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Welsh Folk-Lore

Elias Owen

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WELSH FOLK-LORE a collection by the Rev. Elias Owen, M.A., F.S.A.

WELSH FOLK-LORE a collection by the Rev. Elias Owen, M.A., F.S.A.

CONTENTS TITLE PAGE i PREFACE iii-vi INDEX vii-xii ESSAY 1-352 LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS 353-359 WELSH FOLK-LORE A COLLECTION OF THE FOLK-TALES AND LEGENDS OF NORTH WALES BEING THE PRIZE ESSAY OF THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD 1887, BY THE REV. ELIAS OWEN, M.A, F.S.A....

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PREFACE

PREFACE

To this Essay on the “Folk-lore of North Wales,” was awarded the first prize at the Welsh National Eisteddfod, held in London, in 1887. The prize consisted of a silver medal, and £20. The adjudicators were Canon Silvan Evans, Professor Rhys, and Mr Egerton Phillimore, editor of the Cymmrodor . By an arrangement with the Eisteddfod Committee, the work became the property of the publishers, Messrs. Woodall, Minshall, &amp; Co., who, at the request of the author, entrusted it to him for revis

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ORIGIN OF THE FAIRIES. (Y TYLWYTH TÊG.)

ORIGIN OF THE FAIRIES. (Y TYLWYTH TÊG.)

The Fairy tales that abound in the Principality have much in common with like legends in other countries. This points to a common origin of all such tales. There is a real and unreal, a mythical and a material aspect to Fairy Folk-Lore. The prevalence, the obscurity, and the different versions of the same Fairy tale show that their origin dates from remote antiquity. The supernatural and the natural are strangely blended together in these legends, and this also points to their great age, and

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NAMES GIVEN TO THE FAIRIES.

NAMES GIVEN TO THE FAIRIES.

The Fairies have, in Wales, at least three common and distinctive names, as well as others that are not nowadays used. The first and most general name given to the Fairies is “ Y Tylwyth Têg ,” or, the Fair Tribe, an expressive and descriptive term. They are spoken of as a people, and not as myths or goblins, and they are said to be a fair or handsome race. Another common name for the Fairies, is, “ Bendith y Mamau ,” or, “The Mothers’ Blessing.” In Doctor Owen Pughe’s Dictionary they are call

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FAIRY LADIES MARRYING MORTALS.

FAIRY LADIES MARRYING MORTALS.

In the mythology of the Greeks, and other nations, gods and goddesses are spoken of as falling in love with human beings, and many an ancient genealogy began with a celestial ancestor. Much the same thing is said of the Fairies. Tradition speaks of them as being enamoured of the inhabitants of this earth, and content, for awhile, to be wedded to mortals. And there are families in Wales who are said to have Fairy blood coursing through their veins, but they are, or were, not so highly esteemed

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WELSH LEGENDS OF FAIRY LADIES MARRYING MEN.

WELSH LEGENDS OF FAIRY LADIES MARRYING MEN.

I am indebted to the Rev. Owen Jones, Vicar of Pentrevoelas, a mountain parish in West Denbighshire, for the following tale, which was written in Welsh by a native of those parts, and appeared in competition for a prize on the Folk-Lore of that parish. The son of Hafodgarreg was shepherding his father’s flock on the hills, and whilst thus engaged, he, one misty morning, came suddenly upon a lovely girl, seated on the sheltered side of a peat-stack. The maiden appeared to be in great distress, a

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MEN CAPTURED BY FAIRIES.

MEN CAPTURED BY FAIRIES.

In the preceding legends, we have accounts of men capturing female Fairies, and marrying them. It would be strange if the kidnapping were confined to one of the two races, but Folk-Lore tells us that the Fair Family were not innocent of actions similar to those of mortals, for many a man was snatched away by them, and carried off to their subterranean abodes, who, in course of time, married the fair daughters of the Tylwyth Têg . Men captured Fairy ladies, but the Fairies captured handsome men

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FAIRY CHANGELINGS.

FAIRY CHANGELINGS.

It was firmly believed, at one time, in Wales, that the Fairies exchanged their own weakly or deformed offspring for the strong children of mortals. The child supposed to have been left by the Fairies in the cradle, or elsewhere, was commonly called a changeling. This faith was not confined to Wales; it was as common in Ireland, Scotland, and England, as it was in Wales. Thus, in Spenser’s Faery Queen , reference is made in the following words to this popular error:— And her base Elfin brood

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FAIRY MOTHERS AND HUMAN MIDWIVES.

FAIRY MOTHERS AND HUMAN MIDWIVES.

Fairies are represented in Wales as possessing all the passions, appetites, and wants of human beings. There are many tales current of their soliciting help and favours in their need from men and women. Just as uncivilized nations acknowledge the superiority of Europeans in medicine, so did the Fairies resort in perplexing cases to man for aid. There is a class of tales which has reached our days in which the Fairy lady, who is about to become a mother, obtains from amongst men a midwife, who

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FAIRY VISITS TO HUMAN ABODES.

FAIRY VISITS TO HUMAN ABODES.

Old people often told their children and servant girls, that one condition of the Fairy visits to their houses was cleanliness. They were always instructed to keep the fire place tidy and the floor well swept, the pails filled with water, and to make everything bright and nice before going to bed, and that then, perhaps, the Fairies would come into the house to dance and sing until the morning, and leave on the hearth stone a piece of money as a reward behind them. But should the house be dirt

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FAIRY MONEY TURNED TO DROSS.

FAIRY MONEY TURNED TO DROSS.

Fairies’ treasure was of uncertain value, and depended for its very existence on Fairy intentions. Often and again, when they had lavishly bestowed money on this or that person, it was discovered to be only leaves or some equally worthless substance; but people said that the recipients of the money richly deserved the deception that had been played upon them by the Fairies. In this chapter a few tales shall be given of this trait of Fairy mythology. The person from whom the following tale was d

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FAIRIES WORKING FOR MEN.

FAIRIES WORKING FOR MEN.

It was once thought that kind Fairies took compassion on good folk, who were unable to accomplish in due time their undertakings, and finished in the night these works for them; and it was always observed that the Fairy workman excelled as a tradesman the mortal whom he assisted. Many an industrious shoemaker, it is said, has ere this found in the morning that the Fairies had finished in the night the pair of shoes which he had only commenced the evening before. Farmers too, who had in part pl

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FAIRY DANCES.

FAIRY DANCES.

The one occupation of the Fairy folk celebrated in song and prose was dancing. Their green rings, circular or ovoidal in form, abounded in all parts of the country, and it was in these circles they were said to dance through the livelong night. In “ Cân y Tylwyth Têg ,” or the Fairies’ Song, thus they chant:— O’r glaswellt glen a’r rhedyn mân, Gyfeillion dyddan, dewch, E ddarfu’r nawn—mae’r lloer yu llawn, Y nos yn gyflawn gewch; O’r chwarau sydd ar dwyn y dydd, I’r Dolydd awn ar daith.

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FAIRY TRICKS WITH MORTALS.

FAIRY TRICKS WITH MORTALS.

It was formerly believed in Wales that the Fairies, for a little fun, sportively carried men in mid air from place to place, and, having conveyed them to a strange neighbourhood, left them to return to their homes as best they could. Benighted travellers were ever fearful of encountering a throng of Fairies lest they should by them be seized, and carried to a strange part of the country. Allusion is made to this freak of the Fairies in the Cambro-Briton , vol. i., p. 348:— “And it seems that th

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FAIRY ILLUSIONS.

FAIRY ILLUSIONS.

“Ryw dro yr oedd brodor o Nefyn yn dyfod adref o ffair Pwllheli, ac wrth yr Efail Newydd gwelai Inn fawreddog, a chan ei fod yn gwybod nad oedd yr un gwesty i fod yno, gofynodd i un o’r gweision os oedd ganddynt ystabl iddo roddi ei farch. Atebwyd yn gadarnhaol. Rhoddwyd y march yn yr ystabl, ac aeth yntau i mewn i’r ty, gofynodd am beint o gwrw, ac ni chafodd erioed well cwrw na’r cwrw hwnw. Yn mhen ychydig, gofynodd am fyned i orphwys, a chafodd hyny hefyd. Aeth i’w orweddle, yr hwn ydoedd

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FAIRY MEN CAPTURED.

FAIRY MEN CAPTURED.

There are many tales current of wee Fairy men having been captured. These tales are, however, evidently variants of the same story. The dwarfs are generally spoken of as having been caught by a trapper in his net, or bag, and the hunter, quite unconscious of the fact that a Fairy is in his bag, proceeds homewards, supposing that he has captured a badger, or some other kind of vermin, but, all at once, he hears the being in the bag speak, and throwing the bag down he runs away in a terrible fri

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FAIRIES IN MARKETS AND FAIRS.

FAIRIES IN MARKETS AND FAIRS.

It was once firmly believed by the Welsh that the Fairy Tribe visited markets and fairs, and that their presence made business brisk. If there was a buzz in the market place, it was thought that the sound was made by the Fairies, and on such occasions the farmers’ wives disposed quickly of their commodities; if, however, on the other hand, there was no buzz, the Fairies were absent, and there was then no business transacted. Mr. Richard Jones, Ty’n-y-Wern, Bryneglwys, who, when a youth, lived i

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NAMES OF THINGS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FAIRIES.

NAMES OF THINGS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FAIRIES.

Many small stone utensils found in the ground, the use, or the origin, of which was unknown to the finders, were formerly attributed to the Fairies. Thus, flint arrow-heads were called elf shots, from the belief that they once belonged to Elves or Fairies. And celts, and other stone implements, were, by the peasants of Wales and other places, ascribed to the same small folk. Very small clay pipes were also attributed to the same people. All this is curious evidence of a pre-existing race, wh

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FAIRY KNOCKERS, OR COBLYNAU.

FAIRY KNOCKERS, OR COBLYNAU.

The Coblynau or Knockers were supposed to be a species of Fairies who had their abode in the rocks, and whose province it was to indicate by knocks, and other sounds, the presence of ore in mines. It would seem that many people had dim traditions of a small race who had their dwellings in the rocks. This wide-spread belief in the existence of cave men has, in our days, been shown to have had a foundation in fact, and many vestiges of this people have been revealed by intelligent cave hunters.

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FAIRY, OR MYTHIC ANIMALS.

FAIRY, OR MYTHIC ANIMALS.

From the Myddvai Legend it would appear that the Fairies possessed sheep, cattle, goats, and horses, and from other tales we see that they had dogs, etc. Their stock, therefore, was much like that of ordinary farmers in our days. But Fairy animals, like their owners, have, in the course of ages, been endowed with supernatural powers. In this chapter shall be given a short history of these mythical animals. The words Cwn Annwn are variously translated as Dogs of Hell, Dogs of Elfinland. In so

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Satan Playing Cards.

Satan Playing Cards.

A good many years ago I travelled from Pentrevoelas to Yspytty in company with Mr. Lloyd, the then vicar of the latter parish, who, when crossing over a bridge that spanned a foaming mountain torrent, called my attention to the spot, and related to me the following tale connected with the place:— A man was returning home late one night from a friend’s house, where he had spent the evening in card playing, and as he was walking along he was joined by a gentleman, whose conversation was very inter

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Satan Playing Cards at a Merry Meeting.

Satan Playing Cards at a Merry Meeting.

It was formerly a general custom in Wales for young lads and lasses to meet and spend a pleasant evening together in various farmhouses. Many kinds of amusements, such as dancing, singing, and card playing, were resorted to, to while away the time. The Rev. Owen Jones informed me that once upon a time a merry party met at Hênafon near Rhuddlan, and when the fun was at its height a gentleman came to the farm, and joined heartily in all the merriment. By and by, card playing was introduced, and

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Satan Playing Cards on Rhyd-y-Cae Bridge, Pentrevoelas.

Satan Playing Cards on Rhyd-y-Cae Bridge, Pentrevoelas.

