llanddewi brefi.
this parish is celebrated for its legendary lore; and no wonder for it is a spot of great historic interest.
there is a tradition current in the neighbourhood to the effect that it was originally intended to build the church of llanddewi brefi in a field on godregarth farm, and that the work was actually commenced on that spot, but the attempt to build there was constantly frustrated, for that which was set up during the day was pulled down in the night by a spirit, and all the material removed or carried to the spot where the parish church now stands. the field pointed out by tradition is about a mile away from the village, and yew trees are still to be seen there.
according to another most ancient tradition, when the church was in process of construction, two oxen known as the “ychain bannog” were employed to draw the stone required for the building. the load was so heavy that one of the two oxen died in the attempt to drag it forward; but before falling down dead he bellowed nine times, and so powerful was the echo that the hill, which before presented itself as an obstacle, divided or split in two. the other ox alone was then able to bring the load unassisted to the site of the church.
“llanddewi brefi fraith,
lle brefodd yr ych naw gwaith,
nos hollti craig y foelallt.”
(llanddewi brefi the spotted,
where the ox bellowed nine times,
till foelallt rock split in two.)
according to another version of the story, it was the ox which survived was the one that bellowed, and not the one that died. according to another story given in meyrick’s history of cardiganshire, these two bannog oxen were on one occasion used to draw “away a monstrous beaver dead”; but this is only a version of a legend which is to be found in several parts of wales, and is founded on the older story of hu gadarn, or hu the mighty, who, with his bannog oxen, drew to land the avanc out of llyn llion, so that the lake burst out no more to deluge the earth. see [316]“legend of llyn y ddau ychain” in folk-lore of north wales, by the late rev. e. owen, page 132.
the two ychain bannog of llanddewi were sometimes called “dau ychain dewi” (st. david’s two oxen). in a poem written in the twelfth century, the welsh bard gwynfardd brycheiniog alludes to the old tradition as follows:—
“dau ychan dewi, deu odidawe,
dodyssant eu gwar dan garr kynawe,
dau ychen dewi ardderchawe oeddynt.”
there used to be preserved at llanddewi church a remarkable fragment of a horn called “madcorn yr ych bannog,” that is, the core of the bannog ox’s morn, which, according to tradition, had been kept there as a valuable relic ever since the time of st. david. this horn is now at llidiardau, llanilar, kept privately. it has [317]been pronounced by professor boyd dawkins to have belonged to “the great urns (bos primigenius) that charlemagne hunted in the forest of aachen, and the monks of st. galle ate on their feast days.”
when st. david was preaching at llanddewi at the great synod, in the year 519, it is said that the ground on which he stood rose up and formed a hillock under his feet. cressy recounts the miracle in the following words:—“when all the fathers assembled enjoined david to preach, he commanded a child which attended him, and had lately been restored to life by him, to spread a napkin under his feet; and, standing upon it, he began to expound the gospel and the law to the auditory. all the while that this oration continued, a snow-white dove, descending from heaven, sate upon his shoulders; and, moreover, the earth, on which he stood raised itself under him till it became a hill, from whence his voice, like a trumpet, was clearly heard and understood by all, both near and far off, on the top of which hill a church was afterwards built, and remains to this day.”
the people of llanddewi brefi told me that there is another tradition still extant in the neighbourhood, which says that as st. david was preaching on this great occasion, a nightingale appeared on the spot, and sang. the music of the bird was so sweet, that the people listened to the nightingale’s song, instead of continuing to give their attention to the sermon. seeing this, the holy saint david rebuked the congregation, and informed them that the nightingale should never again sing in the neighbourhood; and from that day till now the bird has never been heard there. according to the great historian george owen, there is a different version of this story in pembrokeshire. “st. david, being seriouse occupied in the night tyme in his divine orizons, was so troubled with the sweete tuninges of the nightingales, as that he could not fasten his minde upon heavenlie cogitacions, as at other tymes, being letted (hindered) by the melodie of the bird, praied unto the almightie, that from that tyme forward there might never a nightingale sing within his dioces, and this saieth our women (old wives’ fables), was the cause of confininge of the bird out of this country.”
at llanio isaf, in the parish of llanddewi brefi are the remains of loventium, which was a large roman city. about half a mile from gogoyan, in the same parish, was once a holy well called ffynon ddewi, or st. david’s well, the water of which, according to tradition, flowed up miraculously when st. david restored to life the son of a widow. the well has now been closed [318]up, and a house stands on the spot. there is another “ffynon ddewi,” on the road-side between aberaeron and cardigan.
