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
Penpompren Plas is a small mansion near Talybont in North
Cardiganshire. The late Mr. John Jones, Bristol House, informed me
that there was a spirit there once troubling the family, and the
servants, and especially the head servant who had no peace as the
ghost followed the poor man everywhere whenever he went out at night,
and often threw water into his face. At last the servant went to a
wise man or a conjurer. The Conjurer came with him to Penpompren Plas
to "lay" the Spirit, and transformed it into an insect, in a bottle,
which was securely corked. Then the bottle was thrown under the river
bridge close by.
There are many such stories in different parts of the country; and
it is said that under the Monument Arch of Old Haverfordwest Bridge
in Pembrokeshire, a spirit has been laid for a thousand years, and
that at the expiration of that time it will again be free to roam
the earth to trouble people.
About 60 years ago, a spirit which appeared in all forms, pig, mouse,
hare, etc., at Alltisaf, Llanfynydd, in Carmarthenshire, was "laid"
by the celebrated wizard, Harries, of Cwrtycadno. I was told of this
by two old men in the village of Llanfynydd about five years ago.
THE "LAYING" OF THE HAVOD UCHTRYD GOBLIN.
Havod Uchtryd is a large mansion a few miles from Devil's Bridge,
in Cardiganshire, and there is a tradition in the neighbourhood
that in the time of the celebrated Colonel Johnes about the
beginning of the last century the place was haunted by a mischievous
goblin. Fortunately, however, there happened to be a wizard nor far
off, and the squire, so it is said, sent for him to Havod to lay the
ghost. The conjurer came and when he arrived at the spot where the
haunting usually took place he surrounded himself with an enchanted
circle which the spirit could not break through. Then he opened a
book and went through various incantations to invoke the spirit,
which presented himself in various forms; first it appeared as
a bull, secondly as a bulldog; and at last as a fly which rested
on the wizard's open book. In an instant the enchanter closed the
book, and thus caught the evil one in a trap, and was only allowed
to go out under the conditions that he should betake himself to the
Devil's Bridge, and there with an ounce hammer and tintack cut off a
fathom of the rock. But notwithstanding this "laying" of the spirit
one hundred years ago, there is a rumour still throughout the whole
North of Cardiganshire, that Hafod is still haunted.
THE MONACHDY GHOST DOOMED TO CUT THE ROCK NEAR LLANRHYSTYD.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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