“Gwas yn y Gilar a phen campwr ei oes am chwareu cardiau oedd Robert Llwyd Hari. Ond wrth fyn’d adre’ o Rhydlydan, wedi bod yn chwareu yn nhy Modryb Ann y Green, ar ben y lôu groes, daeth boneddwr i’w gyfarfod, ag aeth yn ymgom rhyngddynt. Gofynodd y boneddwr iddo chware’ match o gardiau gydag e. ‘Nid oes genyf gardian,’ meddai Bob. ‘Oes, y mae genyt ddau ddec yn dy bocet,’ meddai’r boneddwr. Ag fe gytunwyd i chware’ match ar Bont Rhyd-y-Cae, gan ei bod yn oleu lleuad braf. Bu y boneddwr y

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Satan Snatching a Man up into the Air.

Satan Snatching a Man up into the Air.

It would appear that poor Bob was doomed to a sad end. His last exploit is thus given:— “Wrth fyned adre o chware cardia, ar Bont Maesgwyn gwelai Robert Llwyd Hari gylch crwn o dân; bu agos iddo droi yn ol, cymerodd galon eilwaith gan gofio fod ganddo Feibl yn ei boced, ac i ffordd ag e rhyngddo a’r tân, a phan oedd yn passio fe’i cipiwyd i fyny i’r awyr gan y Gwr Drwg, ond gallodd ddyweyd rhiw air wrth y D---, gollyngodd ef i lawr nes ydoedd yn disgyn yn farw mewn llyn a elwir Llyn Hari.” Whic

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Satan frightening a Man for gathering Nuts on Sunday.

Satan frightening a Man for gathering Nuts on Sunday.

The following tale was related to me by the Rev. W. E. Jones, rector of Bylchau, near Denbigh:— Richard Roberts, Coederaill, Bylchau, when a young man, worked in Flintshire, and instead of going to a place of worship on Sunday he got into the habit of wandering about the fields on that day. One fine autumn Sunday he determined to go a-nutting. He came to a wood where nuts were plentiful, and in a short time he filled his pockets with nuts, but perceiving a bush loaded with nuts, he put out his

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Satan taking possession of a man who fished on Sunday.

Satan taking possession of a man who fished on Sunday.

The following tale is in its main features still current in Cynwyd, a village about two miles from Corwen. The first reference to the story that I am acquainted with appeared in an essay sent in to a local Eisteddfod in 1863. The story is thus related in this essay:— “About half a mile from Cynwyd is the ‘Mill Waterfall,’ beneath which there is a deep linn or whirlpool, where a man, who was fishing there on Sunday, once found an enormous fish. ‘I will catch him, though the D---l take me,’ sai

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Satan appearing in many forms to a Man who Travelled on Sunday.

Satan appearing in many forms to a Man who Travelled on Sunday.

I received the following tale from my deceased friend, the Rev. J. L. Davies, late Rector of Llangynog, near Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, and he obtained it from William Davies, the man who figures in the story. As a preface to the tale, it should be stated that it was usual, some years ago, for Welsh labourers to proceed to the harvest in England, which was earlier there than in Wales, and after that was finished, they hastened homewards to be in time for their own harvest. These migratory Wel

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The Evil Spirit appearing to a Man who frequented Alehouses on Sunday.

The Evil Spirit appearing to a Man who frequented Alehouses on Sunday.

Jones writes as follows:—“W. J. was once a Sabbath-breaker at Risca village, where he frequently used to play and visit the alehouses on the Sabbath day, and there stay till late at night. On returning homeward he heard something walking behind him, and turning to see what it was he could see the likeness of a man walking by his side; he could not see his face, and was afraid to look much at it, fearing it was an evil spirit, as it really was, therefore he did not wish it good night. This drea

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Satan Outwitted.

Satan Outwitted.

In the preceding tales the Evil One is depicted as an agent in the destruction of his own kingdom. He thus shows his obtuseness, or his subordination to a higher power. In the story that follows, he is outwitted by a Welshman. Many variants of this tale are found in many countries. It is evident from this and like stories, that it was believed the Spirit of Evil could easily be circumvented by an intelligent human being. The tale is taken from Y Brython , vol. v., p. 192. I when a lad often

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Satan and Churches.

Satan and Churches.

The traditional stories that are still extant respecting the determined opposition to the erection of certain churches in particular spots, and the removal of the materials during the night to some other site, where ultimately the new edifice was obliged to be erected, and the many stories of haunted churches, where evil spirits had made a lodgment, and could not for ages be ousted, are evidences of the antagonism of rival forms of paganism, or of the opposition of an ancient religion to the new

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Mysterious Removal of Churches.

Mysterious Removal of Churches.

There was a tradition extant in the parish of Llanllechid, near Bangor, Carnarvonshire, that it was intended to build a church in a field called Cae’r Capel, not far from Plasuchaf Farm, but it was found the next morning that the labours of the previous day had been destroyed, and that the materials had been transported in the night to the site of the present church. The workmen, however, carried them all back again, and resumed their labours at Cae’r Capel, but in vain, for the next day they f

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Apparitions of the Devil.

Apparitions of the Devil.

To accomplish his nefarious designs the Evil Spirit assumed forms calculated to attain his object. The following lines from Allan Cunningham’s Traditional Tales , p. 9, aptly describe his transformations:— Soon he shed His hellish slough, and many a subtle wile Was his to seem a heavenly spirit to man, First, he a hermit, sore subdued in flesh, O’er a cold cruse of water and a crust, Poured out meet prayers abundant. Then he changed Into a maid when she first dreams of man, And from beneath

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Satan appearing to a Man who was fetching a Load of Bibles, etc.

Satan appearing to a Man who was fetching a Load of Bibles, etc.

“A Mr. Henry Llewelyn, having been sent to Samuel Davies, of Ystrad Defodoc Parish, in Glamorganshire, to fetch a load of books, viz., Bibles, Testaments, Watts’s Psalms, Hymns, and Songs for Children, said—Coming home by night towards Mynyddustwyn, having just passed by Clwyd yr Helygen ale-house, and being in a dry part of the lane—the mare, which he rode, stood still, and, like the ass of the ungodly Balaam, would go no farther, but kept drawing back. Presently he could see a living thing, r

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The Devil appearing to a Dissenting Minister at Denbigh.

The Devil appearing to a Dissenting Minister at Denbigh.

“The Rev. Mr. Thomas Baddy, who lived in Denbigh Town, and was a Dissenting Minister in that place, went into his study one night, and while he was reading or writing, he heard some one behind him laughing and grinning at him, which made him stop a little—as well indeed it might. It came again, and then he wrote on a piece of paper, that devil-wounding scripture, 1st John, 3rd,—‘For this was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil,’—and held it backwards from him

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Satan seen Lying right across a Road.

Satan seen Lying right across a Road.

The story related to me was as follows:—Near Pentrevoelas lived a man called John Ty’nllidiart, who was in the habit of taking, yearly, cattle from the uplands in his neighbourhood, to be wintered in the Vale of Clwyd. Once, whilst thus engaged, he saw lying across the road right in front of him and the cattle, and completely blocking up the way, Satan with his head on one wall and his tail on the other, moaning horribly. John, as might be expected, hurried homewards, leaving his charge to tak

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The Devil’s Tree by Eglwys Rhos, near Llandudno.

The Devil’s Tree by Eglwys Rhos, near Llandudno.

At the corner of the first turning after passing the village of Llanrhos, on the left hand side, is a withered oak tree, called by the natives of those parts the Devil’s Tree, and it was thought to be haunted, and therefore the young and timid were afraid to pass it of a dark night. The Rev. W. Arthur Jones, late Curate of the parish, told me that his horse was in the habit of shying whenever it came opposite this blighted tree, and his servant accounted for this by saying that the horse saw som

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Satan appearing as a Lovely Maiden.

Satan appearing as a Lovely Maiden.

The following story I received from the Rev. Owen Jones, Pentrevoelas. As regards details it is a fragment. A young man who was walking from Dyserth to Rhyl was overtaken by a lovely young lady dressed in white. She invited conversation, and they walked together awhile talking kindly, but, when they came opposite a pool on the road side she disappeared, in the form of a ball of fire, into the water. All that has reached our days, in corroboration of this tale, is the small pool. The next tale

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A Man carried away by the Evil One.

A Man carried away by the Evil One.

W. E., of Ll--- M---, was a very bad man; he was a brawler, a fighter, a drunkard. He is said to have spat in the parson’s face, and to have struck him, and beaten the parish clerk who interfered. It was believed that he had sold himself to work evil, and many foul deeds he committed, and, what was worse, he gloried in them. People thought that his end would be a shocking one, and they were not disappointed. One night this reprobate and stubborn character did not return home. The next day se

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Satan appearing to a Young Man.

Satan appearing to a Young Man.

A young man, who had left Pentrevoelas to live in a farm house called Hafod Elwy, had to go over the hills to Denbigh on business. He started very early, before the cock crew, and as it was winter, his journey over the bleak moorlands was dismal and dreary. When he had proceeded several miles on his journey an unaccountable dread crept over him. He tried to dispel his fear by whistling and by knocking the ground with his walking stick, but all in vain. He stopped, and thought of returning ho

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Satan appearing to a Collier.

Satan appearing to a Collier.

John Roberts of Colliers’ Row, Cyfartha, Merthyr, was once going to Aberdare over the mountain. On the top of the hill he was met by a handsome gentleman, who wore a three-cocked hat, a red waistcoat, and a blue coat. The appearance of this well dressed man took John Roberts’s fancy; but he could not understand why he should be alone on Aberdare mountain, and, furthermore, why he did not know the way to Aberdare, for he had asked Roberts to direct him to the town. John stared at the gentleman

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Ghosts, or Spirits.

Ghosts, or Spirits.

Ghosts, or Spirits, were supposed to be the shades of departed human beings who, for certain reasons, were permitted to visit either nightly, or periodically, this upper world. The hour that Spirits came to the earth was mid-night, and they remained until cock-crowing, when they were obliged to depart. So strongly did the people believe in the hours of these visits, that formerly no one would stay from home later than twelve o’clock at night, nor would any one proceed on a journey, until chanti

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The Gloddaeth Ghost.

The Gloddaeth Ghost.

The following tale was told the Rev. Owen Jones, Pentrevoelas, by Thomas Davies, Tycoch, Rhyl, the hero in the story. I may say that Gloddaeth Wood is a remnant of the primæval forest that is mentioned by Sir John Wynn, in his History of the Gwydir Family , as extending over a large tract of the country. This wood, being undisturbed and in its original wild condition, was the home of foxes and other vermin, for whose destruction the surrounding parishes willingly paid half-a-crown per head. Th

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Tymawr Ghost, Bryneglwys.

Tymawr Ghost, Bryneglwys.

This Ghost plagued the servants, pinched and tormented them, and they could not get rest day nor night; such was the character of this Ghost as told me by Mr. Richard Jones, Ty’n-y-wern. But, said I, what was the cause of his acts, was it the Ghost of anyone who had been murdered? To this question, Jones gave the following account of the Ghost’s arrival at Tymawr. A man called at this farm, and begged for something to eat, and as he was shabbily dressed, the girls laughed at him, and would no

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Ffrith Farm Ghost.

Ffrith Farm Ghost.

I am indebted to Mr. Williams, schoolmaster, Bryneglwys, for the history of this Ghost. It was not known why Ffrith farm was troubled by a Ghost; but when the servants were busily engaged in cheese making the Spirit would suddenly throw mortar, or filthy matter, into the milk, and thus spoil the curds. The dairy was visited by the Ghost, and there he played havoc with the milk and dishes. He sent the pans, one after the other, around the room, and dashed them to pieces. The terrible doings of

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Pont-y-Glyn Ghost.

Pont-y-Glyn Ghost.

