holy wells.
there is much folk-lore in connection with wells, in wales, and an interesting volume might be written on the subject. holy wells were once much frequented by devotees in search of health, omens, or prognostications of coming events; and even at the present day some of them are made use of as wishing wells by young men and young women, who throw a bent or a crooked pin into the well, and wishing at the same time. in the old times when “gwyliau mabsant,” or saints’ fetes, were in vogue in wales, wells were sometimes the scenes of great merriment, both before and even after the reformation. according to an old writer they were much frequented in the time of queen elizabeth. the habit of tying rags to the branches of a tree close to the well was well-known once in several places. this was done by people who were suffering from maladies. the rag was first dipped in the water, and the afflicted part of the body bathed with it. afterwards before going away from the well the rag was tied to the branch of a tree near it. it is also worth mentioning that this ceremony is in vogue in eastern countries as well, such as arabia and persia. as far as wales is concerned, some of the wells frequented in times past, possessed medicinal properties; but it must be admitted that some of the superstitious ceremonies which were performed at them, must have come down from pre-christian times; and it seems evident that water was once an object of worship, or at least of veneration, and that offerings were made either to the water itself, or more probably to the tutelary god of the fountain. this was the opinion of the late rev. elias owen, f.s.a., who had made a special study of the subject all his life-time. that the inhabitants of great britain were, in ancient times, given to the adoration of fountains, is evident from the fact that in 960, king edgar commanded by canon law “that every priest industriously advance christianity and extinguish heathenism and forbid the ‘worship of fountains, and necromancy and auguries.“” but finding the worship of fountains too strong to put down at once, the priest effected a compromise, by transferring veneration from the tutelary god by dedicating [299]the well to a saint, and building a church on the spot, and baptised his flock in the well; nevertheless many pagan customs of well worship lingered on from generation to generation. at the present day in some places, we find a village pump situated at the corner of the churchyard, which is not at all a good thing from a sanitary point of view. but we must bear in mind that the well was there before the churchyard, and that in most of such cases the site of the church had been fixed upon because of the virtue and attractions of the well.
st. teilo’s well.
this strong spring rises within a short distance of the ruined church of llandilo llwydiarth, near maenclochog, in pembrokeshire, and close by, there is a farm-house in which a skull, traditionally called “penglog teilo,” (teilo’s skull) is kept, and has been kept from time immemorial. this skull is used for drinking water out of from st. teilo’s well. in former times st. teilo’s well had a wide-spread reputation as a healing well, and the sick from all parts of south wales resorted to it; but it was considered absolutely necessary to drink the water out of the skull, which had to be dipped in the well, and filled with water, and handed to the patient by the hereditary keeper. the present keeper of the relic is mr. melchior, an intelligent farmer, who informed me that his ancestors had been keepers of the skull from time immemorial. how the skull first came there, mr. gibby, of llangolman, gave the following tradition:—when st. teilo was dying he bade a female servant take his skull from llandilo, in carmarthenshire, to llandilo, in pembrokeshire, and that if this was done, the skull would be a blessing to coming generations of men who would have their health restored by drinking water out of it. according to another tradition which i have heard, the skull came from llandaff cathedral, where st. teilo was bishop, though born in the neighbourhood of tenby. if we believe the old legend, the miracles he worked in death were marvellous; for, “on the night of his decease, there arose a great dispute between the clergy of the three churches each asserting its authority and privileges for obtaining his body; but at length, attending to the advice of discreet men, they had recourse to fasting and prayer, that christ, the great judge, who is the true authority, and privilege of holy persons, should declare by some sign, to which of them he would be pleased to commit the body of the saint. and in the morning a certain elder, looking towards the place where the body was, spoke with a loud voice, saying, “our prayer, brethren, has been heard by the lord, who [300]deprives no one of his reward; arise, and behold what things have been done by christ the meditator between god and man, that our dispute might be settled; and as in the life so in the death of the holy confessor, teilo, miracles should be performed.” for, lo! they saw there three bodies, to which there was the same dimensions of body, the same beauty of countenance; they had the lineaments of the whole frame, without any difference. so peace being restored, each with their own corpse returned homewards, and they buried the different bodies in those several places with the greatest reverence.”
