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
These are five wells or pools in the river, near Llanpumpsaint,
in Carmarthenshire, and I am indebted for the following tradition
concerning them, to old records in the possession of the Rev. Canon
Lloyd, B.D., Vicar of that parish. Llanpumpsaint, of course, means
the "Church of the Five Saints." According to the tradition the five
wells were made use of by the five Saints, and each particular saint
had his particular well. In former times on St. Peter's Day, yearly,
between two and three hundred people got together, some to wash in,
and some to see the wells. In the summer time the people in the
neighbourhood bathed themselves in the wells to cure their aches.
THE HOLY WELL OF LLANFIHANGEL GENEU'R GLYN.
This well is about four miles north from Aberystwyth, in
Cardiganshire. It is situated quite close to the eastern wall of
the Churchyard of Llanfihangel Parish Church. This well has been,
and perhaps still is, held in honour for its curative virtues. It is
surrounded by a small building and within a few years of the present
time, people in search of health took the trouble of coming from
long distances to drink from and to bathe in its waters. When the
Rev. Z. M. Davies, vicar of the parish, and myself, visited the spot
five years ago, a lady living quite close to the well, informed us,
that a short time previously, a crippled girl from Glamorganshire,
who had come there on crutches, was able to walk away without them,
and left them behind.
Ffynnon Francis, is also a well in the Parish of Llanfihangel
Geneu'r Glyn, on a farm called Penuchaf, and it seems that it was
once popularly esteemed, for there is a tradition at Talybont,
that its waters had the power of restoring sight to a blind old man
named Francis.
THE LLANCYNVELYN WELL.
The parish of Llancynvelyn is situated on high ground which juts
out into the bog called Gors Fochno not far from Borth, in North
Cardiganshire. Cynvelyn, to whom the Church is dedicated, was a Welsh
Saint, descended from Cunedda. Within the memory of many people who are
now alive, there was a holy well in the Churchyard of Llancynvelyn,
and the sexton, an intelligent old man, informed me a few years ago,
that its water was thought to possess health-restoring qualities,
and he himself noticed people resorting there to bathe their feet in
the well; and some came with bottles and carried some of the water
home with them as a household remedy.
CANNA'S WELL (CARMARTHENSHIRE).
The parish of Llangan is not far from Whitland. The holy well there,
known as Canna's Well, was much resorted to in former times, as its
water was supposed to cure ague and intestinal complaints. After
throwing a pin into the well, and drink of the water or bathe in
it, it was customary for the patient to sit down in "Canna's Chair"
for a certain length of time and try to sleep. "Canna's Chair" is a
stone. In former times the superstitious believed it had a peculiar
virtue in connection with the well.
ST. ANTHONY'S WELL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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