There is a picturesque glen between Corwen and Cerrig-y-Drudion, down which rushes a mountain stream, and over this stream is a bridge, called Pont-y-Glyn. On the left hand side, a few yards from the bridge, on the Corwen side, is a yawning chasm, through which the river bounds. Here people who have travelled by night affirm that they have seen ghosts—the ghosts of those who have been murdered in this secluded glen. A man who is now a bailiff near Ruthin, but at the time of the appearance of t

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Ysbryd Ystrad Fawr.

Ysbryd Ystrad Fawr.

“Yr oedd Ysbryd yn Ystrad Fawr, ger Llangwm, yn arfer ymddangos ar brydiau ar lun twrci, a’i gynffon o’i amgylch fel olwyn troell. Bryd arall, byddai yn y coed, nes y byddai y rhai hyny yn ymddangos fel pe buasent oll ar dân; bryd arall, byddai fel ci du mawr yn cnoi asgwrn.”— Y Gordofigion , p. 106. Ystrad Fawr Ghost in English is as follows:— There was a Ghost at Ystrad Fawr, near Llangwm, that was in the habit of appearing like a turkey with his tail spread out like a spinning wheel. At oth

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Ty Felin Ghost, Llanynys.

Ty Felin Ghost, Llanynys.

An exciseman, overtaken by night, went to a house called Ty Felin, in the parish of Llanynys, and asked for lodgings. Unfortunately the house was a very small one, containing only two bedrooms, and one of these was haunted, consequently no one dared sleep in it. After awhile, however, the stranger induced the master to allow him to sleep in this haunted room; he had not been there long before a Ghost entered the room in the shape of a travelling Jew, and the Spirit walked around the room. The

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Llandegla Spirit.

Llandegla Spirit.

The tale of this Spirit was given me by Mr. Roberts, late Schoolmaster of Llandegla. A small river runs close to the secluded village of Llandegla, and in this mountain stream under a huge stone lies a wicked Ghost. The tale is as follows:— The old Rectory at Llandegla was haunted; the Spirit was very troublesome; no peace was to be got because of it; every night it was at its work. A person of the name of Griffiths, who lived at Graianrhyd, was sent for to lay the Ghost. He came to the Rect

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Lady Jeffrey’s Spirit.

Lady Jeffrey’s Spirit.

This lady could not rest in her grave because of her misdeeds, and she troubled people dreadfully; at last she was persuaded or enticed to contract her dimensions, and enter into a bottle. She did so, after appearing in a good many hideous forms; but when she got into the bottle, it was corked down securely, and the bottle was cast into the pool underneath the Short bridge, Llanidloes, and there the lady was to remain until the ivy that grew up the buttresses should overgrow the sides of the br

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Pentrevoelas.—Squire Griffith’s Ghost.

Pentrevoelas.—Squire Griffith’s Ghost.

A couple of workmen engaged at Foelas, the seat of the late Squire Griffiths, thought they would steal a few apples from the orchard for their children, and for this purpose one evening, just before leaving off work, they climbed up a tree, but happening to look down, whom should they see but the Squire, wearing his three-cornered hat, and dressed in the clothes he used to wear when alive, and he was leaning against the trunk of the tree on which they were perched. In great fright they dropped

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David Salisbury’s Ghost.

David Salisbury’s Ghost.

I will quote from Bye-Gones , vol. iii., p. 211, an account of this Spirit. “There was an old Welsh tradition in vogue some fifty years ago, that one David Salisbury, son of Harri Goch of Llanrhaiadr, near Denbigh, and grandson to Thomas Salisbury hên of Lleweni, had given considerable trouble to the living, long after his remains had been laid in the grave. A good old soul, Mr. Griffiths of Llandegla, averred that he had seen his ghost, mounted upon a white horse, galloping over hedges and dit

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A Ghost Appearing to point out Hidden Treasures.

A Ghost Appearing to point out Hidden Treasures.

There is a farm house called Clwchdyrnog in the parish of Llanddeusant, Anglesey, which was said to have been haunted by a Spirit. It seems that no one would summon courage to speak to the Ghost, though it was seen by several parties; but one night, John Hughes, Bodedern, a widower, who visited the house for the purpose of obtaining a second Mrs. Hughes from among the servant girls there, spoke to the Ghost. The presence of the Spirit was indicated by a great noise in the room where Hughes and

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The Powis Castle Ghost revealing a Hidden Box to a Woman.

The Powis Castle Ghost revealing a Hidden Box to a Woman.

The following is the narrative:—It had been for some time reported in the neighbourhood that a poor unmarried woman, who was a member of the Methodist Society, and had become serious under their ministry, had seen and conversed with the apparition of a gentleman, who had made a strange discovery to her. Mr. Hampson, being desirous to ascertain if there was any truth in the story, sent for the woman, and desired her to give him an exact relation of the whole affair from her own mouth, and as nea

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The Spirit of Llyn-Nâd-y-Forwyn.

The Spirit of Llyn-Nâd-y-Forwyn.

It is said that a young man was about to marry a young girl, and on the evening before the wedding they were rambling along the water’s side together, but the man was false, and loved another better than the woman whom he was about to wed. They were alone in an unfrequented country, and the deceiver pushed the girl into the lake to get rid of her to marry his sweetheart. She lost her life. But ever afterwards her Spirit troubled the neighbourhood, but chiefly the scene of her murder. Sometim

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Spirit Laying.

Spirit Laying.

It must have been a consolation to those who believed in the power of wicked Spirits to trouble people, that it was possible to lay these evil visitors in a pool of water, or to drive them away to the Red Sea, or to some other distant part of the world. It was generally thought that Spirits could be laid by a priest; and there were particular forms of exorcising these troublesome beings. A conjuror, or Dyn Hysbys , was also credited with this power, and it was thought that the prayer of a righ

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Cynon’s Ghost.

Cynon’s Ghost.

One of the wicked Spirits which plagued the secluded Valley of Llanwddyn long before it was converted into a vast reservoir to supply Liverpool with water was that of Cynon . Of this Spirit Mr. Evans writes thus:—“ Yspryd Cynon was a mischievous goblin, which was put down by Dic Spot and put in a quill, and placed under a large stone in the river below Cynon Isaf. The stone is called ‘ Careg yr Yspryd ,’ the Ghost Stone. This one received the following instructions, that he was to remain unde

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Caellwyngrydd Spirit.

Caellwyngrydd Spirit.

This was a dangerous Spirit. People passing along the road were stoned by it; its work was always mischievous and hurtful. At last it was exorcised and sent far away to the Red Sea, but it was permitted to return the length of a barley corn every year towards its lost home. From the tales already given, it is seen that the people believed in the possibility of getting rid of troublesome Spirits, and the person whose aid was sought on these occasions was often a minister of religion. We have s

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Ghost Raising.

Ghost Raising.

If the possibility of Ghost Laying was believed in, so also was the possibility of raising Evil Spirits. This faith dates from olden times. Shakespeare, to this, as to most other popular notions, has given a place in his immortal plays. Speaking rightly in the name of “Glendower,” a Welshman, conversant with Ghosts and Goblins, the poet makes him say:— “I can call Spirits from the vasty deep.” Henry the Fourth , Act III., S. 1. And again in the same person’s mouth are placed these words:— “Wh

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Witches and Conjurors.

Witches and Conjurors.

From and before the days of King Saul, to the present moment, witches have held dreaded sway over the affairs of man. Cruel laws have been promulgated against them, they have been murdered by credulous and infuriated mobs, they have lost their lives after legal trial, but still, witches have lived on through the dark days of ignorance, and even in these days of light and learning they have their votaries. There must be something in the human constitution peculiarly adapted to the exercise of w

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Llanddona Witches.

Llanddona Witches.

There is a tradition in the parish of Llanddona, Anglesey, that these witches, with their husbands, had been expelled from their native country, wherever that was, for practising witchcraft. They were sent adrift, it is said, in a boat, without rudder or oars, and left in this state to the mercy of the wind and the wave. When they were first discovered approaching the Anglesey shore, the Welsh tried to drive them back into the sea, and even after they had landed they were confined to the beach

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Witches transforming themselves into Cats.

Witches transforming themselves into Cats.

One of the forms that witches were supposed to change themselves into was that of a cat. In this metamorphosed state they were the more able to accomplish their designs. The following tale, illustrative of this belief, was told me by the Rev. R. Jones, Rector of Llanycil, Bala. On the side of the old road, between Cerrig-y-drudion and Bettws-y-Coed—long before this latter place had become the resort of artists—stood an inn, which was much resorted to, as it was a convenient lodging house for t

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The Witches’ Revenge on Huw Llwyd.

The Witches’ Revenge on Huw Llwyd.

Several months after the occurrence recorded above of Huw Llwyd, when he had just started from his home one Sunday morning to go to his Church to officiate there, for he was the parson of Llan Festiniog, he observed that the Bettws-y-Coed ladies were approaching his house, and he perceived that their object was to witch him. He knew full well that as long as his back was turned towards them he was in their power, but that when he faced them they could do him no harm; so; to avoid their evil inf

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A Witch transformed into a Hare injured by one whom she tormented.

A Witch transformed into a Hare injured by one whom she tormented.

“An old woman, thought to be a witch, was said by a neighbour to be in the habit of visiting her nightly in the shape of a hare, and that in consequence she was deprived of her rest. The witch came to her bed, as a hare, and crossed it, and the tormented one was determined to put an end to this persecution. For this purpose she procured a hammer, which she placed under her pillow when she retired to rest. That night the old witch, unaware of the reception awaiting her, paid her usual visit to

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A Witch shot when in the form of a Hare.

A Witch shot when in the form of a Hare.

The following tale was told me by the Rev. R. Jones, Rector of Llanycil:— An old woman was evicted from a small farm, which she and her family had held for many years. She was naturally greatly annoyed at such conduct on the part of the landlord, and of the person who supplanted her. However, she procured a small cottage close by her late home, and there she lived. But the interloper did not get on, for she was troubled by a hare that came nightly to her house. A labouring man, when going to

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A Witch in the form of a Hare in a Churn.

A Witch in the form of a Hare in a Churn.

In the Spectator , No. 117, are these words:— “If the dairy-maid does not make her butter come so soon as she would have it, Moll White (a supposed witch) is at the bottom of the churn.” Until very lately I had thought that the milk only was considered bewitched if it could not be churned, and not that the witch herself was at the bottom of the churn. But I have been disabused of this false notion, for the Rector of Llanycil told me the following story, which was told him by his servant girl, w

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A Hare crossing the Road.

A Hare crossing the Road.

Mr. Jones said that when he was a lad, he and his mother went to Caerwys fair from the Vale of Clwyd, intending to sell a cow at the fair. They had not gone far on their way before a large hare crossed the road, hopping and halting and looking around. His mother was vexed at the sight, and she said—“We may as well go home, Dick, for no good will come of our journey since that old witch crosses our path.” They went on, though, and reached Caerwys in safety, but they got no bid for the cow, alt

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A Witch in the form of a Hare hunted by a Black Greyhound.

A Witch in the form of a Hare hunted by a Black Greyhound.

The writer has heard variants of the following tale in several parts of Wales:— An old woman, credited to be a witch, lived on the confines of the hills in a small hut in south Carnarvonshire. Her grandson, a sharp intelligent lad, lived with her. Many gentlemen came to that part with greyhounds for the purpose of coursing, and the lad’s services were always in requisition, for he never failed in starting a hare, and whenever he did so he was rewarded with a shilling. But it was noticed that

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Early reference to Witches turning themselves into Hares.

Early reference to Witches turning themselves into Hares.

The prevalence of the belief that witches could transform themselves into hares is seen from a remark made by Giraldus Cambrensis in his topography of Ireland. He writes:— “It has also been a frequent complaint, from old times, as well as in the present, that certain hags in Wales , as well as in Ireland and Scotland, changed themselves into the shape of hares , that, sucking teats under this counterfeit, they might stealthily rob other people’s milk.” Giraldus Cambrensis , Bohn’s Edition, p. 8

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Ceridwen and Gwion (Gwiawn) Bach’s Transformation.