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caio (carmarthenshire).
in the parish of caio, there is a gold mine which in ancient times was worked by the romans. it is on the estate of dolaucothy, and the spot is known as the “ogofau,” or caves, and part of it is a height, hardly a mountain, that has been scooped out like a volcanic crater by the romans during their occupation. in this hollow or basin it is said that the five saints named ceitho, gwyn, gwynno, gwynnoro, and celynin, who flourished in the sixth century, had retired in a thunderstorm for shelter. they had penetrated into the mine and had lost their way, and taking a stone for a bolster had laid their heads on it and fallen asleep. and there they would remain in peaceful slumber till the return of king arthur, or till a more godly bishop than has hitherto been should occupy the throne of st. david. when that happens, merlin himself is to be disenchanted and restore to liberty the dormant saints. an inquisitive woman named gweno, who, led by the devil, sought to spy on the saintly brotherhood in their long sleep, was punished by losing her way in the passage of the mine. she, likewise, remained in an undying condition, but was suffered to emerge in storm and rain, and in the night, when her vaporous form might be seen about the old ogofau, and her sobs and moans were heard and frightened many.
mr. f. s. price, in his interesting “history of caio,” says that another legend is that one of these saints appears to have a special commemoration, but under a female appelative in “ffynon” and “clochdy gwenno,” the latter an isolated rock standing up in the midst of the great gold excavations, and marking their depth in that particular place. the well had, in good old times, a high reputation for healing virtues, and that “on an unfortunate day, gweno was induced to explore the recesses of the cavern beyond a frowning rock, which had always been the prescribed limit to the progress of the bathers. she passed beneath it and was no more seen. she had been seized by some superhuman power, as a warning to others not to invade those mysterious ‘penetralia,’ and still on stormy nights, when the moon is full, the spirit of gweno is seen to hover over the crag like a wreath of mist.”
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st. govan’s.
about seven miles from pembroke, and a mile from bosheston, there is a small chapel of rude masonry half way down the cliff [319]known as st. govan’s chapel. it is a seaside building, perched across a fissure in the side of the cliff, and a long flight of steps leading down to it from above. there is a popular belief that these steps cannot be numbered by anyone correctly, or “counted by none both ways alike.” i visited the spot myself in october, 1909. in the east wall of the chapel a doorway admits into a cleft of the rock in which is a marvellous cell or crevice, “that enables the largest person to turn round therein, and at the same time quite filled by the smallest.” this cavity has been regarded by the superstitious as a miraculous cell, and according to a legend our lord on one occasion, when pursued by his enemies, the jews, sought safety in this neighbourhood. “passing through a field where men were sowing bailey, he ordered them at once to go for their reaping hooks, and, if any passed that way and inquired after him, to say that they had seen such an one, but it was in sowing time. the men although they knew not who it was, did as they were bid, fetched their hooks, and lo! on their return, the field was waving with ripe corn. whilst engaged in the reaping, a band of men accosted them, as was expected, who, having received the appointed answer, gave up the chase in despair. the lord, meanwhile, had been concealed in this crevice, which had opened to receive him, and still bears a faint impression of his person.”
according to another tradition which is still extant in the neighbourhood it was st. govan (sir gawain), one of king arthur’s knights, that took shelter in this cell when he was pursued by his pagan persecutors. the cell has been used from time immemorial as a “wishing place,” and it is said that “all who turn round therein, and steadfastly cling to the same wish during the operation [320]will most certainly obtain their wish before the expiration of the year.” it is still resorted to i believe by young people.
a few yards lower down in the ravine is a holy well, once much resorted to for the cure of diseases. this well was frequently visited seventy years ago, and, it is said that its water was so efficacious that some who came there on crutches were able to walk away without them.
there are, or at least were, somewhere in this part, three upright stones, about a mile distant from each other. the tradition is, that on a certain day these stones meet to “dance the hay,” at a place called saxon’s ford, and when the dance is over, travel back and resume their places.
the late mr. thomas, greenpark, informed me that there was a moving stone of this kind in the parish of llandyssul, cardiganshire.
