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
St. Teilo died in the year 566, and people of the present day hardly
believe that the relic at Llandilo Llwydiarth is the real skull of
this saint, though the skull in question is a very old one, and only
the brain pan now remains. About five years ago an old man named John
Griffiths, living in the village of Maenclochog, informed me that he
well remembered the time when people came to St. Teilo's Well, from all
parts of the country, for the alleviation of their ailments, "and were
cured" said he, "by faith." The same old man also told me that when a
boy, he and other two boys who were suffering from the whooping cough,
were sent by their mothers early in the morning to drink water from
the well out of the skull. They did so and got rid of their coughs
entirely. I was told by another person in the neighbourhood, that
about seventy years ago, a gentleman from Glamorganshire, drove his
consumptive son in a carriage all the way to Pembrokeshire, to try this
healing fountain of St. Teilo, but arrived home in Swansea without
feeling any better. He had drunk the water from the well, but not
out of the skull. His father took the boy all the way to St. Teilo's
Well a second time, and now made him drink out of the skull, and was
completely cured of his complaint. When I was spending a few weeks at
Maenclochog, some years ago, in quest of information, I accompanied
Mr. Melchior to the well one day, and drank out of the skull. But,
unfortunately, I did not get rid of my cold, from which I was suffering
at the time, but, perhaps, my faith was not strong enough.
THE PRIEST'S WELL.
"There is a well on the Picton Castle Estate, situated near the Red
House Cottages, called the Priest's Well, which the children are
(this was written thirty-five years ago) in the habit of decorating
with mountain ash (or as it is called "Cayer" in the district) and
cowslips on May Day. This is supposed to have the effect of keeping
the witches away from those families who get water from the well during
the year. The children sing over the well while decorating it "Cayer,
Cayer, keep the witches in May Fair."--Bye-Gones, December, 1874.
ST. LEONARD'S WELL.
This well, which is situated in the parish of Rudbaxton, in the
neighbourhood of Haverfordwest, was once much made use of for its
medical properties, especially by those who were suffering from sore
eyes. There was once a St. Leonard's Chapel a short distance from
the well, though St. Leonard was not a Welsh Saint.
The Chalybeate Wells, Gumfreston, Tenby, had a great reputation once
for their healing virtues.
WELLS OF THE FIVE SAINTS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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