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
How early the practice of enclosures near the Churches or Monasteries
for burial of the dead began in Wales is quite uncertain. It seems that
the practice was introduced into England by Archbishop Cuthbert about
750; but the origin of Churchyards in Wales was of a much earlier date,
in all probability about two or three hundred years earlier than in
England. Some of the best authorities assert that a few (but few only)
of the Welsh Parish Churches and consecrated Churchyards can be traced
to the days of St. Garmon, or Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre, who paid
two visits to this country about A.D. 429, and 447 respectively. It is
possible that there were few Christians in Britain even in the first
century; but Parochial Churches did not belong to the earlier ages of
Christianity, and the clergy lived in towns, and undertook missionary
journeys about the country, under the direction of their bishops.
Prior to the introduction of enclosures round Churches for the purpose
of burial, it was customary (as it is in China to-day), to bury on high
places, such as hills and mountains. Cremation had also been practised
as it is evident from the urns for the preservation of the ashes of
the dead, which are being discovered in various parts of Wales, from
time to time. Perhaps the most recent and interesting discoveries
of such urns were those found near Capel Cynon, in Cardiganshire,
containing ashes and portions of small calcined bones. A labourer
named John Davies, came across them accidentally in an old mound on
a hill, whilst working for Evan Thomas, a contractor under the County
Council of Cardiganshire, in digging out stones for road-mending. (See
Archæologia Cambrensis for January, 1905.)
The introduction of Christianity put an end to the practice of
cremation.
Carneddau, or cairns, and tumuli, or mounds of earth, have been
preserved till the present day in different parts of Wales, but
it is to be regretted that many of these interesting monuments of
antiquity, which the Welsh in ancient times erected in honour of
their great men have been destroyed. That Wales has been celebrated
for its Carneddau, is evident from the words of Taliesin, the chief
poet of King Arthur's time, who calls the country "Cymru Garneddog"
(Cairn Wales), and one the most interesting "Carnedd" is what is
known as "bedd Taliesin"--Taliesin's grave, about eight miles north
of Aberystwyth, where, according to tradition, Taliesin himself
was buried.
Such monumental heaps over the mortal remains of the dead were of two
kinds, according to the nature of the country. In stony districts,
a cairn of stones was heaped, but where stones were scarce, a mound
of turf of a circular construction, called tomen (tumulus), was
deemed sufficient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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