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tregaron.
at a distance of about three miles from tregaron there is a ridge running east and west separating upper and lower tregaron. it is called “cwys yr ychain bannog,” the furrow of the large-horned oxen. tradition has it that the “furrow” was made by two bannog oxen dragging along the ground the carcass of a huge reptile which had been killed by the people of the neighbourhood in ancient time. (for more about tregaron see lakes.)
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crug mawr.
the rev. peter roberts, in his “cambrian popular antiquities,” says that crug mawr, or pentychryd mawr, is a lofty hill in cardiganshire, situated in the vale of aeron, mentioned in giraldus, where he says, “there is an open grave, which fits the length of any man lying in it, short or long.” hence arose the ancient tradition, that a powerful giant, kept his post on this hill, and was endowed with the genius of the aeron vale. he had a lofty palace erected on the hill, and used occasionally to invite the neighbouring giants to a trial of strength on the top of it. at one of these meetings coits were proposed and introduced, and, after great efforts, the inhabitant of the spot won the day, by throwing his coit clear into the irish shore, which ever after gave him the superiority over all other giants in ceredigion, or the land of ceredig.
gwynionydd in the first volume of the “brython,” 1859, mentions two places known as “crug mawr,” one near cardigan, and the other in the vale of aeron. [321]
near the road leading from newcastle emlyn to lampeter, is “crug balog,” where a warrior or giant of the name of balog was buried.
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cantref y gwaelod; or the lost lowland.
“ochenaid gwyddno garanhir,
pan droes y don dros ei dir.”
(the sigh of gwyddno garanhir,
when the waives swept over his land.)
there is a well-known tradition in cardiganshire, and indeed all over wales, that what is known to-day as cardigan bay was once dry land. the country was known as cantref y gwaelod, or the lowland hundred. it had sixteen cities, and in the beginning of the sixth century the district was governed by a king named gwyddno garanhir. as the land was below sea-level, dykes had been built to check the encroachments of the sea. one day, however, saethennyn feddw, that is, saethennyn the drunkard, son of the king of south wales, opened the sluices, and the sea flowed in, but the people fled to the uplands.
one of the ancient welsh triads commemorates the inundation as follows:—
“the three abandoned drunkards of the isle of britain were, first, drunken geraint, king of siluria, who in the paroxysm of a fit of intoxication set fire to the standing corn; the conflagration in consequence of which rash act spread so violently, that all the corn of the country, to an immense distance, was totally consumed, and a destructive famine ensued.”
“the second was vortigern, surnamed the wry-mouthed, who when intoxicated gave horsa, the saxon chief, the isle of thanet, for permission to have an illicit connection with his daughter rowena; and further promised, that her son, the fruit of that amour, should succeed to the crown of england; which proved productive of treachery, and a sanguinary massacre of a prodigious number of the chieftains of the cambrian race.
“the third was drunken seithinyn, the son of seithyn saidi, king of dimetia; who when in a state of intoxication suffered the sea to overflow cantref y gwaelod, where lands and habitations the most beautiful in all wales, excepting only caerleon or usk, to the number of sixteen cities and towns, were in a short period inundated and ruined. the lowland hundred was the property of gwyddno, surnamed longshanks, king of ceredigion (cardiganshire). this event happened in the reign of emrys wledig. the inhabitants who escaped from that inundation landed in ardudwy, [322]and ascended the mountains of snowdon, which had never been inhabited before that period.”
there is a poem on this inundation in the ancient welsh book “llyvr du caerfyrddin” (black book of carmarthen).
near wallog, a few miles to the north of aberystwyth, a causeway called sarn cynfelyn, extends several miles into the sea. according to local tradition this is supposed to have been a main road leading into the submerged country, and it is said that there was a royal palace in this part. other places which traditions associate with the lowland hundred are sarn cadwgan and sarn ddewi, further south, near aberayron, and sarn badrig, in north wales. so much has been written on this subject, both in prose and verse, that it it not necessary to dwell further on it here. but it is of interest to add that there is a tradition, which is still extant that between borth, in cardiganshire, and aberdovey, in merionethshire, there once stood a town at a spot which is now covered by water. there is also a well-known story of the chimes of bells being heard at the bottom of the sea.
dwellers near ramsey sound, in pembrokeshire, also hear the chimes of bells in the sea, and this reminds us of the story of grallon, in brittany, who reigns beneath the waves.
