Mari Lwyd in Vampire Survivors (Welsh References in Video Games)

The 2022 roguelike shoot 'em up game #VampireSurvivors, from developer @poncle_Games, features a few #Welsh references.

The enemy Maronna is based on the Welsh folk creature Mari Lwyd, with a horse skull and white sheet design. In parts of #Wales, people would traditionally craft their own Mari Lwyd and bring it to people's houses around Christmas and New Year, singing Welsh songs in exchange for entry, and wishing good luck.

Its name means "Grey Mare", but others suggest it has a Christian origin and refers to Jesus' mother Mary. The enemy's name "Maronna" is a southern Italian variant of "Madonna", also referring to the Virgin Mary.

Maronna Meea is another Mari Lwyd-like pun based enemy, coming from the Italian phrase "Maronna mia!" (or "Madonna mia!"), an exclamation of shock in Mary's name, translating roughly to "My mother Mary!".

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