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
Lady Enid Vaughan, daughter of Countess Lisburne, and sister of the
young Earl of Lisburne, informed me that there is a tradition in
the neighbourhood of Harlech that Charles I. during the Civil War,
was at one time hiding at Gorsygedol, and that the bedstead in which
he slept is still to be seen there. Near the same old mansion is a
large stone known as "Coeten Arthur"--Arthur's coit.
NICK-NAMES, OLD AND POPULAR SAYINGS.
"There is one-half of him in Penboyr."
"Angylion Ceinewydd, Gwartheg Llanarth, Hwrddod Cilcennin." (New
Quay's angels, Llanarth's cows, Cilcennin's rams.)
"Gwyr Llanddeusant, capan crwyn,
Lladron defaid, mamau'r wyn."
(Llanddeusant men, skin caps,
Sheep stealers, lambs's mothers.)
"Moch Sir Benfro."
(Pembrokeshire pigs.)
It is probable that Pembrokeshire was the particular part of Britain
into which pigs were first introduced. In the Mabinogion, Gwydion tells
Math, son of Mathonwy, Lord of North Wales, that Pryderi, Lord of the
South, had some beasts called pigs. Pryderi, though he had a palace
at Rhuddlan Teivi, in Cardiganshire, was a Pembrokeshire Prince, and
it would seem that his chief palace was still at Narberth, and that
he introduced some of his pigs from Pembrokeshire into Cardiganshire.
"Esmwyth yw Cwsg cawl Erfin."
(Easily sleeps turnip broth.)
In the "Cambrian Notes and Queries," reprinted from the "Weekly mail,"
March, 1902, I.H.A. says: "There were two families living in two small
cottages somewhere in a secluded spot on one of the slopes of the Black
Mountain, Carmarthenshire, both in very straitened circumstances. The
paterfamilias' names were John and David. John found a way out of
the difficulty of rearing a family upon the salary earned by farm
labourers in those days by stealing a sheep now and then from the
mountain flocks. His family very often had mutton broth and plenty of
meat for supper while David's family had to sup upon a piece of coarse
bread and turnip broth. Upon a certain night David had enjoyed his
usual repast and gone to bed. Mrs. David had gone to the "next door" to
view the feast, when suddenly two constables of the old fashion, made
their appearance to demand the body of friend John, his depredations
having been found out. Mrs. David was frightened and ran into her
own house. She then called her husband. 'David! David! Come down at
once; they are going to take John of the next door to prison.' 'No,'
says David, 'I will sleep on'--
"Esmwyth y Cwsg cawl erfin."
(Easily sleeps turnip broth.)
The above saying is well-known all over Wales, but in the northern
part of the Principality people say, "Esmwyth y cwsg potes faip." What
is known as "Cawl erfin" in South Wales, is known in North Wales as
"potes faip."
Another similar saying which I have heard many a time is "Esmwyth
cwsg cawl dwr"--easily sleeps water broth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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