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
There is a tradition in the Vale of Aeron that some generations
ago, a man from the neighbourhood of Ystrad, was sentenced at the
Cardigan Assizes, to be hanged for sheep-stealing, or some other such
offence. The sentence, however, was not carried out, as the criminal
was a useful man, particularly so to the Squire who happened to be
the High Sheriff that year. But before the Squire's year of office
had elapsed, urgent inquiries came down from the Government as to the
execution, of which no report had ever reached them. The Squire was so
frightened at the Government's inquiries, that he had the unfortunate
man, who was out in the fields at the time, seized, bound and hanged
on a birch tree. One of the Squire's servants entered a small cottage
and begged an old woman for the loan of her apron, but concealing from
her what he was going to do with it. When the old woman discovered
that her apron was made use of to blindfold the poor man who was so
unceremoniously hanged, she pronounced a curse on the Squire and his
descendants. After this everything went wrong with that Squire.
A STRANGE CARMARTHENSHIRE TREE LEGEND.
There is a fine old mansion in Carmarthenshire, with a very strange
tradition in connection with it. I am not permitted to mention the
name of the place.
Once upon a time there was a certain tree, or rather a bush, in a
field, or in the Park, which bloomed with flowers every Christmas
morning. Christmas after Christmas, when putting forth its blossoms,
the bush made a strange noise, which attracted to the spot large
crowds of people from all parts of the country. At last the selfish
Squire cut down this sacred bush, in order to put a stop to the people
damaging his park; but by doing this rash act he brought upon himself
and his descendants a curse, and his offence has not been expiated
till this day.
MAESYFELIN.
The most popular tradition associated with Lampeter is that known
as the "Curse of Maesyfelin." Maesyfelin was a stately mansion
on the banks of the river Dulas, on the east side of the town of
Lampeter. It was once a place of consequence, and an ancient family
of Lloyds lived there. About the beginning of the 17th Century the
famous Vicar Pritchard of Llandovery, author of "Canwyll y Cymry"
had a son named Samuel. Tradition has it that this young Samuel
was an intimate friend of Sir Francis Lloyd, Knight of Maesyfelin,
who was a wicked man. At last, so the story goes, the two quarrelled
over some love affair, and young Samuel was stifled to death between
two feather beds. The body, tied in a sack and placed on horse-back,
was conveyed over the mountain in the depth of night and thrown into
the river Towy in Carmarthenshire. When the body of his lamented son
was discovered in the river, the broken-hearted father pronounced a
curse on Maesyfelin in the following words:--
"Melldith Duw ar Maesyfelin--
Ar bob carreg, ar bob gwreiddyn--
Am daflu blodau tref Llan'ddyfri
Ar ei ben i Dywi i foddi."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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