Ceridwen and Gwion (Gwiawn) Bach’s Transformation.

But a striking instance of rapid transition from one form to another is given in the Mabinogion . The fable of Ceridwen’s cauldron is as follows:— “Ceridwen was the wife of Tegid Voel. They had a son named Morvran, and a daughter named Creirwy, and she was the most beautiful girl in the world, and they had another son named Avagddu, the ugliest man in the world. Ceridwen, seeing that he should not be received amongst gentlemen because of his ugliness, unless he should be possessed of some exc

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A Man turned into a Hare.

A Man turned into a Hare.

One of the servant men at Dolfawr, some years before Mr. Williams lodged there, laughed at Betty’r Bont’s supposed power. However, he lived to repent his folly. One night after he had gone to bed he found that he had been changed into a hare, and to his dismay and horror he saw a couple of greyhounds slipped upon him. He ran for bare life, and managed to elude his pursuers, and in a terrible plight and fright he ran to Dolfawr, and to his bed. This kind of transformation he ever afterwards w

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A Man changed into a Horse.

A Man changed into a Horse.

Mr. Williams writes of the same servant man who figures in the preceding tale:—”However, after that, she (Betty’r Bont) turned him into a grey mare, saddled him, and actually rode him herself; and when he woke in the morning, he was in a bath of perspiration, and positively declared that he had been galloping all night.” Singularly enough Giraldus Cambrensis mentions the same kind of transformation. His words are:— “I myself, at the time I was in Italy, heard it said of some districts in those

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A Witch who turned a Blue Dye into a Red Dye.

A Witch who turned a Blue Dye into a Red Dye.

An old hag went to a small farmhouse in Clocaenog parish, and found the farmer’s wife occupied in dyeing wool blue. She begged for a little wool and blue dye. She was informed by Mrs. --- that she was really very sorry that she could not part with either, as she had only just barely enough for her own use. The hag departed, and the woman went on with her dyeing, but to her surprise, the wool came out of the pot dyed red instead of blue. She thought that possibly it was the dye that was to bl

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A Pig Witched.

A Pig Witched.

A woman sold a pig at Beaumaris to a man called Dick y Green; she could not that day sell any more, but the following market day she went again to Beaumaris. Dick was there waiting her appearance, and he told her that the pig he bought was bewitched and she must come with him to undo the curse. Away the woman went with Dick, and when they came to the pig she said, “What am I to do now, Dick?” “Draw thy hand seven times down his back,” said Dick, “and say every time, ‘ Rhad Duw arnat ti ,’” i.

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A Witch who was refused a Goose, and her revenge.

A Witch who was refused a Goose, and her revenge.

A witch called at a farm when they were feathering geese for sale, and she begged much for one. She was refused, but it would have been better, according to the tale, had her request been granted, for they could not afterwards rear geese on that farm. Another version of the preceding tale is, that the same witch called at a farm when the family was seated at dinner partaking of a goose; she requested a taste, but was refused, when leaving the house door she was heard to mutter, “Let there be no

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A Witch refused Butter, and the consequence.

A Witch refused Butter, and the consequence.

An old hag called at a farm and begged the wife to sell her a pound of butter. This was refused, as they wanted to pot the butter. The witch went away, therefore, empty handed. The next day when the maid went to the fields for the cows she found them sitting like cats before a fire, with their hind legs beneath them. I am indebted to my friend Mr. Lloyd Williams for this tale. A friend told me the following tale....

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A Witch’s Revenge, and her Discomfiture.

A Witch’s Revenge, and her Discomfiture.

An old beggar woman was refused her requests by a farmer’s wife, and it was noticed that she uttered words that might have been a threat, when going away from the door, and it was also observed that she picked up a few straws from the yard and carried them away with her. In the course of a few days, a healthy calf died, and the death of several calves followed in rapid succession. These misfortunes caused the wife to remember the old woman whom she had sent away from her door, and the farmer c

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A Horse Witched.

A Horse Witched.

Pedws Ffoulk, a supposed witch, was going through a field where people were employed at work, and just as she came opposite the horse it fell down, as if it were dead. The workmen ran to the horse to ascertain what was the matter with it, but Pedws went along, not heeding what had occurred. This unfeeling conduct on her part roused the suspicion of the men, and they came to the conclusion that the old woman had witched the horse, and that she was the cause of its illness. They, therefore, det

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Cows and Horses Witched.

Cows and Horses Witched.

The writer was told the name of the farm where the following events were said to have taken place, but he is not quite sure that his memory has not deceived him, so he will only relate the facts without giving them a locality. A farmer had a good mare that went mad, she foamed at the mouth, rushed about the stall, and died in great agony. But this was not all, his cows kept back their milk, and what they could extract from them stank, nor could they churn the milk, for it turned into froth. A c

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Witches Punished.

Witches Punished.

A neighbour, who does not wish to have his name recorded, states that he can vouch for the incidents in the following tale. A farmer who lost much stock by death, and suspected it was the work of an old hag who lived in his neighbourhood, consulted a conjuror about the matter, and he was told that his suspicions were correct, that his losses were brought about by this old woman, and, added the conjuror, if you wish it, I can wreak vengeance on the wretch for what she has done to your cattle. T

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How to break, or protect people from, a Witch’s Spell.

How to break, or protect people from, a Witch’s Spell.

There were various ways of counteracting the evils brought upon people by witches. 1. The intervention of a priest or minister of religion made curses of none effect. The following tale was told me by my friend the Rector of Rhydycroesau. When Mr. Jones was curate of Llanyblodwel a parishioner sent to ask the “parson” to come to see her. He went, but he could not make out what he had been sent for, as the woman was, to all appearance, in her usual health. Perceiving a strong-looking woman be

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The way to find out whether a Hag is a Witch or not.

The way to find out whether a Hag is a Witch or not.

It was generally supposed that a witch could not pray, and one way of testing her guilty connection with the evil one was to ascertain whether she could repeat the Lord’s Prayer correctly. If she failed to do so, she was pronounced to be a witch. This test, as everyone knows, must have been a fallacious one, for there are good living illiterate people who are incapable of saying their Pader ; but such was the test, and failure meant death. Some fifty years ago, when the writer was a lad in sch

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Huw Llwyd and his Magical Books.

Huw Llwyd and his Magical Books.

The story, as it has reached our days, is as follows:—It is said that Huw Llwyd had two daughters; one of an inquisitive turn of mind, like himself, while the other resembled her mother, and cared not for books. On his death bed he called his learned daughter to his side, and directed her to take his books on the dark science, and throw them into a pool, which he named, from the bridge that spanned the river. The girl went to Llyn Pont Rhyd-ddu with the books, and stood on the bridge, watching

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The Magician’s Glass.

The Magician’s Glass.

This glass, into which a person looked when he wished to solve the future, or to ascertain whom he or she was to marry, was used by Welsh, as well as other magicians. The glass gave back the features of the person sought after, and reflected the future career of the seeker after the hidden future. It was required that the spectator should concentrate all his attention on the glass, and, on the principle that they who gazed long should not gaze in vain, he obtained the desired glimpse. Cwrt Ca

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A Conjuror’s Punishment of an Innkeeper for his exorbitant charges.

A Conjuror’s Punishment of an Innkeeper for his exorbitant charges.

A famous conjuror, Dick Spot, was on his way to Llanrwst, and he turned into a public house at Henllan for refreshments. He called for a glass of beer and bread and cheese, and was charged tenpence for the same, fourpence for the beer, and sixpence for the bread and cheese. This charge he considered outrageous, but he paid the demand, and before departing he took a scrap of paper and wrote on it a spell, and hid it under the table, and then went on his way. That evening, soon after the landlo

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A Conjuror and Robbers.

A Conjuror and Robbers.

A conjuror, or Gwr Cyfarwydd , was travelling over the Denbighshire hills to Carnarvonshire; being weary, he entered a house that he saw on his way, and he requested refreshments, which were given him by a young woman. “But,” said she, “you must make haste and depart, for my brothers will soon be here, and they are desperate men, and they will kill you.” But no, the stranger was in no hurry to move on, and though repeatedly besought to depart, he would not do so. To the great dread and fear o

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The Conjuror and the Cattle.

The Conjuror and the Cattle.

R. H., a farmer in Llansilin parish, who lost several head of cattle, sent or went to Shon Gyfarwydd, who lived in Llanbrynmair, a well-known conjuror, for information concerning their death, and for a charm against further loss. Both were obtained, and the charm worked so well that the grateful farmer sent a letter to Shon acknowledging the benefit he had derived from him. This Shon was a great terror to thieves, for he was able to spot them and mark them in such a way that they were known to

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Stolen property discovered through fear of applying to the Llanbrynmair Conjuror.

Stolen property discovered through fear of applying to the Llanbrynmair Conjuror.

Richard Thomas, Post Office, Llangadfan, lost a coat and waistcoat, and he suspected a certain man of having stolen them. One day this man came to the shop, and Thomas saw him there, and, speaking to his wife from the kitchen in a loud voice, so as to be heard by his customer in the shop, he said that he wanted the loan of a horse to go to Llanbrynmair. Llanbrynmair was, as we know, the conjuror’s place of abode. Thomas, however, did not leave his house, nor did he intend doing so, but that v

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Reclaiming stolen property through fear of the Conjuror.

Reclaiming stolen property through fear of the Conjuror.

A mason engaged in the restoration of Garthbeibio Church placed a trowel for safety underneath a stone, but by morning it was gone. Casually in the evening he informed his fellow workmen that he had lost his trowel, and that someone must have stolen it, but that he was determined to find out the thief by taking a journey to Llanbrynmair. He never went, but the ruse was successful, for the next morning he found, as he suspected would be the case, the trowel underneath the very stone where he ha

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Another similar Tale.

Another similar Tale.

Thirty pounds were stolen from Glan-yr-afon, Garthbeibio. The owner made known to his household that he intended going to Shon the conjuror, to ascertain who had taken his money, but the next day the money was discovered, being restored, as was believed, by the thief the night before. These stories show that the ignorant and superstitious were influenced through fear, to restore what they had wrongfully appropriated, and their faith in the conjuror’s power thus resulted, in some degree, in good

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A Conjuror’s Collusion exposed.

A Conjuror’s Collusion exposed.

This man’s house consisted of but few rooms. Between the kitchen and his study, or consulting room, was a slight partition. He had a servant girl, whom he admitted as a partner in his trade. This girl, when she saw a patient approach the house, which she was able to do, because there was only one approach to it, and only one entrance, informed her master of the fact that someone was coming, and he immediately disappeared, and he placed himself in a position to hear the conversation of the gir

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The Conjuror’s Dress.

The Conjuror’s Dress.

Conjurors, when engaged in their uncanny work, usually wore a grotesque dress and stood within a circle of protection. I find so graphic a description of a doctor who dealt in divination in Mr. Hancock’s “History of Llanrhaiadr-yn-Mochnant” that I will transcribe it:—“He” (the raiser of the devils) “was much resorted to by the friends of parties mentally deranged, many of whom he cured. Whenever he assumed to practise the ‘black art,’ he put on a most grotesque dress, a cap of sheepskin with a

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Swyno’r ’Ryri (Charming the Shingles).

Swyno’r ’Ryri (Charming the Shingles).

The shingles is a skin disease, which encircles the body like a girdle, and the belief was that if it did so the patient died. However, there was a charm for procuring its removal, which was generally resorted to with success; but the last person who could charm this disease in Montgomeryshire lies buried on the west side of the church at Penybontfawr, and consequently there is no one now in those parts able to charm the shingles. The inscription on his tombstone informs us that Robert Davies,

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A Charm for the Shingles.

A Charm for the Shingles.

“This custom (charming for the shingles) was more prevalent in this parish than in any other in Montgomeryshire. A certain amount of penance was to be done by the sufferer, who was to go to the charmer in the morning fasting, and he was also to be fasting. The mode of cure was simple—the charmer breathed gently on the inflamed part, and then followed a series of little spittings upon and around it. A few visits to the charmer, or sometimes a single one, was sufficient to effect a cure. “The p

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Toothache charms.

