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Saturday 17th August 2025 - Twlwyth Teg or Ellyllons

Digital artwork of a mischievous green goblin with large pointed ears and wild grey hair, crouched amongst twisted tree roots in a misty forest. The creature wears tattered brown robes and has an impish grin, perfectly capturing the folkloric Welsh Ellyllon - though considerably more charming than my chronic fatigue on a Monday morning.
An AI generated Ellyllon

Twlwyth Teg or Ellyllons - Naming My Chronic Collective

I've decided to give my multiple illnesses a combined name. I thought of this in the early hours of one of my insomniac mornings, then read an article which popped up in my timeline (surprise, surprise) explaining that naming your illness is something most people with chronic conditions do. It helps with coming to terms with your illness(es) - another milestone toward acceptance.

So me being me, I thought "yeah, okay, I'll give it a go." That will help, right? Three days later, I'm still trying to find a name, and yes, I have to be awkward and "witchy" (as a senior colleague once called me, to both my amusement and disdain).

The naming dilemma: Being Welsh by birth and spiritual by nature, taking a Welsh name seems appropriate. But I never do things the easy way, even on Dai Days. I'm stuck between two options:

Option 1: Twlwyth Teg (TULL-oith TEHG, with the "ll" sound being voiceless like a soft "THL" sound followed by an "L")

  • Small-sized fairies that sometimes appear like tiny humans
  • Fond of music, singing, and dancing, portrayed as enjoying making fairy rings
  • While generally considered benevolent, they're also known for their mischievous nature and unpredictability

Option 2: Ellyllons (EL-uh-lon)

  • Small, goblin-like creatures known for their playful and sometimes tricky nature
  • Dwelling in misty hollows and secluded valleys
  • Unlike others, they can be unpredictable - offering help one moment and causing mischief the next

The decision: Both seem fitting for my collection of FND, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, migraines, and the rest. Some days they're mischievous but manageable, other days they're properly causing chaos. The unpredictability fits perfectly - you never know which version you're going to get on any given day.

Today's question: How do you nickname an illness? Or in my case, a whole bloody committee of them?

What I'm leaning toward: The Ellyllons feel right - that unpredictability of offering help one moment (good days) and causing mischief the next (flare-ups) feels right for my chronic illness experience.

Help! Any thoughts from my fellow chronic illness warriors? Do you name your conditions? Does it actually help with acceptance?

Maybe giving them Welsh mythological names will make them feel less like medical labels and more like... well, difficult house guests I have to learn to live with.

Sha x

#WheelyHappyDays #ChronicIllnessAcceptance #WelshMythology #NamingMyConditions #Ellyllons #TwlwythTeg #ChronicIllnessWarrior