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
"I was going home one evening from my work from Ros y Wlad, and had to
go through Rhosmeherin. "That place, you know is a terrible spot for
its ghosts. People say that they are seen there in broad daylight. As
to myself I did not see them in the daytime, but many a time was I
kept there all night by Jack-a-Lantern.
I saw a ghost in the form of a cat there also, and when I began
to strike him he disappeared in a blazing fire. But now for the
gentleman. I was near the spot where I had seen the cat, when I heard
the sound of a horse coming after me. I jumped one side to make room
for him to pass; but when he came opposite me he did not go forward a
single pace faster than myself. When I went on slowly, he went slowly;
when I went fast, he went fast. "Good night," said I at last, but no
answer. Then I said it was a very fine night, but the gentleman on
horseback did not seem to take any notice of what I said. Then thinking
that he might be an Englishman (the man was speaking in Welsh),
I said in English "Good night," but he took no notice of me still.
By this I was beginning to perspire and almost ready to fall down with
fright, hoping to get rid of him, as I now perceived that he was the
Devil himself appearing in the form of a gentleman. I could think from
the sound of the saddle and the shining stirrups that the saddle was
a new one. On we went along the dark narrow lane till we came to the
turnpike road, when it became a little lighter, which gave me courage
to turn my eyes to see what kind of a man he was. The horse looked
like a soldier's horse, a splendid one, and his feet like the feet of
a calf, without any shoes under them, and the feet of the gentleman in
the stirrups were also like the feet of a calf. My courage failed me
to look what his head and body were like. On we went till we came to
the cross-road. I had heard many a time that a ghost leaves everybody
there. Well, to the cross road we came. But ah! I heard the sound of
the ground as if it were going to rend, and the heavens going to fall
upon my head; and in this sound I lost sight of him (the Spirit). How
he went away I know not, nor the direction he went."
A SPIRIT IN A CAVE.
Sometimes we hear of haunted caves, where spirits are said to be seen
or heard. One of such places is the Green Bridge Cave, near Pendine,
Carmarthenshire.
There is a story in the neighbourhood that long ago an old fiddler
entered once into this cave with his fiddle and a lighted candle to
see his way, and that his candle went out when he was in, so that
he failed to find his way out of the cave again. He is heard there
sometimes, so it is said, playing his fiddle.
A SPIRIT IN A RIVER.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account