Toothache charms.

By repeating the following doggerel lines the worst case of toothache could be cured— Peter sat on a marble stone, Jesus came to him all alone. What’s up, Peter? The toothache, my lord; Rise up Peter, and be cured of this pain, And all those who carry these few lines for my sake. This charm appeared in the Wrexham Advertiser as one that was used in Coedpoeth and Bwlch Gwyn . But the words appear in “ Y Gwyliedydd ” for May, 1826, page 151. The Welsh heading to the charm informs us that it was

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Rosemary Charm for Toothache.

Rosemary Charm for Toothache.

“Llosg ei bren (Rhosmari) hyd oni bo yn lo du, ac yna dyro ef mewn cadach lliain cry, ac ira dy ddanedd ag ef; ac fo ladd y pryfed, ac a’u ceidw rhag pob clefyd.”— Y Brython , p. 339. “Burn a Rosemary bough until it becomes black, and then place it in a strong linen cloth, and anoint thy teeth with it, and it will kill the worm, and preserve thee from every kind of fever.” It was thought at one time that toothache was caused by a worm in the tooth, as intimated above....

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Whooping Cough Charm.

Whooping Cough Charm.

Children suffering from whooping cough were taken to a seventh son, or lacking a seventh son of sons only, to a fifth son of sons only, who made a cake, and gave it to the sufferers to be eaten by them, and they would recover. The visit was to be thrice repeated. Bread and butter were sometimes substituted for the cake. The writer has been told of instances of the success of this charm. Another charm was—buy a penny roll, wrap it in calico, bury it in the garden, take it up next day. The suff

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Charm for Fits.

Charm for Fits.

A ring made out of the offertory money was a cure for fits. About the year 1882 the wife of a respectable farmer in the parish of Efenechtyd called at the rectory and asked the rector’s wife if she would procure a shilling for her from the offering made at Holy Communion, out of which she was going to have a ring made to cure her fits. This coin was to be given unsolicited and received without thanks. The Rev. J. D. Edwards, late vicar of Rhosymedre, informed the writer that his parishioners o

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Charm for Cocks about to fight.

Charm for Cocks about to fight.

The charm consisted of a verse taken from the Bible, written on a slip of paper, wrapped round the bird’s leg, as the steel spurs were being placed on him. The verse so employed was, Eph. vi., 16:—“Taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” William Jones, Pentre Llyffrith, Llanfyllin, was a celebrated cock charmer. There was also a well-known charmer who lived at Llandegla, Denbighshire, who refused a charm to a certain man. When asked

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Charm for Asthma.

Charm for Asthma.

Place the Bible for three successive nights under the bolster of the sufferer, and it will cure him....

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Charms for Warts.

Charms for Warts.

1. Drop a pin into a holy well and your warts will disappear, but should anyone take the pin out of the well, the warts you have lost will grow on his fingers. 2. Rub the warts with the inside of a bean pod, and then throw the pod away. 3. Take wheat on the stalk, rub the warts with the wheat’s beard or bristles at the end of the ear, take these to four crosses or roads that cross each other, bury the straw, and the warts will decay with the decay of the straw. 4. Rub the warts with elderber

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Charm for removing a Stye from the eye.

Charm for removing a Stye from the eye.

Take an ordinary knitting needle, and pass it back and fore over the stye, but without touching it, and at the same time counting its age, thus—One stye, two styes, three styes, up to nine, and then reversing the order, as nine styes, eight styes, down to one stye, and no stye. This counting was to be done in one breath. If the charmer drew his breath the charm was broken, but three attempts were allowed. The stye, it was alleged, would die from that hour, and disappear in twenty-four hours..

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Charms for Quinsy.

Charms for Quinsy.

Apply to the throat hair cut at midnight from the black shoulder stripe of the colt of an ass....

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Charming the Wild Wart.

Charming the Wild Wart.

Take a branch of elder tree, strip off the bark, split off a piece, hold this skewer near the wart, and rub the wart three or nine times with the skewer, muttering the while an incantation of your own composing, then pierce the wart with a thorn. Bury the skewer transfixed with the thorn in a dunghill. The wart will rot away just as the buried things decay....

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Charm for Rheumatism.

Charm for Rheumatism.

Carry a potato in your pocket, and when one is finished, supply its place with another....

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Charm for removing the Ringworm.

Charm for removing the Ringworm.

1. Spit on the ground the first thing in the morning, mix the spittle with the mould, and then anoint the ringworm with this mixture. 2. Hold an axe over the fire until it perspires, and then anoint the ringworm with the sweat....

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Cattle Charms.

Cattle Charms.

Mr. Hamer in his “Parochial Account of Llanidloes” published in The Montgomeryshire Collections , vol x., p. 249, states that he has in his possession two charms that were actually used for the protection of live stock of two small farms. One of them opens thus:— “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen . . . and in the name of Lord Jesus Christ my redeemer, that I will give relief to --- creatures his cows, and his calves, and his horses, and his sheep, and his

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Charm against Foot and Mouth Disease.

Charm against Foot and Mouth Disease.

The cattle on a certain farm in Llansilin parish suffered from the above complaint, and old Mr. H--- consulted a conjuror, who gave him a written charm which he was directed to place on the horns of the cattle, and he was told this would act both as a preventive and a cure. This farmer’s cattle might be seen with the bit of paper, thus procured, tied to their horns. My informant does not wish to be named, nor does she desire the farmer’s name to be given, but she vouches for the accuracy of he

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Another Cattle Charm Spell.

Another Cattle Charm Spell.

Mr. Hughes, Plasnewydd, Llansilin, lost several head of cattle. He was told to bleed one of the herd, boil the blood, and take it to the cowhouse at midnight. He did so, and lost no more after applying this charm....

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A Charm for Calves.

A Charm for Calves.

If calves were scoured over much, and in danger of dying, a hazel twig the length of the calf was twisted round the neck like a collar, and it was supposed to cure them....

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A Charm for Stopping Bleeding.

A Charm for Stopping Bleeding.

Mrs. Reynolds, whom I have already mentioned in connection with a charm for toothache, gave me the following charm. It bears date April 5, 1842:— Our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ was born at Bethlehem, By the Virgin Mary, Baptized in the River Jordan, By St. John the Baptist. He commanded the water to stop, and it obeyed Him. And I desire in the name of Jesus Christ, That the blood of this vein (or veins) might stop, As the water did when Jesus Christ was baptized. Amen....

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Charm to make a Servant reliable.

Charm to make a Servant reliable.

“Y neb a fyno gael ei weinidog yn gywir, doded beth o’r lludw hwn yn nillad ei weinidog ac efe a fydd cywir tra parhao’r lludw.”— Y Brython , vol. iii., p. 137. Which is:—Whosoever wishes to make his servant faithful let him place the ashes (of a snake) in the clothes of his servant, and as long as they remain there he will be faithful. There are many other wonderful things to be accomplished with the skin of an adder, or snake, besides the preceding. The following are recorded in Y Brython , v

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Charms performed with Snake’s Skin.

Charms performed with Snake’s Skin.

1. Burn the skin and preserve the ashes. A little salve made out of the ashes will heal a wound. 2. A little of the ashes placed between the shoulders will make a man invulnerable. 3. Whoso places a little of the ashes in the water with which he washes himself, should his enemies meet him, they will flee because of the beauty of his face. 4. Cast a little of the ashes into thy neighbour’s house, and he will leave it. 5. Place the ashes under the sole of thy foot, and everybody will agree w

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The Charms performed with Rosemary.

The Charms performed with Rosemary.

Rosemary dried in the sun and made into powder, tied in a cloth around the right arm, will make the sick well. The smoke of rosemary bark, sniffed, will, even if you are in gaol, release you. The leaves made into salve, placed on a wound, where the flesh is dead, will cure the wound. A spoon made out of its wood will make whatever you eat therewith nutritious. Place it under the door post, and no snake nor adder can ever enter thy house. The leaves placed in beer or wine will keep these liquids

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Charm for Clefyd y Galon, or Heart Disease.

Charm for Clefyd y Galon, or Heart Disease.

The Rev. J. Felix, vicar of Cilcen, near Mold, when a young man lodged in Eglwysfach, near Glandovey. His landlady, noticing that he looked pale and thin, suggested that he was suffering from Clefyd y galon, which may be translated as above, or love sickness, a complaint common enough among young people, and she suggested that he should call in David Jenkins, a respectable farmer and a local preacher with the Wesleyans, to cure him. Jenkins came, and asked the supposed sufferer whether he beli

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Clefyd yr Ede Wlan or Yarn Sickness.

Clefyd yr Ede Wlan or Yarn Sickness.

About twenty years ago, when the writer was curate of Llanwnog, Montgomeryshire, a young Welsh married woman came to reside in the parish suffering from what appeared to be that fell disease, consumption. He visited her in her illness, and one day she appeared much elated as she had been told that she was improving in health. She told the narrator that she was suffering from Clwyf yr ede wlan or the woollen thread sickness, and she said that the yarn had lengthened , which was a sign that she

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Coel Ede Wlan, or the Yarn Test.

Coel Ede Wlan, or the Yarn Test.

Two young women took a ball of yarn and doubled the threads, and then tied tiny pieces of wood along these threads so as to form a miniature ladder. Then they went upstairs together, and opening the window threw this artificial ladder to the ground, and then the one who was performing the incantation commenced winding the yarn back, saying the while:— “Y fi sy’n dirwyn Pwy sy’n dal?” I am winding, Who is holding? This was done three times, and if no lover made his appearance, then for that year

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Divination with the Twca or Knife.

Divination with the Twca or Knife.

The proceeding was as follows:—The party who wished to know whom he, or she, was to marry, went to the church secretly and walked around it seven times, repeating the while these words:— “Dyma’r Twca, Lle mae’r wain?” Here’s the knife, Where’s the sheath? And it was thought that the spirit of his or her life partner would appear to the person who held the knife, with the sheath in his or her hand, and that it would be found that the one fitted the other exactly. I have been told by a person who

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The Washing Test.

The Washing Test.

Another well-known and often practised form of divination was for a young woman to take an article to wash, such as a stocking, to the water-spout or pistyll , and with her she carried two pieces of wood wherewith to strike the article which was being washed. She went on her knees and commenced striking the stocking, saying the while:— “Am gyd-fydio i gyd-ffatio.” We’ll live together to strike together. It was thought that her future husband would then appear, take hold of the other piece of wo

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Troi Crysau or Clothes Drying Test.

Troi Crysau or Clothes Drying Test.

Young maidens washed linen after the household had retired, and placed the articles by the fire to dry, and then watched to see who should come at midnight to turn the clothes. In this case, again, the evil one is said to have entered the kitchen to perform this work for the young woman, and also it is affirmed that a coffin has, ere this, moved along through the room, a sure prognostication that she was doomed to die single. Bardd Cwsg mentions this practice. He writes in the third part of hi

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Hemp Seed Sowing.

Hemp Seed Sowing.

A young married woman, a native of Denbighshire, told me that if a young woman sowed hemp seed, the figure of her lover would appear and follow her. This was to be done by night on Hallow Eve. I find from English Folk-Lore , p. 15, that this divination is practised in Devonshire on St. Valentine’s Eve, and that the young woman runs round the church repeating, without stopping, the following lines:— “I sow hempseed, hempseed I sow, He that loves me best Come, and after me now.” Sage Gathering

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Pullet’s Egg Divination.

Pullet’s Egg Divination.

Mr. J. Roberts, Plas Einion, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, told me the following:—When he was a young man, he, his sister, and the servant man, formed a company to find out by divination their future life partners. They procured a pullet’s egg, it was emptied into a cup, to this was added flour and salt, in equal proportions, these ingredients were mixed together, made into three small cakes, and baked. They all ate one half of their cake, and the other half was placed in their respective stockings,

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The Candle and Pin Divination.

