay odothay arisan yeldo."


 * Used by Nimueh to transport the Afanc (The Mark of Nimueh):
 * "Diegol cnytte, gewitte me yst, aliese hine, to Camelot he cymþ."

Mythology
The Afanc (also spelled Addanc or Avanc) is a lake monster in Welsh folklore. Its exact descriptions varies; it has been said to resemble a crocodile, beaver, platypus, and a large frog with clawed limbs, and is sometimes said to be a demon.

It is sometimes said to have magical powers, the most common of which is the ability to create devastating floods. It is also said to have the ability to speak Welsh.

The Afanc was said to prey upon anyone foolish enough to swim or fall into its lake. One story describes how it was rendered helpless by a maiden who let it sleep in her lap. While it slept, her fellow villagers bound the Afanc in chains and took it to another lake.

In Arthurian legend, it is sometimes said that the Afanc was killed by either King Arthur or Percival.

Trivia

 * The Afanc is featured in the title sequence from series 1 to series 3.
 * The Afanc was played by Rick English, who also played Thomas Collins, Tristan de Bois, and a Knight of Medhir.
 * The Afanc's being forged from clay using two of the classical elements (earth and water) appears to follow the legend of creating a Golem, an anthropomorphic creature in Jewish folklore. Golems are said to be mindless creatures formed out of clay and magically brought to life by the elements to receive orders from its creator.