Chapter I: Preface

In the ground it covers, while this volume deals especially with Wales, and still more especially with South Wales--where there appear to have been human dwellers long before North Wales was peopled--it also includes the border counties, notably Monmouthshire, which, though severed from Wales by Act of Parliament, is really very Welsh in all that relates to the past. In Monmouthshire is the decayed cathedral city of Caerleon, where, according to tradition, Arthur was crowned king in 508, and where he set up his most dazzling court, as told in the 'Morte d'Arthur.'

In a certain sense Wales may be spoken of as the cradle of fairy legend. It is not now disputed that from the Welsh were borrowed many of the first subjects of composition in the literature of all the cultivated peoples of Europe.

The Arthur of British history and tradition stands to Welshmen in much the same light that Alfred the Great stands to Englishmen. Around this historic or semi-historic Arthur have gathered a throng of shining legends of fabulous sort, with which English readers are more or less familiar. An even grander figure is the Arthur who existed in Welsh mythology before the birth of the warrior-king. The mythic Arthur, it is presumed, began his shadowy life in pre-historic ages, and grew progressively in mythologic story, absorbing at a certain period the personality of the real Arthur, and becoming the type of romantic chivalry. A similar state of things is indicated with regard to the enchanter Merlin; there was a mythic Merlin before the real Merlin was born at Carmarthen.

With the rich mass of legendary lore to which these figures belong, the present volume is not intended to deal; nor do its pages treat, save in the most casual and passing manner, of the lineage and original significance of the lowly goblins which are its theme. The questions here involved, and the task of adequately treating them, belong to the comparative mythologist and the critical historian, rather than to the mere literary workman.

UNITED STATES CONSULATE, CARDIFF,
_August, 1879_.

CONTENTS.

BOOK I.

THE REALM OF FAERIE.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE
Fairy Tales and the Ancient Mythology--The Compensations
of Science--Existing Belief in Fairies in Wales--The
Faith of Culture--The Credulity of Ignorance--The
Old-Time Welsh Fairyland--The Fairy King--The Legend of
St. Collen and Gwyn ap Nudd--The Green Meadows of the
Sea--Fairies at Market--The Land of Mystery 1

CHAPTER II.

Classification of Welsh Fairies--General
Designation--Habits of the Tylwyth Teg--Ellyllon, or
Elves--Shakspeare's Use of Welsh Folk-Lore--Rowli Pugh
and the Ellyll--Household Story Roots--The
Ellylldan--The Pooka--Puck Valley, Breconshire--Where
Shakspeare got his Puck--Pwca'r Trwyn--Usual Form of the
Pooka Story--Coblynau, or Mine Fairies--The
Knockers--Miners' Superstitions--Basilisks and Fire
Fiends--A Fairy Coal-mine--The Dwarfs of Cae
Caled--Counterparts of the Coblynau--The Bwbach, or
Household Fairy--Legend of the Bwbach and the
Preacher--Bogies and Hobgoblins--Carrying Mortals
through the Air--Counterparts and Originals 11

CHAPTER III.

Lake Fairies--The Gwragedd Annwn, or Dames of
Elfin-Land--St. Patrick and the Welshmen; a Legend of
Crumlyn Lake--The Elfin Cow of Llyn Barfog--Y Fuwch
Laethwen Lefrith--The Legend of the Meddygon
Myddfai--The Wife of Supernatural Race--The Three Blows;
a Carmarthenshire Legend--Cheese and the Didactic
Purpose in Welsh Folk-Lore--The Fairy Maiden's Papa--The
Enchanted Isle in the Mountain Lake--Legend of the Men
of Ardudwy--Origin of Water Fairies--Their prevalence in
many Lands 34

CHAPTER IV.

Mountain Fairies--The Gwyllion--The Old Woman of the
Mountain--The Black Mountain Gwyll--Exorcism by
Knife--Occult Intellectual Powers of Welsh Goats--The
Legend of Cadwaladr's Goat 49

CHAPTER V.

Changelings--The Plentyn-newid--The Cruel Creed of
Ignorance regarding Changelings--Modes of Ridding the
House of the Fairy Child--The Legend of the Frugal
Meal--Legend of the Place of Strife--Dewi Dal and the
Fairies--Prevention of Fairy Kidnapping--Fairies caught
in the Act by Mothers--Piety as an Exorcism 56

CHAPTER VI.