st. teilo died in the year 566, and people of the present day hardly believe that the relic at llandilo llwydiarth is the real skull of this saint, though the skull in question is a very old one, and only the brain pan now remains. about five years ago an old man named john griffiths, living in the village of maenclochog, informed me that he well remembered the time when people came to st. teilo’s well, from all parts of the country, for the alleviation of their ailments, “and were cured” said he, “by faith.” the same old man also told me that when a boy, he and other two boys who were suffering from the whooping cough, were sent by their mothers early in the morning to drink water from the well out of the skull. they did so and got rid of their coughs entirely. i was told by another person in the neighbourhood, that about seventy years ago, a gentleman from glamorganshire, drove his consumptive son in a carriage all the way to pembrokeshire, to try this healing fountain of st. teilo, but arrived home in swansea without feeling any better. he had drunk the water from the well, but not out of the skull. his father took the boy all the way to st. teilo’s well a second time, and now made him drink out of the skull, and was completely cured of his complaint. when i was spending a few weeks at maenclochog, some years ago, in quest of information, i accompanied mr. melchior to the well one day, and drank out of the skull. but, unfortunately, i did not get rid of my cold, from which i was suffering at the time, but, perhaps, my faith was not strong enough.
the priest’s well.
“there is a well on the picton castle estate, situated near the red house cottages, called the priest’s well, which the children are (this was written thirty-five years ago) in the habit of decorating with mountain ash (or as it is called “cayer” in the district) and cowslips on may day. this is supposed to have the effect of keeping the witches away from those families who get water from the well during the year. the children sing over the [301]well while decorating it “cayer, cayer, keep the witches in may fair.”—bye-gones, december, 1874.
st. leonard’s well.
this well, which is situated in the parish of rudbaxton, in the neighbourhood of haverfordwest, was once much made use of for its medical properties, especially by those who were suffering from sore eyes. there was once a st. leonard’s chapel a short distance from the well, though st. leonard was not a welsh saint.
the chalybeate wells, gumfreston, tenby, had a great reputation once for their healing virtues.
wells of the five saints.
these are five wells or pools in the river, near llanpumpsaint, in carmarthenshire, and i am indebted for the following tradition concerning them, to old records in the possession of the rev. canon lloyd, b.d., vicar of that parish. llanpumpsaint, of course, means the “church of the five saints.” according to the tradition the five wells were made use of by the five saints, and each particular saint had his particular well. in former times on st. peter’s day, yearly, between two and three hundred people got together, some to wash in, and some to see the wells. in the summer time the people in the neighbourhood bathed themselves in the wells to cure their aches.
the holy well of llanfihangel geneu’r glyn.
this well is about four miles north from aberystwyth, in cardiganshire. it is situated quite close to the eastern wall of the churchyard of llanfihangel parish church. this well has been, and perhaps still is, held in honour for its curative virtues. it is surrounded by a small building and within a few years of the present time, people in search of health took the trouble of coming from long distances to drink from and to bathe in its waters. when the rev. z. m. davies, vicar of the parish, and myself, visited the spot five years ago, a lady living quite close to the well, informed us, that a short time previously, a crippled girl from glamorganshire, who had come there on crutches, was able to walk away without them, and left them behind.
ffynnon francis, is also a well in the parish of llanfihangel geneu’r glyn, on a farm called penuchaf, and it seems that it was once popularly esteemed, for there is a tradition at talybont, that its waters had the power of restoring sight to a blind old man named francis. [302]
the llancynvelyn well.
the parish of llancynvelyn is situated on high ground which juts out into the bog called gors fochno not far from borth, in north cardiganshire. cynvelyn, to whom the church is dedicated, was a welsh saint, descended from cunedda. within the memory of many people who are now alive, there was a holy well in the churchyard of llancynvelyn, and the sexton, an intelligent old man, informed me a few years ago, that its water was thought to possess health-restoring qualities, and he himself noticed people resorting there to bathe their feet in the well; and some came with bottles and carried some of the water home with them as a household remedy.
