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
A friend of Mr. Pugh had lost a horse, and after searching in
vain for the animal for a whole fortnight, he was at last advised
to go to consult the "Dyn Hysbys." He rather hesitated at first,
but he, however, went. The man was a farmer in the neighbourhood of
Llandovery, but my informant did not wish to mention his name. The
Wizard, Harries, of Cwrtycadno, consulted his oracles, but did not
know what reply to give to the farmer at first about his animal. "Do
tell me" said the farmer most earnestly, "what has become of my horse,
or who has taken away the animal? It is such a loss to me to lose such
a fine steed." Presently, the wizard informed him that a certain man
(whom he described) had found the horse on the road, and caught the
animal and tied him to a tree which was close by. After a while, this
stranger took him home quietly and closed him in his own stable, fully
making up his mind to sell the horse at the first opportunity. "And
I am almost certain he'll succeed in doing so," added the conjurer,
"I am afraid you'll never see your horse again." "Can you do something
to prevent the thief selling my horse"? asked the farmer. "Yes,"
replied the wizard. The wise man then took some paper or parchment
on which he inscribed some magic word, or words, and gave it to the
farmer, telling him that so long as the parchment was kept safely
in his pocket, the thief could not succeed in selling the horse at
the fair. "But what can I do to find my stolen horse"? "Watch on the
road next Friday, near Glanbran, and I feel almost certain that you
will And your horse before the day is over, grazing on the roadside
somewhere in that neighbourhood."
The farmer then departed with the magic paper safely in his pocket,
and when Friday came, he watched on the road, and to his great joy
and surprise, he found the horse near Glanbran. Just as he mounted the
animal to go home, a young man who passed by, told him that a few days
ago, he had seen this very horse offered on sale at Rhayader fair,
but that the man who was trying to sell him failed to do so!
A LLANFAIR CLYDOGAU WIZARD.
Mr. Walter Evans (Pentre-Richard), in the Parish of Llanddewi Brefi,
informed me a few years ago, before he died, that some years ago,
when he lost some sheep, a conjurer who lived on Llanfair mountain,
directed or pointed out to him where to find them, and that they were
found two days afterwards in some water nearly drowning as the wise
man had said. This Llanfair Clydogau conjurer only died about nine
years ago, and until he died people consulted him from the surrounding
districts of Cardiganshire and Carmarthenshire.
The best service rendered by conjurers to society was to help people
to discover thieves, and the superstitious often restored what they
had stolen through fear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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