Living with the Tylwyth Teg--The Tale of Elidurus--Shui
Rhys and the Fairies--St. Dogmell's Parish,
Pembrokeshire--Dancing with the Ellyllon--The Legend of
Rhys and Llewellyn--Death from joining in the Fairy
Reel--Legend of the Bush of Heaven--The Forest of the
Magic Yew--The Tale of Twm and Iago--Taffy ap Sion, a
Legend of Pencader--The Traditions of Pant Shon
Shenkin--Tudur of Llangollen; the Legend of Nant yr
Ellyllon--Polly Williams and the Trefethin Elves--The
Fairies of Frennifawr--Curiosity Tales--The Fiend
Master--Iago ap Dewi--The Original of Rip Van Winkle 65

CHAPTER VII.

Fairy Music--Birds of Enchantment--The Legend of Shon ap
Shenkin--Harp-Music in Welsh Fairy Tales--Legend of the
Magic Harp--Songs and Tunes of the Tylwyth Teg--The
Legend of Iolo ap Hugh--Mystic Origin of an old Welsh
Air 91

CHAPTER VIII.

Fairy Rings--The Prophet Jones and his Works--The
Mysterious Language of the Tylwyth Teg--The Horse in
Welsh Folk-Lore--Equestrian Fairies--Fairy Cattle,
Sheep, Swine, etc.--The Flying Fairies of Bedwellty--The
Fairy Sheepfold at Cae'r Cefn 103

CHAPTER IX.

Piety as a Protection from the Seductions of the Tylwyth
Teg--Various Exorcisms--Cock-crowing--The Name of
God--Fencing off the Fairies--Old Betty Griffith and her
Eithin Barricade--Means of Getting Rid of the Tylwyth
Teg--The Bwbach of the Hendrefawr Farm--The Pwca'r
Trwyn's Flitting in a Jug of Barm 112

CHAPTER X.

Fairy Money and Fairy Gifts in General--The Story of
Gitto Bach, or Little Griffith--The Penalty of
Blabbing--Legends of the Shepherds of Cwm Llan--The
Money Value of Kindness--Ianto Llewellyn and the Tylwyth
Teg--The Legend of Hafod Lwyddog--Lessons inculcated by
these Superstitions 119

CHAPTER XI.

Origins of Welsh Fairies--The Realistic Theory--Legend
of the Baron's Gate--The Red Fairies--The Trwyn Fairy a
Proscribed Nobleman--The Theory of hiding Druids--Colour
in Welsh Fairy Attire--The Green Lady of
Caerphilly--White the favourite Welsh Hue--Legend of the
Prolific Woman--The Poetico-Religious Theory--The Creed
of Science 127

BOOK II.

THE SPIRIT-WORLD.

CHAPTER I.

Modern Superstition regarding Ghosts--American
'Spiritualism'--Welsh Beliefs--Classification of Welsh
Ghosts--Departed Mortals--Haunted Houses--Lady
Stradling's Ghost--The Haunted Bridge--The Legend of
Catrin Gwyn--Didactic Purpose in Cambrian
Apparitions--An Insulted Corpse--Duty-performing
Ghosts--Laws of the Spirit-World--Cadogan's Ghost 137

CHAPTER II.

Household Ghosts and Hidden Treasures--The Miser of St.
Donat's--Anne Dewy's Ghost--The Ghost on
Horseback--Hidden Objects of Small Value--Transportation
through the Air--From Breconshire to Philadelphia, Pa.,
in Thirty-Six Hours--Sir David Llwyd, the Magician--The
Levitation of Walter Jones--Superstitions regarding
Hares--The Legend of Monacella's Lambs--Aerial
Transportation in Modern Spiritualism--Exorcising
Household Ghosts--The Story of Haunted Margaret 151

CHAPTER III.

Spectral Animals--The Chained Spirit--The Gwyllgi, or
Dog of Darkness--The Legend of Lisworney-Crossways--The
Gwyllgi of the Devil's Nags--The Dog of Pant y
Madog--Terrors of the Brute Creation at
Phantoms--Apparitions of Natural Objects--Phantom Ships
and Phantom Islands 167

CHAPTER IV.

Grotesque Ghosts--The Phantom Horseman--Gigantic
Spirits--The Black Ghost of Ffynon yr Yspryd--Black Men
in the Mabinogion--Whirling Ghosts--Antic Spirits--The
Tridoll Valley Ghost--Resemblance to Modern
Spiritualistic Performances--Household Fairies 174

CHAPTER V.

Familiar Spirits--The Famous Sprite of Trwyn Farm--Was
it a Fairy?--The Familiar Spirits of Magicians--Sir
David Llwyd's Demon--Familiar Spirits in Female
Form--The Legend of the Lady of the Wood--The Devil as a
Familiar Spirit--His Disguises in this
Character--Summoning and Exorcising Familiars--Jenkin
the Pembrokeshire Schoolmaster--The Terrible Tailor of
Glanbran 187

CHAPTER VI.