canna’s well (carmarthenshire).
the parish of llangan is not far from whitland. the holy well there, known as canna’s well, was much resorted to in former times, as its water was supposed to cure ague and intestinal complaints. after throwing a pin into the well, and drink of the water or bathe in it, it was customary for the patient to sit down in “canna’s chair” for a certain length of time and try to sleep. “canna’s chair” is a stone. in former times the superstitious believed it had a peculiar virtue in connection with the well.
st. anthony’s well.
st. anthony’s well, at llanstephan, carmarthenshire, was formerly famous for its curative virtues; and it is rather popular at the present day as a “wishing well.” young men and young women resort to the spot to wish, and are in the habit of throwing a pin into the well as an offering to its deity or to st. anthony, its patron saint.
the “wishing well” of careg cenen castle.
about four miles to the east of the town of llandilo, in carmarthenshire, are the remains of a remarkable old castle called careg cenen, which stands on the summit of a solitary rock. this rock is about 300 feet high. the most noted feature in connection with the castle is its underground gallery. in one part of the building a passage terminates in a flight of steps leading down to a dark subterranean cave of about 200, or perhaps, 250 feet long, and at the end of this passage or cave, there is a well which is still used as a “wishing well,” more especially by young people. when i went to see the remains of the castle a few years ago, i also visited the subterranean cave. after lighting a candle and [303]descending the flight of steps, i proceeded along this dark and marvellous passage slowly and cautiously, as there was water in some places. after going on underground in this manner about forty yards, to my great surprise, i heard the sound of human voices, and saw a light in front of me; and all of a sudden i came upon three young ladies, one from london, and two from ammanford, who informed me that they had intended going on as far as the well, but turned back before reaching it, as they were afraid of proceeding any further into the interior of such a dreary dungeon. however, when i offered to take the lead, they followed me with joy, and at last we reached the wishing well at the far end of the cave. before we left the spot, each one of the three young ladies threw a bent pin into the well, wishing, i suppose that she might have her heart’s desire. we found many pins at the bottom of the well, which had been probably left there by young people given to the practice of amorous spells.
there is also a well in the neighbourhood of llandilo, called ffynon-fil-feibion (thousand men’s well), respecting which tradition states that 1,000 men fell near it.
st. mary’s well, rhayader.
in the “history of radnorshire” it is stated: “on the western extremity of the common called maes-y-dref, is a most excellent spring of pure and limpid water, namely, st. mary’s well. it was heretofore a custom for the young people of rhayader, of both sexes, to resort hither on sunday evenings, during the spring and summer seasons, to drink this salutary beverage sweetened with sugar.”
pilleth churchyard well (radnorshire).
the water of this well was once considered beneficial in ophthalmia and other diseases of the eyes. there are in radnorshire numerous springs for the cure of various diseases, and in this county also is the celebrated and well-known health resort of llandrindod. builth wells, llangamarch, and llanwrtyd (breconshire), are also on its borders.
llannon (carmarthenshire.)
there is a holy well in this parish dedicated to non, mother of st. david. tradition also says that non herself got water from this well. [304]
llanelly.
in former times there was a holy well in the neighbourhood of llanelly, known as “ffynnon elli,” supposed to possess medical qualities.
holy well at llangybi.
llangybi is about four miles from lampeter, in cardiganshire. the vicar, the rev. j. n. evans, informed me that there is a well in this parish known as “ffynon wen,” formerly supposed to possess healing powers; and that there is a tradition in the neighbourhood that st. gybi himself lived at a house which is still called “llety cybi.” mr. evans also adds in the transactions of the cardiganshire antiquarian society, vol i., that within a quarter-of-a-mile of the holy well, there used to be a large stone called “llech gybi,” which the invalids who came to this well for healing were required to touch.
there is a holy well of st. gybi in carnarvonshire also, to which it was once customary for young women to travel long distances, in order to find out their lover’s intentions at the forthcoming fair. a pocket handkerchief was thrown on the surface of the water, and “if it floated to the south there would be great joy and delight, but if to the north, the girl would be an old maid.”
