Wild Wales: The People, Language, & SceneryBorrow, George
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Wild Wales: The People, Language, & Scenery
Borrow, George
Borrow, George, 1803-1881 -- Travel -- Wales; Wales -- Description and travel
The mount of Owen Glendower stands close upon the southern bank of the
Dee, and is nearly covered with trees of various kinds. It is about
thirty feet high from the plain, and about the same diameter at the top.
A deep black pool of the river, which here runs far beneath the surface
of the field, purls and twists under the northern side, which is very
steep, though several large oaks spring out of it. The hill is evidently
the work of art, and appeared to me to be some burying-place of old.
“And this is the hill of Owain Glyndwr?” said I.
“Dyma Mont Owain Glyndwr, sir, lle yr oedd yn sefyll i edrych am ei
elynion yn dyfod o Gaer Lleon. This is the hill of Owen Glendower, sir,
where he was in the habit of standing to look out for his enemies coming
from Chester.”
“I suppose it was not covered with trees then?” said I.
“No, sir; it has not been long planted with trees. They say, however,
that the oaks which hang over the river are very old.”
“Do they say who raised this hill?”
“Some say that God raised it, sir; others that Owain Glendower raised it.
Who do you think raised it?”
“I believe that it was raised by man, but not by Owen Glendower. He may
have stood upon it, to watch for the coming of his enemies, but I believe
it was here long before his time, and that it was raised over some old
dead king by the people whom he had governed.”
“Do they bury kings by the side of rivers, sir?”
“In the old time they did, and on the tops of mountains; they burnt their
bodies to ashes, placed them in pots and raised heaps of earth or stones
over them. Heaps like this have frequently been opened, and found to
contain pots with ashes and bones.”
“I wish all English could speak Welsh, sir.”
“Why?”
“Because then we poor Welsh who can speak no English could learn much
which we do not know.”
Descending the monticle, we walked along the road together. After a
little time I asked my companion of what occupation he was and where he
lived.
“I am a small farmer, sir,” said he, “and live at Llansanfraid Glyn
Dyfrdwy across the river.”
“How comes it,” said I, “that you do not know English?”
“When I was young,” said he, “and could have easily learnt it, I cared
nothing about it, and now that I am old and see its use, it is too late
to acquire it.”
“Of what religion are you?” said I.
“I am of the Church,” he replied.
I was about to ask him if there were many people of his persuasion in
these parts; before, however, I could do so he turned down a road to the
right which led towards a small bridge, and saying that was his way home,
bade me farewell and departed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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