The Evil Spirit in his customary Form--The stupid
Medieval Devil in Wales--Sion Cent--The Devil
outwitted--Pacts with the Fiend and their
Avoidance--Sion Dafydd's Foul Pipe--The Devil's Bridge
and its Legends--Similar Legends in other Lands--The
Devil's Pulpit near Tintern--Angelic Spirits--Welsh
Superstitions as to pronouncing the Name of the Evil
Spirit--The Bardic Tradition of the Creation--The
Struggle between Light and Darkness and its
Symbolization 202

CHAPTER VII.

Cambrian Death-Portents--The Corpse-Bird--The
Tan-Wedd--Listening at the Church-Door--The
Lledrith--The Gwrach y Rhibyn--The Llandaff
Gwrach--Ugliness of this Female Apparition--The Black
Maiden--The Cyhyraeth, or Crying Spirit--Its Moans on
Land and Sea--The St. Mellons Cyhyraeth--The Groaning
Spirit of Bedwellty 212

CHAPTER VIII.

The Tolaeth Death Portent--Its various Forms--The
Tolaeth before Death--Ewythr Jenkin's Tolaeth--A modern
Instance--The Railway Victim's Warning--The Goblin
Voice--The Voice from the Cloud--Legend of the Lord and
the Beggar--The Goblin Funeral--The Horse's Skull--The
Goblin Veil--The Wraith of Llanllwch--Dogs of Hell--The
Tale of Pwyll--Spiritual Hunting Dogs--Origin of the Cwn
Annwn 225

CHAPTER IX.

The Corpse Candle--Its Peculiarities--The Woman of
Caerau--Grasping a Corpse Candle--The Crwys
Candle--Lights issuing from the Mouth--Jesting with the
Canwyll Corph--The Candle at Pontfaen--The Three Candles
at Golden Grove--Origin of Death-Portents in
Wales--Degree of Belief prevalent at the Present
Day--Origin of Spirits in General--The Supernatural--The
Question of a Future Life 238

BOOK III.

QUAINT OLD CUSTOMS.

CHAPTER I.

Serious Significance of seemingly Trivial Customs--Their
Origins--Common Superstitions--The Age we Live in--Days
and Seasons--New Year's Day--The Apple Gift--Lucky Acts
on New Year's Morning--The First Foot--Showmen's
Superstitions--Levy Dew Song--Happy New Year
Carol--Twelfth Night--The Mari Lwyd--The Penglog--The
Cutty Wren--Tooling and Sowling--St. Valentine's
Day--St. Dewi's Day--The Wearing of the Leek--The
Traditional St. David--St. Patrick's Day--St. Patrick a
Welshman--Shrove Tuesday 250

CHAPTER II.

Sundry Lenten Customs--Mothering Sunday--Palm
Sunday--Flowering Sunday--Walking Barefoot to
Church--Spiritual Potency of Buns--Good Friday
Superstitions--Making Christ's Bed--Bad Odour of
Friday--Unlucky Days--Holy Thursday--The Eagle of
Snowdon--New Clothing at Easter--Lifting--The Crown of
Porcelain--Stocsio--Ball-Playing in Churchyards--The
Tump of Lies--Dancing in Churchyards--Seeing the Sun
Dance--Calan Ebrill, or All Fools' Day--May Day--The
Welsh Maypole--The Daughter of Lludd Llaw
Ereint--Carrying the Kings of Summer and Winter 266

CHAPTER III.

Midsummer Eve--The Druidic Ceremonies at Pontypridd--The
Snake Stone--Beltane Fires--Fourth of July Fires in
America--St. Ulric's Day--Carrying Cynog--Marketing on
Tombstones--The First Night of Winter--The Three Nights
for Spirits--The Tale of Thomas Williams the
Preacher--All Hallows Eve Festivities--Running through
Fire--Quaint Border Rhymes--The Puzzling Jug--Bobbing
for Apples--The Fiery Features of Guy Fawkes' Day--St.
Clement's Day--Stripping the Carpenter 277

CHAPTER IV.

Nadolig, the Welsh
Christmas--Bell-Ringing--Carols--Dancing to the Music of
the Waits--An Evening in Carmarthenshire--Shenkin Harry,
the Preacher, and the Jig Tune--Welsh
Morality--Eisteddfodau--Decorating Houses and
Churches--The Christmas Thrift-box--The Colliers'
Star--The Plygain--Pagan Origin of Christmas Customs 286

CHAPTER V.

Courtship and Marriage--Planting Weeds and Rue on the
Graves of Old Bachelors--Special Significance of Flowers
in connection with Virginity--The Welsh Venus--Bundling,
or Courting Abed--Kissing Schools--Rhamanta--Lovers'
Superstitions--The Maid's Trick--Dreaming on a Mutton
Bone--Wheat and Shovel--Garters in a Lovers'
Knot--Egg-Shell Cake--Sowing Leeks--Twca and Sheath 298

CHAPTER VI.