the holy well of st. gwenog.
st. gwenog’s well is close to the graveyard walls of the church of llanwenog, which is situated about six miles from lampeter, and two from llanybyther. the well was once much resorted to, even within memory of people who are still alive, as its water was considered very beneficial, especially to wash children whose backs were weak.
the llanllwni well.
in the parish of llanllwni, carmarthenshire, there is a well called ffynon garedig, which seems to have been famous once. there is an old saying that if you hold your two arms in this well for a certain length of time, you will find out whether you are healthy or unhealthy. if one’s arms are red when taken out of the water, it is a sign of good health, but if white, a sign of bad health.
the pwllffein well.
mr. rees, maesymeillion, llandyssul, cardiganshire, informed me, that there was once a famous well for its healing virtues, [305]on the side of the river clettwr, known as “ffynon pwllffein.” an old man who is now dead, informed him that this well was much resorted to about the first part of the last century, and pins were once found at its bottom. the well has been destroyed by the river now.
ffynon-ddewi, or st. david’s well, near alltyrodyn, in the same parish, was also much resorted to once, even within living memory, as it was popularly esteemed for its cures of whooping-cough.
the llandyssilio well.
in the parish of llandyssiliogogo, cardiganshire, a well, known as ffynon blaenglewinfawr, was once popularly esteemed for its cures of bad legs and other physical troubles. it is said that some who went there on crutches were cured.
ffynon y groes (well of the cross).
this well is in the parish of llangranog, cardiganshire, and was famous once, for tradition, says that in former times, pilgrims rested here to quench their thirst and to make the sign of the cross. this parish has also its ffynon fair, or st. mary’s well.
ffynon y pistyll.
this well, which was once celebrated for its healing virtues is in the neighbourhood of kidwelly, in carmarthenshire, and its water cured sore eyes.
the well of ffosanna.
this well is also in carmarthenshire, in the parish of cyuwil elvet. there was hardly a well in the county more celebrated in former times than “ffynon ffosanna,” and there are traditions still extant in the neighbourhood, that many of the cripples who resorted here, went home healed.
ffynon becca.
another well-known well of great repute in carmarthenshire, is becca’s well, between newcastle emlyn and llandyssul. this well is still thought by many to possess health-restoring qualities, and its water cured both gravel and diseased eyes. it was much resorted to within living memory.
st. non’s well, near st. david’s.
this famous holy well, dedicated to non, the mother of st. david, patron saint of wales, is situated near the remains of st. non’s chapel, near st. david’s, and was formerly much resorted [306]to for many complaints; and fenton in his history of pembrokeshire says: “in my infancy, as was the general usage with respect to children at that time, i was often dipped in it, and offerings, however trifling, even of a farthing or a pin, were made after each ablution, and the bottom of the well shone with votive brass.... at the upper end of the field leading to non’s chapel there appears the ruined site of a house, probably inhabited by the person deputed to take care of the spring, most likely a lucrative employment in more superstitious times.”
when i visited the neighbourhood a few years ago, an old man at st. david’s informed me that he remembered diseased persons coming to the well, and returning home completely restored to good health, and that without doubt there must be healing virtues in the water of this sacred spring. the old man also believed that st. david was baptised in the well. pembrokeshire people firmly believe that the patron saint of wales was born in the neighbourhood which bears his name. the welsh name for the cathedral and the town of st. david’s is ty ddewi, which means the house of david.
st. edren’s well.
st. edren’s is situated about half way between haverfordwest and fishguard. according to a local tradition there was once a most famous sacred well in the churchyard, much resorted to for the cure of many complaints, especially hydrophobia; but one time, a woman washed her clothes in this well on sunday, which caused the spring to dry up as a curse for breaking the sabbath. fortunately, however, for poor patients, the healing propensities or virtues of its water were miraculously transferred into the churchyard grass. so people took some of the grass to their homes to eat it with their food, which cured them of their ailments. there was a hole in the church wall to receive the offerings of those who came to procure some of this grass. one old man informed the vicar, the rev. j. bowen, who is an enthusiastic antiquarian, that the sacred well had been closed in order to drain the graveyard, but that there is still a spring in a field outside the wall.