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llanfihangel ystrad.
there is a tradition in the vale of aeron that some generations ago, a man from the neighbourhood of ystrad, was sentenced at the cardigan assizes, to be hanged for sheep-stealing, or some other such offence. the sentence, however, was not carried out, as the criminal was a useful man, particularly so to the squire who happened to be the high sheriff that year. but before the squire’s year of office had elapsed, urgent inquiries came down from the government as to the execution, of which no report had ever reached them. the squire was so frightened at the government’s inquiries, that he had the unfortunate man, who was out in the fields at the time, seized, bound and hanged on a birch tree. one of the squire’s servants entered a small cottage and begged an old woman for the loan of her apron, but concealing from her what he was going to do with it. when the old woman discovered that her apron was made use of to blindfold the poor man who was so unceremoniously hanged, she pronounced a curse on the squire and his descendants. after this everything went wrong with that squire. [323]
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a strange carmarthenshire tree legend.
there is a fine old mansion in carmarthenshire, with a very strange tradition in connection with it. i am not permitted to mention the name of the place.
once upon a time there was a certain tree, or rather a bush, in a field, or in the park, which bloomed with flowers every christmas morning. christmas after christmas, when putting forth its blossoms, the bush made a strange noise, which attracted to the spot large crowds of people from all parts of the country. at last the selfish squire cut down this sacred bush, in order to put a stop to the people damaging his park; but by doing this rash act he brought upon himself and his descendants a curse, and his offence has not been expiated till this day.
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maesyfelin.
the most popular tradition associated with lampeter is that known as the “curse of maesyfelin.” maesyfelin was a stately mansion on the banks of the river dulas, on the east side of the town of lampeter. it was once a place of consequence, and an ancient family of lloyds lived there. about the beginning of the 17th century the famous vicar pritchard of llandovery, author of “canwyll y cymry” had a son named samuel. tradition has it that this young samuel was an intimate friend of sir francis lloyd, knight of maesyfelin, who was a wicked man. at last, so the story goes, the two quarrelled over some love affair, and young samuel was stifled to death between two feather beds. the body, tied in a sack and placed on horse-back, was conveyed over the mountain in the depth of night and thrown into the river towy in carmarthenshire. when the body of his lamented son was discovered in the river, the broken-hearted father pronounced a curse on maesyfelin in the following words:—
“melldith duw ar maesyfelin—
ar bob carreg, ar bob gwreiddyn—
am daflu blodau tref llan’ddyfri
ar ei ben i dywi i foddi.”
(the curse of god on maesyfelin!
on every stone, and root therein,
for throwing the flower of llandovery town
to towy’s water, there to drown.)
people believe to this day that the judgment of god fell on the family and mansion of maesyfelin. the palace delapsed and no longer exists. materials from its ruins were carried away to repair ffynonbedr, another mansion in the neighbourhood; but that place is also in ruin now, so that it is believed that the curse of maesyfelin followed the material to ffynonbedr. [324]
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tenby (pembrokeshire).
in former times tenby was so celebrated for its fishery and it was known as dinbych-y-pysgod, that is tenby-of-the-fish. there is a tradition in the neighbourhood of some extraordinary bank or rock, at sea, called “will’s mark,” on which codfish in great abundance were formerly taken. the spot is no longer to be found, and the loss is said to have been occasioned as a curse which the inhabitants of the town brought upon themselves by their barbarous usage of a deaf and dumb man, who had come into the town begging.
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cwm kerwyn (pembrokeshire).
in this locality is a huge stone or rock, which, according to tradition, was thrown there by king arthur of old; and somewhere in the same neighbourhood is “bedd arthur,” arthur’s grave.
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llanstephan castle (carmarthenshire).
it is popularly supposed that there is an underground passage from this old castle to the mansion, known as plas llanstephan. tradition has it that many an attempt was made in former times to go through, but always in vain, as a spirit extinguished the candles of all who entered the passage after proceeding a certain distance.
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cwmyreglwys (pembrokeshire).
according to pentrevor, in “the pembroke county guardian,” march, 1903, a “fairies’ town” has been seen in the sea occasionally in this neighbourhood. he also adds that there are on the extreme point of dinas head, some steps in the rock called “the devil’s footprints.” there are also “devil’s footprints” in a rock, to be seen in cardiganshire, between llanwenog and llanarth.
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mesur y dorth (measure of the loaf).
between st. david’s and fishguard is an object not unlike a milestone, upon which is rudely traced a cross within a circle: the irregular disc being about a foot in diameter. this is known as “mesur y dorth,” (measure of the loaf); and the tradition is, that st. david caused these figures to be made in order to regulate the size of the loaf of bread in times of scarcity.
