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 Rev. D. G. Williams gives the following amusing story of such a
race, in connection with a rural wedding which took place not far
from Newcastle Emlyn. There lived a genial old country gentleman
in the north-eastern part of Pembrokeshire, known as Mr. Howells,
Glaspant, who had sent three of his horses to the wedding referred to,
one of them was a pony, considered among the swiftest in the district;
but there was one drawback in connection with the animal. He would
go whichever way he pleased, especially when he was excited. The
wedding procession went along from a house called Gilfach Gweision to
Capel Evan, where the "knot was tied," and as soon as the ceremony
was over the homeward race began in real earnest. The Squire felt
confident that his "Comet," as the pony was named, would be sure to
prove victorious in the race, if the animal could be kept to follow
the road which led on to Cwm Cuch, instead of turning to another road
which led to Mr. Howells' own house, Glaspant. To make sure of this,
the enthusiastic old gentleman in due time, sent all his servants,
both men and women, with walking-sticks and brooms in their hands
to stand where the two roads met, so as to prevent the pony turning
to the one that led to the house. Onward came the wedding cavalcade
at last, the pony taking the lead as Mr. Howells expected, and when
"Comet" saw a rowdy crowd shouting with all their might, and with
brooms and sticks, the animal was glad to pass forward in the right
direction and soon proved himself the hero of the day, and the old
man felt as proud of his pony as the young husband was of his wife.
Another common practice in connection with the weddings in Wales, and
still prevails in some places, was known as Chaining or Halting the
Wedding. As the young husband and wife were driving home from Church
at the end of the wedding ceremony they would find the way obstructed
by ropes stretching the road, covered with flowers, and ribbons, and
evergreens, or sometimes blocked up entirely by thorns. It is said
that this was intended as the first obstacle in married life. Ropes in
some cases were made of straw, and the young couple were not allowed
to pass without paying a footing to the obstructors, and then the
barrier was removed amidst a general hurrah. This chaining or halting
the wedding was known in many parts of West Wales as "codi cwinten,"
or to set up a quintain.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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