the letterston well.
another pembrokeshire well supposed by some to possess curative properties is called “ffynon shan shillin,” at letterston, about five miles from fishguard. some say that the water of the well was once so valuable that it was sold for a shilling a bottle. [307]
the llanllawer well.
a well near the church of llanllawer, in the neighbourhood of fishguard, had once the reputation of possessing medical properties, and was much frequented in the old times.
there is a rocking-stone also in this neighbourhood, perhaps once used in divination.
there was also a well near moelgrove, between nevern and cardigan, which was resorted to once, and pins were discovered at the bottom of it.
rhoscrowther.
“down in a hollow beside the stream stands the ancient parish church, dedicated to st. decumanus, patron of springs and wells, who in old times was held in high esteem for the cures effected at the bubbling rill hard by.”—“nooks and corners in pembrokeshire,” page 82.
st. keynan’s well (llangurig.)
according to the late rev. elias owen, f.s.a., this well granted the wish of the first who drank it; and every married couple endeavoured to first drink the water, for the one did so became the master in their wedded life.
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lakes.
llyn moel llyn.
this is a lake in the parish of llanfihangel genau’r glyn, north cardiganshire. there is a saying that every bird that attempts to fly over this lake, falls into it dead. there is also a tradition in the neighbourhood that when an attempt was made to drain the lake, terrific thunder and lightning compelled them to give up the attempt.
tregaron lake.
there is a small lake near tregaron, between lampeter and aberystwyth; and there is a tradition in the neighbourhood that the village or town of tregaron was once situated on the spot which is now occupied by the lake, but that it sunk, and some fancy they can see some ruins or remains now at the bottom of the lake.
pencarreg lake.
pencarreg lake is not far from lampeter, but lies on the carmarthenshire side of the river teivy, and near llanybyther. according to an old tradition in the district, a village once stood [308]on the spot where now the lake is; but the village was swallowed up, and the lake is now known as the “bottomless.”
talley lakes.
talley lakes are close to the remains of the fine old abbey, and not far from edwinsford, the country seat of sir james drummond, bart., lord lieutenant of carmarthenshire. respecting these lakes also there is a tradition that a town lies beneath their waters.
such traditions of towns lying buried beneath lakes are common to many lakes, both in wales, and other countries. such traditions have probably come down from pre-historic times, when people dwelt in lake habitations, and in caves, for safety from the beasts of the forest as well as from human foes. traces of lake dwelling have been discovered in switzerland and in other countries.
llyn llechwen.
llyn llechwen, or llyn llech owen, lies on the top of a hill near gorslas, in carmarthenshire. according to a local tradition there was only a small well once on the spot now occupied by the lake. the well had a stone cover which had to be removed by those who came to obtain water, and to be carefully replaced after obtaining it. but once upon a time a certain farmer in the neighbourhood sent a boy almost every day to the well to water his horse. whenever the boy returned the farmer always asked him, “did you put back the stone over the mouth of the well, my boy?” the boy answered “yes.” one day, however, when in a hurry, the lad quite forgot about replacing the stone, and the consequence was that the water of the well burst forth till it formed a lake. the above story was told me by an old man named john jones, who lives in the small town of llangadock, who added that he had heard it from his mother when a boy.
according to another tale respecting the spot, it was one famous warrior known as owen lawgoch, and his men, who forgot to replace the cover; but when he found the water bursting forth both he and his men entered a cave in alarm, and fell asleep which is to last till it is broken by the sound of a trumpet and the clang of arms on rhiw goch, then to sally forth to conquer.
llyn y fan fach.
this lake is known to all lovers of welsh fairy lore. it lies on the black mountain on the borders of carmarthenshire and breconshire. [309]it has been customary from time immemorial for people from all parts to throng the banks of this lake on the first day of august to see the fairy lady of the lake appearing on the surface of the water to comb her hair. for account of this lady see fairies in this book.