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abergwili.
near the bishop of st. david’s palace, abergwili, is a pool in the river towy, called “pwll y coach” (the coach’s pool). the [325]tradition is that in the old coaching days the “great coach” fell into this pool, and was never seen again.
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cae poeth (hot field).
in the parish of llanon, carmarthenshire, is a field called “cae poeth.” tradition says that images which were in the church before the reformation were burnt at this spot.
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craig gwrtheyrn (vortigern’s rock).
craig gwrtheyrn is in the neighbourhood of pencader, in carmarthenshire. according to an old legend, the disreputable old british king vortigern, built a castle here in the fifth century; but he and his castle were destroyed by fire from heaven. there is also a story that owen glyndwr sleeps in a cave here.
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brynberian (pembrokeshire).
near brynberian, in north pembrokeshire, there is a grave known as “bedd yr afanc,” or the avanc’s grave. according to an old tradition in the neighbourhood, this avanc was a most dangerous beast or monster, which at last, after much trouble, was caught in a pool in the river, and buried with pomp and religious rites on a spot which still bears the name “bedd yr afanc.”
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llanon (cardiganshire).
non was the mother of st. david. the vicar, mr. lewis, informed me that there is a tradition in the neighbourhood that the patron saint was born here, and owned much land here, including all the flats known as morfa esgob—the bishop’s march. it is said that st. david divided the land into small portions which he gave to the fishermen of the place. there was a stone on the exterior wall of the ruins of st. non’s chapel, on which was carved the face of a woman with a child in her arms, traditionally reputed to be that of non and her child david. there is also a tradition that the saint was educated at henfynyw. see more about this in mr. eyre evans’ interesting book on the antiquities of cardiganshire.
some three miles from llanon, says mr. horsfall-turner in his “wanderings in cardiganshire,” legends have been busy with a huge stone pillar which marks, perhaps the grave of some long-forgotten hero. “during the building of devil’s bridge, we are told, his satanic majesty wished to employ this monolith and carried it away, his finger marks may still be seen—leaving another impression. he sat so long and thought so deeply, that at the crowing of [326]the cock, he was startled and vanished so rapidly that the stone was so completely forgotten.”
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tynycastell (devil’s bridge).
according to the rev. john griffith, llangynwyd, there is a version of the well-known legend of arthur or owen lawgoch and the sleeping warriors attached to this place; but as i have already given a version of this story in connection with owen lawgoch’s cave, near llandebie, i shall not repeat it here. king arthur figures rather prominently in north cardiganshire. between devil’s bridge and llanafan is a farm belonging to the earl of lisburne called “maen arthur”—arthur’s stone; and in the parish of llanbadarn-fawr there is a “llys arthur”—arthur’s court, a legendary residence of the renowned king.
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bedd taliesin (taliesin’s grave).
about eight miles north of aberystwyth is an ancient grave known as bedd taliesin. according to a local tradition, taliesin, chief bard of the island of britain was buried on this spot. the grave, which is composed of stones, is in the centre of a large heap of earth or mound surrounded by stone circles, and some generations ago bones, and even a human skull, were found in it, which probably were the remains of the great ancient poet. there is a superstition respecting bedd taliesin that should anyone sleep in it for one night, he would the next day become either a poet or an idiot. there is a similar popular belief in connection with cader idris, in merionethshire, where an eminent bard once tried the experiment. taliesin’s grave is in the parish of llanfihangel genau’r glyn, and in the adjoining parish of llancynfelin there is a village bearing the name of taliesin; and, according to the “mabinogion,” the great poet was born somewhere between the dyvi and aberystwyth. the people of north cardiganshire believe to this day that taliesin was both born and buried in their district. the origin of his birth, which was supposed to be very miraculous, and other legends which cling to the memory of this great man are to be found in the mabinogion.
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crugiau’r ladis (carmarthenshire).
on the mountain above the village of caio, there are two peculiar heaps of stone known as crugiau’r ladis, concerning which there is the following curious tradition:—two ladies from london were exiled from their homes, and lived in this district. the change of town life to country was so great, that they set to work [327]and gathered heaps of stone together to build a babel heavenward, from the top of which they could see london from the land of exile.
i heard a story when a boy that derry ormond tower, near lampeter, was also built in order to see london.
