Let Britain's magical, mythical creatures inspire a patriotism untainted by politics

A new set of stamps on regional folklore reminds us of our deep roots to the land

- Kate Maltby

It is possible to have too much trust in a marriage. The mythic Welsh warrior Lleu Llaw Gyffes, who appears to have been bigger on brawn than brain, once came home to find his wife, the flower-maiden Blodeuwedd, weeping with fear over premonitions of his death. She begged Lleu to prove that he was, as rumoured, invincible.

Lleu, who had clearly not read the story of Delilah, thought it was a good idea to reveal to his wife each of the unlikely conditions that would make it possible for a rival to kill him: among other kinks, they required him to be caught outdoors on a riverbank with one foot straddling a thatched cauldron and one on a wriggling goat. Lo and behold, in one year's time Lleu found himself being struck down in exactly that pose by Blodeuwedd and her lover, the hunter Gronw Pebr. The story is still told to explain the peculiar shape of the Stone of Gronw, sitting to this day on the banks of the River Cynfal in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

Blodeuwedd may have been a tricksy wife, but she is one of eight magical creatures celebrated on Royal Mail's collection of stamps, which revive folkloric traditions from regions across the UK. None is fully human: Blodeuwedd herself was reportedly moulded from flowers by two magicians for their friend, Lleu, after a curse doomed him never to find a bride from among his own people.