The Candle and Pin Divination.

The process is as follows:—A couple of young women meet, and stick pins in a candle, and if the divination acts properly the last pin drops out of the candle at 12 o’clock at night, and then the future husband of the girl to whom that pin belongs appears. I must not name the lady whom I am indebted to for the following information, but she told me that when she was a young woman, she, and her friend, took part in this prying into the future, and exactly at 12 o’clock her companion’s pin fell out

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To ascertain the condition of the Person whom you are to Marry.

To ascertain the condition of the Person whom you are to Marry.

Should young persons wish to know whether their husbands were to be bachelors, or their wives spinsters, the following test was to be resorted to:— Three persons were necessary to carry out the test. These three young ladies were to join in the undertaking and they were to proceed as follows:—On Nos Calan Gauaf , All Hallow Eve, at night, three basins were to be placed on a table, one filled with clear spring water , one with muddy water , and the other empty . The young ladies in turn were le

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The Apple Pip Trial of Lovers.

The Apple Pip Trial of Lovers.

The fair lady takes as many pips as she has lovers, and these she places on the point of a knife, which she inserts between the bars of the fire grate. Each pip represents a lover, and the pip that swells out and jumps into the fire indicates that he is the best lover for whom the pip stands. The next subject I shall treat of is curious, and partakes of the nature of spiritualism. I hardly know by what other word to describe it, therefore I will give particulars, so as to make the matter intel

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A Spirit leaving and re-entering the body.

A Spirit leaving and re-entering the body.

A man was in love with two young girls, and they were both in love with him, and they knew that he flirted with them both. It is but natural to suppose that these young ladies did not, being rivals, love each other. It can well be believed that they heartily disliked each other. One evening, according to custom, this young man spent the night with one of his sweethearts, and to all appearance she fell asleep, or was in a trance, for she looked very pale. He noticed her face, and was frighten

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A Spiritualistic Story from Wales.

A Spiritualistic Story from Wales.

“In an article relating to spiritualism in the February number of the Fortnightly Review , a story was told which is here shortened. The anecdote is given on the authority of a Welsh gentleman named Roberts, who resided at Cheetham, near Manchester, and the scene of the adventure is Beaumaris, the date 184--. The narrator was then an apprentice in a draper’s shop. His master was strict, and allowed his apprentice but half an hour for dinner, which he had to take at his lodgings, some distance

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A Doctor called from his bed by a Voice.

A Doctor called from his bed by a Voice.

Mr. Hugh Lloyd, Llanfihangel-Glyn-Myfyr, who received the story from Dr. Davies, the gentleman who figures in the tale, informed me of the following curious incidents:— Doctor Davies, of Cerrig-y-drudion, had gone to bed and slept, but in the night he heard someone under his bedroom window shout that he was wanted in a farmhouse called Craigeirchan, which was three miles from the doctor’s abode, and the way thereto was at all times beset with difficulties, such as opening and shutting the many g

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Another Tale of a Doctor.

Another Tale of a Doctor.

I received the following tale from the Rev. Philip Edwards, formerly curate at Selattyn, near Oswestry:— There was, or perhaps is—for my informant says he believes the lady is still alive—in a place called Swyddffynnon, Cardiganshire, a Mrs. Evans, who had a strange vision. Mr. Edwards’s father called one evening upon Mrs. Evans, and found her sitting by the fire in company with a few female friends, greatly depressed. On enquiring as to the cause of her distress, she stated that she had had a

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The Corpse Bird, or Deryn Corph.

The Corpse Bird, or Deryn Corph.

This was a bird that came flapping its wings against the window of the room in which lay a sick person, and this visit was considered a certain omen of that person’s death. The bird not only fluttered about the lighted window, but also made a screeching noise whilst there, and also as it flew away. The bird, singled out for the dismal honour of being a death prognosticator, was the tawny, or screech owl. Many are the instances, which have been told me by persons who heard the bird’s noise, of

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A Crowing Hen.

A Crowing Hen.

This bird, too, is supposed to indicate the death of an inmate of the house which is its home; or, if not the death, some sore disaster to one or other of the members of that family. The poor hen, though, as soon as it is heard crowing, certainly foretells its own death, for no one will keep such an uncanny bird on the premises, and consequently the crowing hen loses its life. It is a common saying that— A whistling woman, and a crowing hen , Are neither good for God nor men. Should a hen lay a

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A Cock Crowing in the Night.

A Cock Crowing in the Night.

This, too, was thought to foretell a death, but whose death, depended on the direction of the bird’s head whilst crowing. As soon as the crowing was heard someone went to ascertain the position of the cock’s head, and when it was seen that his head was turned from their own house towards someone else’s abode, the dwellers in that house slept in peace, believing that a neighbour, and not one of themselves, was about to die. It was supposed, that to make the prognostication sure, the cock would

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The Corpse Candle—Canwyll Corph.

The Corpse Candle—Canwyll Corph.

The corpse candle, or canwyll corph , was a light like that of a candle, which was said to issue from the house where a death was about to occur, and take the course of the funeral procession to the burial place. This was the usual way of proceeding, but this mysterious light was also thought to wend its way to the abode of a person about to die. Instances could be given of both kinds of appearances. I have met with persons in various parts of Wales who told me that they had seen a corpse cand

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Tale of a Corpse Candle.

Tale of a Corpse Candle.

My informant told me that one John Roberts, Felin-y-Wig, was in the habit of sitting up a short time after his family had retired to rest to smoke a quiet pipe, and the last thing he usually did before retiring for the night was to take a peep into the night. One evening, whilst peering around, he saw in the distance a light, where he knew there was no house, and on further notice he observed that it was slowly going along the road from Bettws-Gwerfil-Goch towards Felin-y-Wig. Where the road d

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Spectral Funerals, or Drychiolaeth.

Spectral Funerals, or Drychiolaeth.

This was a kind of shadowy funeral which foretold the real one. In South Wales it goes by the name toilu , toili , or y teulu (the family) anghladd , unburied; in Montgomeryshire it is called Drychiolaeth , spectre. I cannot do better than quote from Mr. Hamer’s Parochial Account of Llanidloes (Montgomeryshire Collections , vol. x., p. 256), a description of one of these phantom funerals. All were much alike. He writes:— “It is only a few years ago that some excitement was caused amongst the

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Cyhyraeth—Death Sound.

Cyhyraeth—Death Sound.

This was thought to be a sound made by a crying spirit. It was plaintive, yet loud and terrible. It made the hair stand on end and the blood become cold; and a whole neighbourhood became depressed whenever the awful sound was heard. It was unlike all other voices, and it could not be mistaken. It took in its course the way the funeral procession was to go, starting from the house of the dead, and ending in the churchyard where the deceased was to be buried. It was supposed to announce a dea

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Lledrith—Spectre of a Person.

Lledrith—Spectre of a Person.

This apparition of a friend has in the Scotch wraith, or Irish fetch its counterpart. It has been said that people have seen friends walking to meet them, and that, when about to shake hands with the approaching person, it has vanished into air. This optical illusion was considered to be a sign of the death of the person thus seen....

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Tolaeth—Death Rapping or Knocking.

Tolaeth—Death Rapping or Knocking.

The death rappings are said to be heard in carpenters’ workshops, and that they resembled the noise made by a carpenter when engaged in coffin-making. A respectable miner’s wife told me that a female friend told her, she had often heard this noise in a carpenter’s shop close by her abode, and that one Sunday evening this friend came and told her that the Tolaeth was at work then, and if she would come with her she should hear it. She complied, and there she heard this peculiar sound, and was t

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A Raven’s Croaking.

A Raven’s Croaking.

A raven croaking hoarsely as it flew through the air became the angel of death to some person over whose house it flew. It was a bird of ill omen....

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The Owl.

The Owl.

This bird’s dismal and persistent screeching near an abode also foretold the death of an inmate of that house....

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A Solitary Crow.

A Solitary Crow.

The cawing of a solitary crow on a tree near a house indicates a death in that house....

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The Dog’s Howl.

The Dog’s Howl.

A dog howling on the doorsteps or at the entrance of a house also foretold death. The noise was that peculiar howling noise which dogs sometimes make. It was in Welsh called yn udo , or crying....

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Missing a Butt.

Missing a Butt.

Should a farmer in sowing wheat, or other kind of corn, or potatoes, or turnips, miss a row or butt, it was a token of death....

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Stopping of a Clock.

Stopping of a Clock.

The unaccountable stopping of the kitchen clock generally created a consternation in a family, for it was supposed to foretell the death of one of the family....

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A Goose Flying over a House.

A Goose Flying over a House.

This unusual occurrence prognosticated a death in that house....

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Goose or Hen Laying a Small Egg.

Goose or Hen Laying a Small Egg.

This event also was thought to be a very bad omen, if not a sign of death....

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Hen laying Two Eggs in the same day.

Hen laying Two Eggs in the same day.

Should a hen lay two eggs in the same day, it was considered a sign of death. I have been told that a hen belonging to a person who lived in Henllan, near Denbigh, laid an egg early in the morning, and another about seven o’clock p.m. in the same day, and the master died....

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Thirteen at a Table.

Thirteen at a Table.

Should thirteen sit at a table it was believed that the first to leave would be buried within the year....

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Heather.

Heather.

Should any person bring heather into a house, he brought death to one or other of the family by so doing....

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Death Watch.

Death Watch.

This is a sound, like the ticking of a watch, made by a small insect. It is considered a sign of death, and hence its name, Death Watch . A working man’s wife, whose uncle was ill in bed, told the writer, that she had no hopes of his recovery, because death ticks were heard night and day in his room. The man, who was upwards of eighty years old, died....

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Music and Bird Singing heard before Death.

Music and Bird Singing heard before Death.

The writer, both in Denbighshire and Carnarvonshire, was told that the dying have stated that they heard sweet voices singing in the air, and they called the attention of the watchers to the angelic sounds, and requested perfect stillness, so as not to lose a single note of the heavenly music. A young lad, whom the writer knew—an intelligent and promising boy—whilst lying on his death-bed, told his mother that he heard a bird warbling beautifully outside the house, and in rapture he listened to

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Birds singing before February.

Birds singing before February.

Should the feathered songsters sing before February it is a sign of hard, ungenial weather. This applies particularly to the blackbird and throstle. The following lines embody this faith:— Os cân yr adar cyn Chwefror, hwy griant cyn Mai. If birds sing before February, they will cry before May. Thus their early singing prognosticates a prolonged winter.— Bye-Gones , vol. i., p. 88....

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Birds flocking in early Autumn.

Birds flocking in early Autumn.

When birds gather themselves together and form flocks in the early days of autumn, it is thought to foretell an early and severe winter. On the other hand, should they separate in early spring, and again congregate in flocks, this shews that hard weather is to be expected, and that winter will rest on the lap of May....

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Birds’ Feathers.

Birds’ Feathers.

Feather beds should be made of domestic birds’ feathers, such as geese, ducks, and fowls. Wild fowl feathers should not be mixed with these feathers; for, otherwise, the sick will die hard, and thus the agony of their last moments will be prolonged....

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The Cock.

The Cock.

Cæsar, Bk. v., c.12, tells us that the Celtic nation did not regard it lawful to eat the cock. It was thought that the devil assumed occasionally the form of a cock. It is said that at Llanfor, near Bala, the evil spirit was driven out of the church in the form of a cock, and laid in the river Dee. Formerly the cock was offered to the water god. And at certain Holy Wells in Wales, such as that in the parish of Llandegla, it was customary to offer to St. Tecla a cock for a male patient, and a h

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Cock-fighting.

Cock-fighting.

Cock-fighting was once common in Wales, and it was said that the most successful cock-fighters fought the bird that resembled the colour of the day when the conflict took place; thus, the blue game-cock was brought out on cloudy days, black when the atmosphere was inky in colour, black-red on sunny days, and so on. Charms for cocks have already been mentioned (p. 267). These differed in different places. In Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire, a crumb from the communion table, taken therefrom at m

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The Goose.