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eurglawdd.
in a field called llettyngharad on this farm, which is in the parish of llanfihangel genau’r glyn, there are two stones respecting which an ancient prophecy says that when the third appears, the end of the world will be at hand. at llwynglas, in the same parish, there was once preserved a long knife, which, according to tradition, was used by the saxons in the time of vortigern, at the treachery of the long knives.
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traeth saith (cardiganshire).
tradition says that traeth saith—the seven’s shore—had its name from the seven daughters of a king who were wrecked there, having been put by order of their father into a vessel without sails or oars. a poem commemorates this tradition.
probably the place is named from a brook.
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llanilar.
the present vicar, the rev. j. f. lloyd, remembers hearing from an old lady, that when she was a little girl, it was customary for the women of the parish to curtsy to an oil painting of the blessed virgin mary, on entering the church. it seems that there was a holy well once known as ffynnon drindod not far from llanilar.
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llangadock.
an old man, named john jones, informed me that llangadock was a large town in ancient times; but that a part of it sunk. according to tradition, a church stood once where pwll y clychau—the pool of the bells—is now, and the old man added that people still hear the sound of the bells at the bottom of the pool. there is a stone in the river sawdde, known as coitan arthur, respecting which there is a tradition that it was thrown down from the top of pen arthur—about a mile distant—by arthur the giant.
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abermarlais.
at the entrance gate of abermarlais park there is an interesting stone, near which, according to a tradition related to me by mrs. de rutzen, the welsh princes held a council of war. i was [328]also informed by people in the neighbourhood that the spot was once haunted by the ghost of a lady in white.
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oystermouth castle (gower).
it is said that in an underground dungeon of oystermouth castle is, or there was, a large pillar known as “the wishing post,” around which young men and young women, when wishing for a lover or sweetheart, were in the habit of walking nine times, and at the same time sticking a pin in the pillar and looking on the wall, when they were supposed to see “a lady in white.”
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oxwitch (gower).
near the bone caves is a cromlech known as arthur’s stone. according to tradition, st. david split it with a sword in proof that it was not sacred.
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cae halog (north cardiganshire).
“cae halog,” at llanbadarn-fawr means “desecrated field.” the tradition in the neighbourhood is, that in former times people met together at this spot to indulge in games and contests on sundays, thus breaking the sabbath.
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mount and verwick (cardigan).
it was customary in former times for the people of this district to meet together on the first sunday after new year’s day, called by them “sul coch” (red sunday), when wrestling, football, etc., took place, to commemorate a victory over the flemings.
in the neighbouring parish of llangoedmore, is st. cynllo’s cave, where, according to ancient tradition, the holy saint prayed, and where marks of his knees are to be seen in the rocks.
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maenclochog (pembrokeshire).
it is said that this parish received its name from a stone which sounded like a bell. an old man named john griffiths, informed me that he remembered this stone, which was a very large one, and that people broke it up in order to see what caused it to sound.
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highmead (cardiganshire).
there are old traditions that an ancient welsh king, named pryderi ap pwyll, had a palace here, somewhere on the river side, on a spot known according to the mabinogion, as “rhuddlan teivi.” the present mansion is the country residence of colonel davies-evans, the worthy lord lieutenant of cardiganshire, who [329]informed me that sir john rhys, oxford, has been trying to discover traces of pryderi’s palace.
i dealt with this subject in a paper which i read at highmead, june, 1910, before the cardiganshire antiquarian society, and which is to be published in the transactions of that society. i may also add that the lord lieutenant and mrs. davies-evans are among my best friends in south wales, and i have made much use of their valuable library.
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gogerddan (near aberystwyth).
the late john jones, bristol house, talybont, informed me six years ago, that there is a tradition in the neighbourhood that henry vii. called at gogerddan when on his way through cardiganshire to bosworth field. henry had been entertained at wern newydd and llwyn dafydd in the south of the county. gogerddan is the ancient residence of the genial baronet, sir edward webley-parry-pryse.
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llangynllo (cardiganshire).
there is a tradition in this parish, that in ancient times, the romans put to death a young woman in the neighbourhood of gernos, and that her spirit haunted the spot for generations. at first, she appeared as a cat, and afterwards as a “white lady.”
there is a tradition that a son of howell dda, king of wales, lived in the neighbouring district of dyffryn cerri.
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llangwyryfon (church of the virgins).
tradition says that this parish received is name from eleven thousand welsh virgins, who were massacred by barbarians on the coast of germany. the virgins were on their way to brittany.
