Folk-Lore of West and Mid-WalesDavies, Jonathan Ceredig
History
Folk-Lore of West and Mid-Wales
Davies, Jonathan Ceredig
Folklore -- Wales; Wales -- Social life and customs
In the interesting small valley of Cwm Mabws, near Llanrhystyd,
nine miles from Aberystwyth, there is a rocky spot known as Craig
Rhydderch. Even within the memory of some who are still alive, the
caves of Craig Rhydderch were the favourite haunts of the Fairies,
where these mysterious beings were thought to dwell, or at least pass
through to the underground regions. The Fairies of this part were,
it was supposed, some kind of spirits or supernatural beings, and
were often seen in the Valley of Mabws going about in their phantom
carriages and horses. About fifty years ago when Fairies were still to
be seen in this neighbourhood, the eldest son of Penlan farm, and some
of the men servants one evening just before dark, took their horses
down to the little river which runs through the bottom of the valley
in order to give the animals water, as there was no water near the
farm-house which stood on high ground. As they were on their way to
the river they heard some noise on the road quite near them, and the
farmer's son said to the servants, "It is the noise of the Fairies
on their journey, and they are coming from the direction of Craig
Rhydderch; let us stand one side of the road to make room for them to
pass." And sure enough, just as he spoke, a number of Fairies appeared
on the scene and passed by as if they were on a journey. They were
little men with little horses and carriages, but my informant could
not tell me the colour of their dresses nor the colour of their horses
After taking their horses to the water and turning them into a field,
the men went home to Penlan; and as soon as they entered the house and
related what they had seen, another son of the farm had just arrived
home from Aberystwyth with a horse and cart, and he also had seen
the Fairies, just as he was turning to the road which led up the hill.
The above story was related to me by Mr. David Morgan, Carpenter,
Llanrhystyd, who vouches for the truth of the account as he was well
acquainted with the persons who saw the Fairies, and one of them was
a friend of his.
FAIRIES AND FOOTBALLERS.
There is a curious tradition that early one Easter Monday, when the
parishioners of Pencarreg and Caio were met to play at football, they
saw a numerous company of Fairies dancing. Being so many in number,
the young men were not intimidated at all, but proceeded in a body
towards the puny tribe, who perceiving them, removed to another
place. The young men followed, whereupon the little folk suddenly
disappeared dancing at the first place. Seeing this, the men divided
and surrounded them, when they immediately became invisible, and were
never more seen there. This was in Carmarthenshire.
Other places frequented by Fairies were Moyddin, between Lampeter
and Llanarth, in Troed yr Aur, in Cardiganshire.
FAIRIES MARKETING.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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