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
The editor of "Blackwood" gives authenticity to the following
dream:--A young man, engaged in a china manufactory at Swansea,
about the beginning of the last century, dreamed that he saw a man
drowning in one of their pools; he dreamed the same a second time,
and a third time, and then could not resist making an effort to rise
and satisfy himself that it was not so. He did rise, went to the spot,
and found the man drowned. A man in the neighbourhood of Newcastle
Emlyn, dreamed a similar dream in the 18th century.
The late Rev. J. E. Jenkins, Rector of Vaynor, in Breconshire, in
his interesting book on that parish gives the following account of
a girl saved by a dream:--
"The Rev. Williams Jones, afterwards Canon Jones, was curate in sole
charge here in 1822, and for many years afterwards. The Old Rectory
House and the Glebe land was at that time occupied by a man named Enos
Davies and his family. The Rev. W. Jones also had rooms at the Rectory.
"One morning at the end of May in that year, about two o'clock Enos
had a remarkable dream. He dreamt the Church was on fire. He suddenly
awoke, and in great excitement jumped out of bed and knocked at the
bedroom door of Mr. Jones, and cried:--'Master! Master! come down
at once, I have dreamt the Church is on fire.' The worthy divine
laughed at him, and told him to go back to bed, and not to give heed
to foolish dreams and nightly visions. Enos obeyed, but could not
sleep. During the day Mr. Jones walked down to the Church, and found
everything in the usual order, safe and uninjured. The following
morning, at the same hour, strange to say, Enos had the same dream,
and again disturbed the peaceful slumbers of his good master. 'Come
down to Church, Master,' said he, 'there must be something wrong,
I have again dreamt the Church is on fire.' 'All right Enos,' said
Mr. Jones; 'I will come with you, it is a fine morning.' By the time
they reached the Church it was half-past three. Coming-down the Lych
Gate, which was close by the little brook--the old entrance--they
were struck with a great awe and a terrified feeling came over them,
for they heard a peculiar sound coming, as it were, from the direction
of the Church. They stood, listened, and looked at each other in mute
astonishment, and Enos's hair stood on end. The sound became plainer:
it was like the sound of a sexton digging or opening a grave inside
the Church, as was often the custom in those days. Enos trembled,
and became as pale as death; whilst the clergyman, who was a tall
strongly built man, entered the churchyard, and stealthily went to
listen at the west door. He could distinctly hear a man digging a
grave. Mr. Jones soon found that an entrance had been made into the
Church through one of the north side windows. Re-tracing his steps to
Enos, who was still standing on the road by the brook, his attention
was directed to a young girl coming down the steep pathway over Cae
Burdudd--'the field of carnage'--the field where the mound is.
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