Wedding Customs--The Bidding--Forms of Cymmhorth--The
Gwahoddwr--Horse-Weddings--Stealing a
Bride--Obstructions to the Bridal Party--The
Gwyntyn--Chaining--Evergreen Arches--Strewing
Flowers--Throwing Rice and Shoes--Rosemary in the
Garden--Names after Marriage--The Coolstrin--The Ceffyl
Pren 306

CHAPTER VII.

Death and Burial--The Gwylnos--Beer-drinking at Welsh
Funerals--Food and Drink over the Coffin--Sponge Cakes
at Modern Funerals--The Sin-eater--Welsh Denial that
this Custom ever existed--The Testimony concerning
it--Superstitions regarding Salt--Plate of Salt on
Corpse's Breast--The Scapegoat--The St. Tegla Cock and
Hen--Welsh Funeral Processions--Praying at
Cross-roads--Superstition regarding Criminals'
Graves--Hanging and Welsh Prejudice--The Grassless
Grave--Parson's Penny, or Offrwm--Old Shoes to the
Clerk--Arian y Rhaw, or Spade Money--Burials without
Coffin--The Sul Coffa--Planting and Strewing Graves with
Flowers 321

BOOK IV.

BELLS, WELLS, STONES, AND DRAGONS.

CHAPTER I.

Base of the Primeval Mythology--Bells and their
Ghosts--The Bell that committed Murder and was damned
for it--The Occult Powers of Bells--Their Work as
Detectives, Doctors, etc.--Legend of the Bell of
Rhayader--St. Illtyd's Wonderful Bell--The Golden Bell
of Llandaff 338

CHAPTER II.

Mystic Wells--Their Good and Bad Dispositions--St.
Winifred's Well--The Legend of St.
Winifred--Miracles--St. Tecla's Well--St.
Dwynwen's--Curing Love-sickness--St. Cynfran's--St.
Cynhafal's--Throwing Pins in Wells--Warts--Barry Island
and its Legends--Ffynon Gwynwy--Propitiatory Gifts to
Wells--The Dreadful Cursing Well of St. Elian's--Wells
Flowing with Milk--St. Illtyd's--Taff's Well--Sanford's
Well--Origins of Superstitions of this Class 345

CHAPTER III.

Personal Attributes of Legendary Welsh Stones--Stone
Worship--Canna's Stone Chair--Miraculous Removals of
Stones--The Walking Stone of Eitheinn--The Thigh
Stone--The Talking Stone in Pembrokeshire--The Expanding
Stone--Magic Stones in the 'Mabinogion'--The Stone of
Invisibility--The Stone of Remembrance--Stone
Thief-catchers--Stones of Healing--Stones at
Cross-roads--Memorials of King Arthur--Round Tables,
Carns, Pots, etc.--Arthur's Quoits--The Gigantic
Rock-tossers of Old--Mol Walbec and the Pebble in her
Shoe--The Giant of Trichrug--Giants and the Mythology of
the Heavens--The Legend of Rhitta Gawr 361

CHAPTER IV.

Early Inscribed Stones--The Stone Pillar of Banwan
Bryddin, near Neath--Catastrophe accompanying its
Removal--The Sagranus Stone and the White Lady--The
Dancing Stones of Stackpool--Human Beings changed to
Stones--St. Ceyna and the Serpents--The Devil's Stone at
Llanarth--Rocking Stones and their accompanying
Superstitions--The Suspended Altar of
Loin-Garth--Cromlechs and their Fairy Legends--The
Fairies' Castle at St. Nicholas, Glamorganshire--The
Stone of the Wolf Bitch--The Welsh
Melusina--Parc-y-Bigwrn Cromlech--Connection of these
Stones with Ancient Druidism 373

CHAPTER V.

Baleful Spirits of Storm--The Shower at the Magic
Fountain--Obstacles in the way of Treasure-Seekers--The
Red Lady of Paviland--The Fall of Coychurch
Tower--Thunder and Lightning evoked by Digging--The
Treasure-Chest under Moel Arthur in the Vale of
Clwyd--Modern Credulity--The Cavern of the Ravens--The
Eagle-guarded Coffer of Castell Coch--Sleeping Warriors
as Treasure-Guarders--The Dragon which St. Samson drove
out of Wales--Dragons in the Mabinogion--Whence came the
Red Dragon of Wales?--The Original Dragon of
Mythology--Prototypes of the Welsh Caverns and
Treasure-Hills--The Goblins of Electricity 385

BRITISH GOBLINS.