llyn eiddwen, llyn fanod, and llyn farch.
these are a group of lakes in which the river aeron, in cardiganshire, rises. there is an old story that wild cattle used to come out of eiddwen, and rush back when disturbed. mr. david rees, glynwern, llanilar, informed me that according to an old prophecy attributed to merlin, when llyn eiddwen dries up the town of carmarthen will sink! there is also a story about llyn farch that, once upon a time, a most wonderful animal came out of its waters, and was shot by a farmer.
savaddan lake (breconshire).
this celebrated lake which is known by several names, such as llangorse lake, lake of brycheiniog, etc., occupies a spot where, according to ancient tradition, once stood a large city, which was swallowed up by an earthquake. camden once thought that the supposed city was the ancient loventium of the romans; but loventium stood, in all probability, in the parish of llanddewi brefi, cardiganshire.
this lake was once celebrated for its miracles, and giraldus cambrensis seven hundred years ago, says:—“in the reign of king henry i., gruffydh, son of rhys ap theodor, held under the king, one comot, namely, the fourth part of the cantred of caoc, in the cantref mawr, which, in title and dignity, was esteemed by the welsh, equal to the southern part of wales, called deheubarth, that is, the right-hand side of wales. when gruffydh, on his return from the king’s court, passed near this lake, which at that cold season of the year was covered with waterfowl of various sorts, being accompanied by milo, earl of hereford, and lord of brecheinioc, and payn fitz-john, lord of ewyas, who were at that time secretaries and privy counsellors of the king; earl milo, wishing to draw forth from gruffydh some discourse concerning his innate nobility, rather jocularly than seriously thus addressed him: ‘it is an ancient saying in wales, that if the natural prince of the country, coming to this lake, shall order the birds to sing, they will immediately obey him.’ to which gruffydh, richer in mind than in gold (for though his inheritance was diminished, his ambition and dignity still remained), answered, ‘do you therefore, [310]who now hold the dominion of this land, first give the command’; but he and payn having in vain commanded, and gruffydh, perceiving that it was necessary for him to do so in his turn, dismounted from his horse, and falling on his knees towards the east, as if he had been about to engage in battle, prostrate on the ground, with his eyes and hands uplifted to heaven, poured forth devout prayers to the lord: at length, rising up, and signing his face and forehead with the figure of the cross, he thus openly spake: ‘almighty god, and lord jesus christ, who knowest all things, declare here this day thy power. if thou hast caused me to descend lineally from the natural princes of wales, i command these birds in thy name to declare it;’ and immediately the birds, beating the water with their wings, began to cry aloud, and proclaim him. the spectators were astonished and confounded; and earl milo hastily returning with payn fitz-john to court, related this singular occurrence to the king, who is said to have replied, ‘by the death of christ (an oath he was accustomed to use), it is not a matter of so much wonder; for although by our great authority we commit acts of violence and wrong against these people yet they are known to be the rightful inheritors of this land.’”
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river legends.
“hafren ag wy, hyfryd eu gwedd
a rheidol fawr ei hanrhydedd.”
(how beautiful are the severn and wye
and rheidol is held in honour they say.)
the severn, the wye, and the rheidol rise on plinlimon mountain. these rivers, which are called three sisters, agreed to make a visit to the sea in the morning. severn rose up very early, and took compass through shropshire, worcestershire, and gloucestershire. wye rose later and took her journey through the counties of radnorshire and hereford, falling in with her sister near chepstow, and went hand in hand to the ocean. rheidol indulged in her dreams and lay so late that she was forced to take the nearest road to aberystwyth. according to another version of this legend five sister fountains are mentioned, namely, wye, severn, rheidol, llyfnant and the dulas.