The Goose.

Should a goose lay a soft egg, a small egg, or two eggs in a day, it is a sign of misfortune to the owner of that goose. An old woman in Llandrinio parish, Montgomeryshire, who lived in a cottage by the side of the Severn, and who possessed a breed of geese that laid eggs and hatched twice a year, when I asked her the time that geese should begin to lay, said:— Before St. Valentine’s Day Every good goose will lay. and she added:— By St. Chad, Every good goose, and bad. St. Chad’s Day is March th

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The Crow.

The Crow.

The crow figures much in Welsh folk-lore. In many ways he is made to resemble the magpie; thus, when one crow or one magpie was seen, it was thought to foretell misfortune, as implied by the saying:— Un frân ddu, Lwc ddrwg i mi. But should the spectator shout out in a defiant way:— Hen frân ddu, Gras Duw i mi, no harm would follow. The former lines in English would be:— One crow I see, Bad luck to me. But this foretold evil, brought about by the old black crow, could be counteracted by repeati

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Crows’ Feathers.

Crows’ Feathers.

In Montgomeryshire it was, at one time, supposed that if a person picked up a crow’s feather he was sure to meet a mad dog before the day was over. But in other parts it was considered lucky to find a crow’s feather, if, when found, it were stuck on end into the ground. This superstition lingered long in Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, a remote, hilly parish in Denbighshire. Some years ago, crows’ wing or tail feathers could be seen stuck upright in the ground in many parts of Wales, but at present su

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A Rookery deserted was a sign of bad luck, but when they nested near a house it was a sign of good luck.

A Rookery deserted was a sign of bad luck, but when they nested near a house it was a sign of good luck.

The writer visited, in the year 1887, a gentleman’s park, where for generations the rooks had made a lodgment, and by several persons his attention was called to the ominous fact that the rooks had left the ancestral trees which ornamented the spacious and well-wooded park, and had even carried their nests away with them. He was informed that the desertion boded no good to the highly respected family that occupied that ancient seat. The writer also visited a friend, who lives in an ancient abod

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The Cuckoo. Y Gôg.

The Cuckoo. Y Gôg.

The cuckoo is a sacred bird. It is safe from the gamekeeper’s gun. Its advent is welcomed with pleasure. “Have you heard the cuckoo?” is a question put by the fortunate person who first hears its notes to every person he meets. When it is ascertained that the cuckoo has arrived, parents give their children pence for luck, and they themselves take care not to leave their houses with empty pockets, for should they do so, those pockets, if the cuckoo is heard, will be empty all the year. Those

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A White Cock.

A White Cock.

A white cock was looked upon as an unlucky bird, thus:— Na chadw byth yn nghylch dy dŷ, Na cheiliog gwyn, na chath ddu. Never keep about thy house, A white cock, nor black cat....

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Crane.

Crane.

The crane is often mistaken for the heron. When the crane flies against the stream, she asks for rain, when with the stream she asks for fair weather. This bird is said to be thin when the moon wanes, and fat at the waxing of the moon....

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Ducks.

Ducks.

When ducks sportively chase each other through the water, and flap their wings and dive about, in evident enjoyment of their pastime, it is a sign that rain is not far off....

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Eagle.

Eagle.

Persons who had eaten eagle’s flesh had power to cure erysipelas, and this virtue was said by some to be transmitted to their descendants for ever, whilst others affirmed it only lasted for nine generations. See page 263, where this subject is fully treated....

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The Goat Sucker.

The Goat Sucker.

A curious notion prevailed respecting this bird, arrived at, presumably, in consequence of its peculiar name—the goat sucker —viz., that it lives on the milk of the goat, which it obtains by sucking the teats of that animal....

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Putting Hens to Sit.

Putting Hens to Sit.

Placing the eggs in the nest for hens, geese, and ducks to sit on was considered an important undertaking. This was always done by the lucky member of the family. It was usual to put fowl to sit so as to get the chick out of the egg at the waxing, and not at the waning, of the moon. It was thought that the young birds were strong or weak according to the age of the moon when they were hatched. March chickens were always considered the best. A game bird hatched in March was thought to be stro

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The Heron.

The Heron.

The heron as it flies slowly towards the source of a river is said to be going up the river to bring the water down, in other words, this flight is a sign of coming rain. The same thing is said of the crane....

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Fable of why the Heron frequents the banks of rivers and lakes.

Fable of why the Heron frequents the banks of rivers and lakes.

It is from thirty to forty years ago that I heard the fable I am about to relate, and the circumstances under which I heard it are briefly as follows. I was walking towards Bangor from Llanllechid, when I saw a farmer at work hedging. I stopped to chat with him, and a bramble which had fastened itself on his trousers gave him a little trouble to get it away, and the man in a pet said, “Have I not paid thee thy tithe?” “Why do you say those words, Enoch?” said I, and he said, “Have you not hea

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The Jackdaw.

The Jackdaw.

This bird is considered sacred, because it frequents church steeples and builds its nest there, and it is said to be an innocent bird, though given to carrying off things and hiding them in out-of-the-way places. When ignorance of a fault is pleaded, it is a common saying—“I have no more knowledge of the fact than the Devil has of the jackdaw” (see Bye-Gones , Vol. I., 86). The Devil evidently will have nothing to do with this bird, because it makes its home in the church steeple, and he hates

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The Magpie.

The Magpie.

The magpie was considered a bird of ill-omen. No one liked to see a magpie when starting on a journey, but in certain parts of Montgomeryshire, such as the parish of Llanwnog, if the magpie flew from left to right it foretold good luck ; in other parts, such as Llansantffraid, if seen at all, it was considered a sign of bad luck. However, fortunately, a person could make void this bad luck, for he had only to spit on the ground, and make a cross with his finger, or stick, through the spittle, a

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The Owl.

The Owl.

The hooting of an owl about a house was considered a sign of ill luck, if not of death. This superstition has found a place in rhyme, thus:— Os y ddylluan ddaw i’r fro, Lle byddo rhywun afiach Dod yno i ddweyd y mae’n ddinâd, Na chaiff adferiad mwyach. If an owl comes to those parts, Where some one sick is lying, She comes to say without a doubt, That that sick one is dying....

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Peacock.

Peacock.

The peacock’s shrill note is a sign of rain. Its call is supposed to resemble the word gwlaw , the Welsh for rain....

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Pigeon.

Pigeon.

If the sick asks for a pigeon pie, or the flesh of a pigeon, it is a sign that his death is near. If the feathers of a pigeon be in a bed, the sick cannot die on it....

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The Raven.

The Raven.

The raven has ever enjoyed a notoriously bad name as a bird of ill-omen. He was one of those birds which the Jews were to have in abomination (Lev., xi., 5-13). But other nations besides the Jews dreaded the raven. The raven himself is hoarse That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan under thy battlements. Macbeth , Act i., s. 5. Thus wrote Shakespeare, giving utterance to a superstition then common. From these words it would seem that the raven was considered a sign of evil augury to a pers

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Robin Redbreast.

Robin Redbreast.

Ill luck is thought to follow the killer of dear Robin Redbreast, the children’s winter friend. No one ever shoots Robin, nor do children rob its nest, nor throw stones at it. Bad luck to anyone who does so. The little bird with its wee body endeavoured to staunch the blood flowing from the Saviour’s side, and it has ever since retained on its breast the stain of His sacred blood, and it consequently enjoys a sacred life. It is safe from harm wherever English is spoken. There is another lege

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The Sea Gull.

The Sea Gull.

It is believed that when sea gulls leave the sea for the mountains it is a sign of stormy weather. A few years ago I was walking from Corwen to Gwyddelwern, and I overtook an aged man, and we entered into conversation. Noticing the sea gulls hovering about, I said, there is going to be a storm. The answer of my old companion was, yes, for the sea gull says before starting from the sea shore:— Drychin, drychin, Awn i’r eithin; and then when the storm is over, they say one to the other, before t

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The Swallow.

The Swallow.

The joy with which the first swallow is welcomed is almost if not quite equal to the welcome given to the cuckoo. “One swallow does not make a summer” is an old saw. There is a superstition connected with the swallow that is common in Wales, which is, that if it forsakes its old nest on a house, it is a sign of ill luck to that house. But swallows rarely forsake their old nests, and shortly after their arrival they are busily engaged in repairing the breaches, which the storms of winter or mis

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The Swan.

The Swan.

The eggs of the swan are hatched by thunder and lightning. This bird sings its own death song....

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The Swift.

The Swift.

This bird’s motions are looked upon as weather signs. Its feeding regions are high up in the air when the weather is settled for fair, and low down when rain is approaching. Its screaming is supposed to indicate a change of weather from fair to rain....

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Tit Major>, or Sawyer.

Tit Major>, or Sawyer.

The Rev. E. V. Owen, Vicar of Llwydiarth, Montgomeryshire, told me that the Tit’s notes are a sign of rain, at least, that it is so considered in his parish. The people call the bird “Sawyer,” and they say its notes resemble in sound the filing of a saw. A man once said to my friend:—“I dunna like to hear that old sawyer whetting his saw.” “Why not,” said Mr. Owen. “‘Cause it’ll rain afore morning,” was the answer. This bird, if heard in February, when the snow or frost is on the ground, in

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The Wren.

The Wren.

The Wren’s life is sacred, excepting at one time of the year, for should anyone take this wee birdie’s life away, upon him some mishap will fall. The wren is classed with the Robin:— The robin and the wren Are God’s cock and hen. The cruel sport of hunting the wren on St. Stephen’s Day, which the writer has a dim recollection of having in his boyhood joined in, was the one time in the year when the wren’s life was in jeopardy. The Rev. Silvan Evans, in a letter to the Academy , which has been r

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The Wood Pigeon.

The Wood Pigeon.

The thrice repeated notes of five sounds, with an abrupt note at the end, of which the cooing of the wood pigeon consists, have been construed into words, and these words differ in different places, according to the state of the country, and the prevailing sentiments of the people. Of course, the language of the wood pigeon is always the language of the people amongst whom he lives. He always speaks Welsh in Wales, and English in England, but in these days this bird is so far Anglicised that i

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The Magpie teaching a Wood Pigeon how to make a nest.

The Magpie teaching a Wood Pigeon how to make a nest.

The wood pigeon makes an untidy nest, consisting of a few bits of twigs placed one on the other without much care. There is a fable in the Iolo MSS., p. 159, in Welsh, and the translation appears on page 567 in English, as follows:— The magpie, observing the slight knowledge of nest building possessed by the wood pigeon, kindly undertook the work of giving his friend a lesson in the art, and as the lesson proceeded, the wood pigeon, bowing, cooed out:— Mi wn ! Mi wn ! Mi wn ! I know! I know!

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Woodpecker.

Woodpecker.

The woodpecker’s screech was a sign of rain. This bird is called by two names in Welsh which imply that it foretold storms; as, Ysgrech y coed , the wood screech, and Caseg y drycin , the storm mare. These names have found a place in Welsh couplets:— “Ysgrech y coed! Mae’r gwlaw yn dod.” The Woodpecker’s cry! The rain is nigh. Bardd Nantglyn , Robert Davies, Nantglyn, has an englyn to the woodpecker:— “I Gaseg y Drycin.” “Och! rhag Caseg, grêg rwygiant,—y drycin, Draw accw yn y ceunant, Ar fol

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Ass.

Ass.

The stripe over the shoulders of the ass is said to have been made by our Lord when He rode into Jerusalem on an ass, and ever since the mark remains. It was thought that the milk of an ass could cure the “decay,” or consumption. This faith was common fifty years ago in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. I do not know whether it is so now. People then believed that ass’s milk was more nutritious than other kind of food for persons whose constitutions were weak....

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The Bee.

The Bee.

