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
Some years ago when he happened to be out about midnight once, he
saw a train passing, which came from the direction of Carmarthen,
and went towards Llandilo, and as no train was to pass through the
station of Nantgaredig at that hour he enquired of the Stationmaster
next morning what was the special train that passed at mid-night. In
reply, he was told he had been either dreaming or had seen the spirit
of a train, as no train had passed at that time of the night.
A few days after this a special train passed through the station
conveying a large funeral from Carmarthen to Llandilo; and James and
his friend were convinced that the train he had seen in the night
was nothing but an apparition of the real train with the funeral!
A "TOILI" SEEN IN THE DAY-TIME.
Like every other apparition a "toili" is supposed to be seen in the
night time only; but according to the late Mr. Lledrod Davies, people
working at the harvest near Llangeitho many years ago, saw a "toili"
at mid-day in the churchyard of Llanbadarn Odwyn; and a funeral took
place soon afterwards.
The following story of a phantom funeral in the day-time was related
to me by an old woman in Pembrokeshire, a farmer's wife in the Parish
of Llanycefn:--
An old man named John Salmon saw an apparition of a funeral in the
day-time, and he even recognised most of those who were in the
procession, but was surprised to find that the minister was not
amongst them.
A few days after this the funeral took place, and the minister was
prevented from being present as he had been called away from home at
the time.
Sometimes a "Toili" is heard without being seen.
An old woman who lived in a little cottage at Dihewid, in
Cardiganshire, forty-five years ago, heard every phantom funeral
that passed her house; she could tell even the number of horses in
the apparition.
An old woman who only a few years ago lived close to Llanafan
Churchyard, in the same County, heard from her bed one night the
Vicar's voice, the Rev. W. J. Williams, reading the burial service
quite distinctly, and soon after a funeral took place.
The Vicar was informed of this by the old woman herself.
SINGING HEARD TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE DEATH.
About sixty years ago, the mother of one David Hughes, Cwmllechwedd,
was one day standing outside the house, when all of a sudden, she
heard the sound of singing. She recognised the voice of the singer
as the voice of the Curate of Lledrod, but when she looked round
she could see no one anywhere. The maid servants also heard the same
sound of singing.
Twelve months after this her son, David Hughes, a young man of 22 years
of age died, and on the day of the funeral, the Curate of Lledrod,
standing near the door, gave out a hymn, and conducted the singing
himself, just as the funeral was leaving the house.
My informant was Thomas Jones, Pontrhydfendigaid.
A woman at Aberporth, informed me that she had heard a "Toili" singing:
"Gwyn fyd v rhai trwy ffydd,
Sy'n myn'd o blith y byw."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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