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| Celtic folklore takes complicated paths through historic and pre-historic times. With the amount of stories available it would be impossible to tell them all. I will only attempt to tell a variety of tales I know personaly, and will try and mix some with the odd historical fact or two. There are also different versions of some tales, but the basic storyline will stay true. Similarities to persons living or dead, are usualy coincidental. |
| Cursed and the Un-Cursed It is said that during the 5th century St Elian was travelling over the hills above the coast where Colwyn Bay stands today. He was very tired and very thirsty, but there were no settlements in sight. He decided to trust in God, and so sat on the ground and prayed for a warm night and some fresh water to quench his parched throat. As he prayed a spring bubbled up from the ground at his feet, and the saint drank gratefully. In later years the well became famous for its powers. but the powers were normally used for negative purposes. The majority of people using the well did so to issue curses on others who had offended them. Victims soon learned they had been cursed and visited the well themselves to ask the custodian to remove it. The cistodian was only too glad to do so, for a bigger fee than that charged for the original curse. The well was filled in during the 19th century when the cursing got out of hand. |
| Llangelynnin Old Church Standing 927 feet above sea leavel and overlooking the Conwy Valley, this secluded Church was built in the 7th Century by St Celynnin. In the south-west corner of the churchyard is a tree shaded well. Many years ago the parents of sick children would come here to throw items of their childs clothing into the water. If the cloths floated their child would live. If they sank the child was destined to die of their illness. |
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| Barclodiad y Gawres( The Giantess` Apronful) The Roman road between Ro Wen and Aber is a source of many storys. One of these is about two giants, husband and wife, who were travelling to Anglesey to start a new house. The husband was carrying two large stones, one under each arm, intended for the door frame. His wife held a quantity of smaller rocks in her apron. As they walked along a pass now known as Bwlch y Ddeufaen (Pass of the Two Stones) they met a cobbler going in the opposite direction. The giants were not too sure of their way, so asked the cobbler, who pointed the correct way to get to Anglesey. "And how far is it" asked the giantess who had aching feet. The cobbler, with a mischievious twinkle in his eye, looked down at at the dozen or so shoes he was carrying to be repaired, and said, " I have worn out all these shoes walking from there !" The giant moaned and dropped his two boulders. The giantess threw up her arms in horror, thus emptying the contents of her apron onto the ground. That is why the rocks, which are still there to this day are called Barclodiad y Gawres (The Giantess` Apronful). |
| Carreg Lleidr (The Robbers Stone) In the 17th century a market town was established at Llanerchymedd, Anglesey. St Seriol and St Cybi were in the habit of meeting outside the town. St Seriol travelled from Penmon and always had the sun to his back - he bacame known as Seriol the fair. St Cybi came from Holyhead, and always had the sun in his face and was known as Cybi the dark. In a field a few miles east of this spot is a stone shaped like a man carrying something on his back. A thief is said to have stolen a bible from a local church, and because of the areas saintly connections, was turned to stone as he fled. According to the locals, every christmas eve on the stroke of midnight, the stone leaps from the ground and runs around the field three times. |
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| Maentwrog (St Twrog`s Stone) The village of Maentwrog is a few miles south of the slate town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. In the churchyard, standing next to the porch, is a stone of unknown origin. According to legend, a giant called Twrog was discusted by pagan rites being held on the land where the church now stands. After watching from a nearby hill he threw a large stone which hit the altar the pagans were using and destroyed it. His thumb and finger mark can still be seen in the rock. Afterwards Twrog settled in the area and his followers erected a church where the boulder was embedded in the ground. Footnote; After hours looking through reference books, and scouring the web I could only find one mention of this creature. Click the pic if you wish to read it. |
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| Maen y Bardd (The Poets Stone) High above the village of Rowen in the Conwy valley stands the Maen y Bardd burial chamber. Localy called Cwt y Filuast (The greyhoundbitch`s Kennel). A short distance away stands a tall stone of about 7feet, which together with the chamber is the subject of myth. Many years ago a giant who was also a shepherd sent his dog to gather some stray sheep from below the ridge of Tal y Fan. The dog was disobedient and rested inside the burial chamber. In a rage the giant threw a huge stick which struck the ground not far from the chamber, which woke the dog, who rushed out to collect the sheep. The stick turned to stone and is there for anyone to see. It is also sometimes called Arthur`s Spear, which if I looked would no doubt refer to yet another story. |
| Misc |
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