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penbryn (cardiganshire).
according to my friend, the rev. prys williams (brythonydd), there is a farm in this parish called “perth geraint”; and it is probable that geraint, one of king arthur’s knights was buried somewhere in this neighbourhood, as tradition locates in the parish of penbryn, the “battle of llongborth,” at which geraint was killed. this is the geraint who figures in the mabinogion, and in tennyson, as the knight who married the young lady enid, who is described as “comely and graceful.”
there is a stone near troed-y-rhiw, which, according to tradition, was an ejected pebble from the clog of a giant who lived in the district in ancient times. [330]
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cilgerran (pembrokeshire).
it is said that the spot where the remains of the castle now stand, was known in ancient times as “dyngeraint,” so named from geraint, one of king arthur’s knights. this is the geraint i have just mentioned above in connection with the traditions of penbryn, cardiganshire, a parish which is only about seven miles distance from cilgerran. arthur and his knights figure prominently in the traditions of pembrokeshire, and there is a legend of a battle fought by arthur’s sons in the neighbourhood of precelly.
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gorsygedol (merionethshire).
lady enid vaughan, daughter of countess lisburne, and sister of the young earl of lisburne, informed me that there is a tradition in the neighbourhood of harlech that charles i. during the civil war, was at one time hiding at gorsygedol, and that the bedstead in which he slept is still to be seen there. near the same old mansion is a large stone known as “coeten arthur”—arthur’s coit.
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nick-names, old and popular sayings.
“there is one-half of him in penboyr.”
“angylion ceinewydd, gwartheg llanarth, hwrddod cilcennin.” (new quay’s angels, llanarth’s cows, cilcennin’s rams.)
“gwyr llanddeusant, capan crwyn,
lladron defaid, mamau’r wyn.”
(llanddeusant men, skin caps,
sheep stealers, lambs’s mothers.)
“moch sir benfro.”
(pembrokeshire pigs.)
it is probable that pembrokeshire was the particular part of britain into which pigs were first introduced. in the mabinogion, gwydion tells math, son of mathonwy, lord of north wales, that pryderi, lord of the south, had some beasts called pigs. pryderi, though he had a palace at rhuddlan teivi, in cardiganshire, was a pembrokeshire prince, and it would seem that his chief palace was still at narberth, and that he introduced some of his pigs from pembrokeshire into cardiganshire.
“esmwyth yw cwsg cawl erfin.”
(easily sleeps turnip broth.)
in the “cambrian notes and queries,” reprinted from the “weekly mail,” march, 1902, i.h.a. says: “there were two families living in two small cottages somewhere in a secluded spot [331]on one of the slopes of the black mountain, carmarthenshire, both in very straitened circumstances. the paterfamilias’ names were john and david. john found a way out of the difficulty of rearing a family upon the salary earned by farm labourers in those days by stealing a sheep now and then from the mountain flocks. his family very often had mutton broth and plenty of meat for supper while david’s family had to sup upon a piece of coarse bread and turnip broth. upon a certain night david had enjoyed his usual repast and gone to bed. mrs. david had gone to the “next door” to view the feast, when suddenly two constables of the old fashion, made their appearance to demand the body of friend john, his depredations having been found out. mrs. david was frightened and ran into her own house. she then called her husband. ‘david! david! come down at once; they are going to take john of the next door to prison.’ ‘no,’ says david, ‘i will sleep on’—
“esmwyth y cwsg cawl erfin.”
(easily sleeps turnip broth.)
the above saying is well-known all over wales, but in the northern part of the principality people say, “esmwyth y cwsg potes faip.” what is known as “cawl erfin” in south wales, is known in north wales as “potes faip.”
another similar saying which i have heard many a time is “esmwyth cwsg cawl dwr”—easily sleeps water broth.
mr. john davies, of the national library of wales, aberystwyth, in the “cambrian notes and queries,” says: “‘esmwyth cwsg cawl dwr’ is an old saying in cardiganshire, especially in the parish of llandyssul. about the year 1830 my grandfather was constable of the parish, ‘lladron defaid’ (sheep stealers) were very popular at that time; so old siams isaac, of pantrhedynen, was called from his bed one winter night to take a prisoner to cardigan gaol, who was caught red-handed in the act of killing the sheep in his house. on the road going from horeb to newcastle emlyn the constable and prisoner went into a public house and called for a pint of beer and bread and cheese each. after resuming their journey for about a hundred yards, the landlady of the public house called after them that the man had stolen a knife from the house. a search was made, and the knife was found in the pocket of the ‘lleidr defaid.’ after the usual compliment of a few rounds of old-fashioned boxing, he was taken safely to a place of correction, and never returned to tregroes. so the old woman who happened to live next door always said to john, her [332]husband, ‘esmwyth cwsg cawl dwr john bach,’ (water broth, easy sleep, john dear).