there is another interesting old legend having close connection with the severn, the following version of which is given by milton in his history of britain:—“after this brutus in a chosen place, built troja nova, changed in time to trimovantum, now london; and began to enact laws (heli being then high priest in judea); and having governed the whole isle twenty-four years died, and [311]was buried in his new troy. three sons—locrine, albanact, and camber—divided the land by consent. locrine had the middle part, loegria; camber possessed cambria or wales; albanact, albania, now scotland. but he in the end, by humber, king of the hums, who, with a fleet, invaded that land, was slain in fight, and his people driven back into loegria. locrine and his brother go out against humber; who now marching onward was by these defeated, and in a river drowned, which to this day retains his name. among the spoils of his camp and navy were found certain maids, and estrilidis, above the rest, passing fair, the daughter of a king in germany, from whence humber, as he went wasting the sea-coast, had led her captive; whom locrine, though before, contracted to the daughter of corineus, resolves to marry. but being forced and threatened by corineus, whose authority and power he feared, gwendolen, the daughter, he yields to marry, but in secret loves the other; and ofttimes retiring as to some sacrifice, through vaults and passages made underground, and seven years thus enjoying her, had by her a daughter equally fair, whose name was sabra. but when once his fear was off by the death of corineus, not content with secret enjoyment, divorcing gwendolen, he makes estrilidis his queen. gwendolen, all, in rage, departs into cornwall; where pladan, the son she had by locrine, was hitherto brought up by corineus, his grandfather; and gathering an army of her father’s friends, and subjects, gives battle to her husband by the river sture, wherein locrine, shot with an arrow, ends his life. but not so ends the fury of gwendolen, for estrilidis and her daughter sabra she throws into a river, and, to have a monument of revenge proclaims that the stream be thenceforth called after the damsel’s name, which by length of time is changed now to sabrina or severn.” the poet in his “mask of comus” makes the nymph sabrina “that with moist curb sways the smooth severn stream” the goddess of the river, but still retaining her maiden gentleness, and the shepherds, at their festivals, “carol her goodness loud in their rustic lays, and throw sweet garland wreaths into her stream of pansies, pink, and gaudy daffodils. and, as the old swain said, she can unlock the clasping charm, and thaw the number spell, if she be right invoked in warbling song; for maidenhood she loves, and will be swift to aid a virgin, such as was herself, in hard-besetting need.” in the year 1634 when this “comus” was presented at ludlow castle before the lord president of wales, the president’s own daughter, lady alice egerton, when only a little girl, acted in it; and it is an interesting fact that this same lady alice, some years afterwards, [312]became the wife of the earl of carbery, golden grove, carmarthenshire, who entertained jeremy taylor during the time of the commonwealth.
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caves.
ogof morris (morris’s cave).
near tre’rddol in north cardiganshire, there is a cave known as ogof morris. according to a tradition i heard in the neighbourhood, this morris was a notorious robber who lived in this cave, and went about to steal hens and sheep; but at last he was caught and hanged at cardigan. according to the eminent antiquarian, mr. barnwell, there was a robber of the name also in pembrokeshire, who had a little dog trained to fetch the arrows shot at unfortunate wayfarers. at last he was killed and buried at a spot where there is a stone still called “bedd morris” on the highway from st. david’s to newport.
bloody cave.
there is a cave at pendine, in carmarthenshire, in which according to tradition a gang of most desperate and murderous robbers once made their headquarters. at last, these scoundrels were attacked by the people of the neighbourhood, and put to death for murdering a woman for her money.
plant mat’s cave.
according to tradition “plant mat,” or “plant y fat,” were two sons and a daughter of one matthew evans, who kept a public house at tregaron in the seventeenth century. these persons became highway robbers and lived in a cave near devil’s bridge. the entrance to the cave admitted only one person at a time and this enabled the robbers to keep out hundreds when they were attacked. it seems that they had some notion of honour, for it is said that if either had a friend, he gave him his glove, which served as a passport when stopped by the others. they lived for some years in this cave, but at last they were executed for murder. one of them was captured near hereford, just as he was giving out the well-known hail of “deliver or die.” these robbers are also credited with the attributes of the fairies.
twm shion catti’s cave.
“mae llefain mawr a gwaeddi,
yn ystradffin eleni;
mae’r ceryg nadd yn toddi’n blwm,
rhag ofn twm sion catti.”