The little busy bee has been from times of old an object of admiration and superstition. It is thought that they are sufficiently sensitive to feel a slight, and sufficiently vindictive to resent one, and as they are too valuable to be carelessly provoked to anger, they are variously propitiated by the cottager when their wrath is supposed to have been roused. It is even thought that they take an interest in human affairs; and it is, therefore, considered expedient to give them formal notice o

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Buying a Hive of Bees.

Buying a Hive of Bees.

In the central parts of Denbighshire people suppose that a hive of bees, if bought, will not thrive, but that a present of a hive leads to its well-doing. A cottager in Efenechtyd informed the writer that a friend gave her the hive she had, and that consequently she had had luck with it; but, she added, “had I bought it, I could not have expected anything from it, for bought hives do badly.” This was in the centre of Denbighshire....

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Time of Bee Swarming.

Time of Bee Swarming.

The month in which bees swarm is considered of the greatest importance, and undoubtedly it is so, for the sooner they swarm, the longer their summer, and therefore the greater the quantity of honey which they will accumulate. A late swarm cannot gather honey from every opening flower, because the flower season will have partly passed away before they leave their old home. This faith has found expression in the following lines:— A swarm of bees in May Is worth a load of hay; A swarm of bees in J

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The Day of Swarming.

The Day of Swarming.

Sunday is the favourite day for bee swarming. Country people say, when looking at their bees clustering outside the hive, and dangling like a rope from it, “Oh, they won’t swarm until next Sunday,” and it is true that they are often right in their calculations, for bees seem to prefer the peaceful Day of Rest to all other days for their flight. The kettle and pan beating are often heard of a Sunday in those parts of the country where bees are reared. It is possible that the quietness of the d

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Luck comes with a Strange Swarm.

Luck comes with a Strange Swarm.

It is considered very lucky indeed to find that a strange swarm of bees has arrived in the garden, or tree, belonging to a cottager. The advent of the bees is joyfully welcomed, and the conversation of the neighbours on such an occasion intimates that they think that good fortune has come with them to the person whom they have condescended to honour with their presence. Occasionally, if bees settle down on property of doubtful ownership, a good deal of wrangling and bad feeling arises between t

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It is considered unlucky for Bees to fly away from their owner.

It is considered unlucky for Bees to fly away from their owner.

As the coming of a strange swarm of bees is indicative of good luck to the person to whom they come, so the decamping of a swarm shows that misfortune is about to visit the person whom they leave....

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Bees in a Roof.

Bees in a Roof.

It was thought lucky when bees made their home in the roof, or indeed in any part of a house, and this they could easily do when houses were thatched with straw. Many a swarm of bees found shelter in the roofs of ancient churches, but in our days bees are seldom found in either houses or churches....

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Informing Bees of a Death in a Family.

Informing Bees of a Death in a Family.

Formerly it was the custom to tell the bees of a death in the family. The head of the house whispered the news to the bees in the hive. If this were neglected, it was thought that another death would soon follow the previous one. Instead of speaking to the bees, it was the custom, in some parts of Wales, to turn the bee-hive round before starting the funeral. This was always done by the representative of the family, and it also was thought to be a protection against death. Mrs. Jones, Rhydyc

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Putting Bees in Mourning.

Putting Bees in Mourning.

This is done after a death in a family, and the bees are put into mourning by tying a piece of black ribbon on a bit of wood, and inserting it into the hole at the top of the hive....

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Stolen Bees.

Stolen Bees.

It was believed that stolen bees would not make honey, and that the hive which had been stolen would die....

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A Swarm entering a House.

A Swarm entering a House.

Should a swarm enter a house, it was considered unlucky, and usually it was a sign of death to someone living in that house. The culture of bees was once more common than it is, and therefore they were much observed, and consequently they figure in the folk-lore of most nations....

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Cat.

Cat.

The cat was thought to be a capital weather glass. If she stood or lay with her face towards the fire, it was a sign of frost or snow; if she became frisky, bad weather was near. If the cat washed her face, strangers might be expected; and if she washed her face and ears, then rain was sure to come. A black cat was supposed to bring luck to a house, thus:— Cath ddu, mi glywais dd’wedyd, A fedr swyno hefyd, A chadw’r teulu lle mae’n hyw O afael pob rhyw glefyd. A black cat, I’ve heard it said,

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Cows.

Cows.

In the upland parishes of Wales, particularly those in Montgomeryshire, it was said, and that not so long ago, that cows knelt at midnight on Christmas eve, to adore the infant Saviour. This has been affirmed by those who have witnessed the strange occurrence. Cows bringing forth two calves are believed to bring luck to a farmer; but in some parts of Wales a contrary view is taken of this matter. If the new born calf is seen by the mistress of the house with its head towards her, as she enters

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Crickets.

Crickets.

It is lucky to have crickets in a house, and to kill one is sure to bring bad luck after it. If they are very numerous in a house, it is a sign that peace and plenty reign there. The bakehouse in which their merry chirp is heard is the place to bake your bread, for it is a certain sign that the bread baked there will turn out well. An aged female Welsh friend in Porthywaen told me that it is a sign of death for crickets to leave a house, and she proved her case by an apt illustration. She nam

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Hare.

Hare.

Cæsar , bk. v., ch. xii., states that the Celts “do not regard it lawful to eat the hare , the cock, and the goose; they, however, breed them for amusement and pleasure.” This gives a respectable age to the superstitions respecting these animals. Mention has already been made of witches turning themselves into hares. This superstition was common in all parts of North Wales. The Rev. Lewis Williams, rector of Prion, near Denbigh, told me the following tales of this belief:—A witch that trouble

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Haddock.

Haddock.

The haddock has a dark spot on each side its gills, and superstition ascribes these marks to the impression of S. Peter’s thumb and finger, when he took the tribute money out of the mouth of a fish of the same species in the sea of Galilee....

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Hedgehog.

Hedgehog.

It was believed that hedgehogs sucked cows, and so firmly were the people convinced of this fact, that this useful little animal was doomed to death, and I have seen in many Churchwardens’ accounts entries to the effect that they had paid sums of money for its destruction. The amount given in most parishes was two pence. I will give a few entries, from many that I have by me, to show that parishes paid this sum for dead hedgehogs. In Cilcen Churchwardens’ Accounts for the year 1710 I find the

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Horse.

Horse.

A white horse figures in the superstition of school children. When the writer was a lad in school at Llanidloes, it was believed that if a white horse were met in the morning it was considered lucky, and should the boy who first saw the horse spit on the ground, and stealthily make the sign of a cross with his toe across the spittle, he was certain to find a coin on the road, or have a piece of money given to him before the day was over; but he was not to divulge to anyone what he had done, and

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Lady-bird.

Lady-bird.

This pretty spotted little beetle was used formerly in the neighbourhood of Llanidloes as a prognosticator of the weather. First of all the lady-bird was placed in the palm of the left hand, or right; I do not think it made any difference which hand was used, and the person who held it addressed it as follows:— Iâr fach goch, gwtta, Pa un ai gwlaw, neu hindda? and then having said these words, the insect was thrown skywards, the person repeating the while— Os mai gwlaw, cwympa lawr, Os mai têg,

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Mice.

Mice.

A mouse nibbling clothes was a sign of disaster, if not death, to the owner. It was thought that the evil one occasionally took the form of a mouse. Years ago, when Craig Wen Farm, Llawr-y-glyn, near Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire was haunted—the rumour of which event I well remember—the servant girl told her mistress, the tenant of the farm, that one day she was going through the corn field, and that a mouse ran before her, and she ran after it to catch it, but that when she was opposite the bar

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Moles.

Moles.

Moles are said to have no eyes. If mole hills move there will be a thaw. By the moving of mole hills is meant bits of earth tumbling off the mound. A labourer in Llanmerewig parish, Montgomeryshire, called my attention to this fact. It was a frosty day, and apparently no change was near, but it will thaw, said he, and certain I am, that by the next morning a thaw had set in....

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Pigs.

Pigs.

Pigs used to be credited with the power of seeing the wind. Devils were fond of assuming the form of, or entering into, pigs. Pigs littered in February could not be reared. This I was told by a native of Llansantffraid, Montgomeryshire....

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The Snake, Serpent.

The Snake, Serpent.

The snake was supposed to be able to understand what men said. A tale was told me by an aged man at Penrhos, Montgomeryshire, of an event which took place in the last century. His father, he said, saw a number of snakes, or nethers , as he called them, basking in the sun, and he said when passing them, “I will make you jump to-morrow.” The next day he, provided with a rod, passed the spot, but no adder could be seen. The next day he passed again the same spot without his rod, and the man was

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Flying Serpents.

Flying Serpents.

The traditional origin of these imaginary creatures was that they were snakes, which by having drunk the milk of a woman, and by having eaten of bread consecrated for the Holy Communion, became transformed into winged serpents or dragons. These dangerous creatures had their lurking places in many districts, and they attacked everyone that crossed their paths. There was said to have been one such den on Moel Bentyrch. Old Mrs. Davies, Plas, Dolanog, who died 1890, aged 92, told the Rev. D. R. E

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Snake Rings, or Glain Nadroedd.

Snake Rings, or Glain Nadroedd.

Mention is made in Camden of snake rings. Omitting certain remarks not connected with the matter directly, he writes:—“In some parts of Wales we find it a common opinion of the vulgar that about Midsummer Eve (though in the time they do not all agree) ’tis usual for snakes to meet in companies, and that by joyning heads together and hissing, a kind of Bubble is form’d like a ring about the head of one of them, which the rest by continual hissing, blow on till it comes off at the tail, and then

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Sheep.

Sheep.

It was thought that the devil could assume any animal’s form excepting that of the sheep. This saying, however, is somewhat different from what a farmer friend told me of black sheep . He said his father, and other farmers as well, were in the habit of killing all their black lambs, because they were of the same colour as the devil, and the owners were afraid that Satan had entered, or would enter into them, and that therefore these sheep were destroyed. He stated that his father went on his

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Spider.

Spider.

The long-legged spider, or, as it is generally called in Wales, the Tailor, is an object of cruel sport to children. They catch it, and then handle it roughly, saying the while:— Old Harry long-leg Cannot say his prayers, Catch him by the right leg, Catch him by the left leg. And throw him down stairs; and then one leg after the other is plucked off, and the poor creature is left to die miserably. This was done in Llanidloes....

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The Squirrel.

The Squirrel.

Hunting this sprightly little animal became at Christmas the sport of our rustic population. A number of lads gathered together, and proceeded to the woods to hunt the squirrel. They followed it with stones and sticks from tree to tree, shouting and screaming, to frighten it on and on, until it was quite unable to make further progress, and then they caught it. The writer, when a lad, has often joined in this cruel hunt, but whether the squirrel was killed when caught he is unable to recall t

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The Blind Worm, or Slow Worm.

The Blind Worm, or Slow Worm.

This reptile is a snake, varying from twelve to eighteen inches long. Its head is small, and its movements very rapid. At the slightest noise, it darts away in a moment, and hides among rocks, stones, or rank grass. It is said to have no eyes, but this is a popular mistake—hence, however, its name, Blind Worm . This beautiful timid creature is often wantonly cut into pieces by its cruel and mistaken captors, for they credit it with the possession of evil propensities. It is said that, could

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LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

A Acton, T. A., Regent Street, Wrexham Adcane, Miss, Plas Llanfawr, Holyhead Andrews, Mr Wm., The Hull Press , 1, Dock Street, Hull Arnold, Prof. E. P., M.A., 10, Bryn Têg, Bangor B Ballinger, John, Mr., Cardiff Free Library, Cardiff Barnes, J. R., Esq., The Quinta, Chirk Bennett, Edgar, Esq., 2, Court Ash, Yeovil Bennett, N., Esq., Glanyrafon, Llanidloes Bangor, The Lord Bishop of, The Palace, Bangor, N.W. Bowen, Alfred E., Esq., Town Hall, Pontypool Bryan, B., Esq., Pen-lan, Ruthin Bryan, R. F

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