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“cynghor gwraig heb ei ofyn.”
(a woman’s advice without asking for it).
when king henry vii. (then earl of richmond) was on his way through wales to bosworth field, he consulted dafydd llwyd of mathavarn, as to the final issue of the coming struggle with richard iii. dafydd was a country gentleman, a bard, a wizard, and a prophet. on this occasion, however, he did not know how to prophecy, and was greatly perplexed. fortunately, his wife was a very shrewd woman, who, having discovered her husband’s embarrassment or trouble of mind, secretly advised him to tell henry that he would be successful in dethroning richard iii. and in making himself king. she assured her husband that if the prediction failed of its fulfilment, he would hear no more on the subject, but that it would make his fortune if confirmed by the event. henry went on his way to bosworth, rejoicing, and we know that the prophecy became true. hence originated the proverb, “cynghor gwraig heb ei ofyn,” which implies that it is always a good thing to follow a woman’s advice, when she gives you an advice without asking for it.
in an old book entitled “the history of the principality of wales, etc.,” by robert burton, published as early as the year 1695, the writer when speaking of cardiganshire says:—“they have a proverb ‘bu arthur ond tra fu’; that is, ‘arthur was only whilst he was.’ it is honourable for old men if they can say, ‘we have been brave fellows.’ they have another proverb, ‘ni thorres arthur nawdd gwraig,’ that is, ‘king arthur never violated the refuge of a woman.’ for the king was the mirror of knighthood. by the woman’s refuge we may understand her tongue, (and no valiant man will revenge her words with his blows).”
the above sayings mentioned by robert burton 200 years ago have fallen into disuse now, but i have occasionally heard, “ni thorres arthur nawdd gwraig.”
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chalking the door-step.
the following appeared in the “western mail,” december 3rd, 1910:—
according to a work just published on south pembrokeshire, the custom prevailing in that part of the country of chalking the [333]door-step dates back to druidical times. the object of this chalking was to keep evil spirits out of the house. the patterns run round the slated steps, and, elaborate as they often are, the essential thing is that there should be no gap in them, because the evil spirits could enter into the house through the gaps. does this custom prevail in all parts of wales? it undoubtedly does in carmarthenshire, cardiganshire, glamorgan, and pembrokeshire.
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wakes in radnorshire.
the following account by an eye-witness of a wake at disserth, on july 9th, 1744, will prove of interest:—
“at the end of a mead, by this river side (the r. ieithon), were a company dancing in a barn. they were about nine couple, genteely dressed, and all people of fortune and fashion, and i may with security say, the best and most active country dancers i ever saw. we observed that the men were gay and genteel, handsome, and well shaped; the women were genteel without pride, modest without affectation, beautiful without art, and free without fondness. the generous hand of nature appeared in every face, unspotted with the artful follies of this degenerate age. it gave me a strong idea of the happiness and simplicity of the ancient britons before the roman and other corruptions overwhelmed the now refined part of the island (as we are pleased to term it). but these zealots for liberty maintained their independency long, and under this happy government they continue (and they never end) their innocent customs, manners and recreations. a favourite dance (bumpers squire jones) i saw them perform with the greatest spirits, order and exactness ... the churchyard, which, though large, was filled with people of almost all ages and qualities. near this, was a little house, where we put off our riding coats, etc. the church is a strong building, and pretty large, against the tiles of which were a dozen lusty young fellows playing at tennis, and as many against the steeple at fives. they played very well, but spoke (as almost every one else did) in the welsh tongue. on one side of the church were about six couples dancing to one violin, and just below three or four couples to three violins, whose seat was a tombstone. we saw common games of ball played against the sacred pile, and there also music playing over the bones of the deceased. we were in the middle of a merry, noisy throng, without knowing their language, or indeed almost anything they said.”—church plate of radnorshire, by j. t. evans, quoted from “pryse’s handbook.”