[313]
(in ystradffin a doleful sound
pervades the hollow hills around;
the very stones with terror melt,
such tear of twm shion catti’s felt.)
this cave, which is near ystradffin, on the borders of carmarthenshire and cardiganshire, was once, says tradition, the stronghold of twm shion catti, or to give him his proper name thomas jones. this thomas jones, or twm shion catti, lived at tregaron in the time of queen elizabeth. it seems that he had been in his younger days a freebooter, but reformed and became a celebrated bard, antiquary and a genealogist. the legends which have gathered round the name of this eminent man, are still retained in the memory of the people in cardiganshire and carmarthenshire, and the late mr. t. j. l. prichard, of llandovery, made him the hero of a most popular romance, into whose book the stories have been introduced, and embellished.
owen lawgoch’s cave.
this cave is in the limestone rock of dinas, llandebie, in carmarthenshire, respecting which there is a story that a great warrior named owen lawgoch and his men fell asleep in it, but who are some day to awake and sally forth. a version of the legend is given in the brython for 1858, page 179, by the late gwynionydd, and an english translation of the same story is given by sir john rhys in his “celtic folk-lore.”
“not the least of the wonders of imagination wont to exercise the minds of the old people was the story of owen lawgoch. one sometimes hears sung in the fairs the words:—
‘yr owain hwn yw harri’r nawfed
sydd yn trigo ‘ngwlad estroniaid, etc.’
(this owen is henry the ninth
who tarries in a foreign land, etc.)
but this owen lawgoch, the national deliverer of our ancient race of brythons, did not, according to the troed yr aur people, tarry in a foreign land, but somewhere in wales, not far from offa’s dyke. they used to say that one dafydd meirig of bettws bledrws, having quarrelled with his father left for england. when he had got a considerable distance from home, he struck a bargain with a cattle dealer to drive a herd of his beasts to london. somewhere on the corner of a vast moor, dafydd cut a very remarkable hazel stick; for a good staff is as essential to the vocation of a good drover as teeth are to a dog. so while his comrades had had their sticks broken before reaching london, dafydd’s remained as it was, and whilst they were conversing together on london bridge [314]a stranger accosted dafydd, wishing to know where he had obtained that wonderful stick. he replied that in wales he had had it, and on the stranger’s assuring him that there were wonderful things beneath the tree on which it had grown, they both set out for wales. when they reached the spot and dug a little they found that there was a great hollow place beneath. as night was spreading out her sable mantle, and as they were getting deeper, what should they find but stairs easy to step, and great lamps illuminating the vast chamber! when they reached the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves near a large table, at one end of which they beheld sitting a tall man of about seven foot. he occupied an old-fashioned chair and rested his head on his left hand, while the other hand, all red, lay on the table and grasped a great sword. he was withal enjoying a wondrously serene sleep, and at his feet on the floor lay a big dog. after casting a glance at them, the wizard said to dafydd: ‘this is owen lawgoch, who is to sleep on till a special time, when he will wake and reign over the brythons. that weapon in his hand is one of the swords of the ancient kings of britain.’ then they moved slowly on, gazing at the wonders of that subterranean chamber; and they beheld everywhere the arms of ages long past, and on the table thousands of gold and silver pieces bearing the images of the different kings of britain. they got to understand that it was permitted them to take a handful of each, but not to put any in their purses. they both visited the cave several times, but at last dafydd put in his purse a little of the gold bearing the image of one of the owen’s ancestors. but after coming out again they were never able any more to find owen’s subterranean palace.”
this story of owen lawgoch and his sleeping warriors is a version of the well-known welsh tradition of the enchanted sleep of king arthur and his knights.
according to an old welsh ballad, owen lawgoch does not sleep in a cave in wales, but “tarries in a foreign land”; and dr. o. t. lewis, of the university college, addressing the cardiganshire antiquarian society, november 30th, 1910, stated that the garrison at aberystwyth “was increased in 1369, when owen lawgoch with his french auxiliaries were expected from beyond the seas.”
