CHAPTER I.

FOLK-LORE

OF

WEST AND MID-WALES

BY

JONATHAN CEREDIG DAVIES

Member of the Folk-Lore Society, Author of "Adventures in the Land

of Giants," "Western Australia," &c.

With a Preface

BY

ALICE, COUNTESS AMHERST.

"Cared doeth yr encilion."

ABERYSTWYTH:

PRINTED AT THE "WELSH GAZETTE" OFFICES, BRIDGE STREET.

1911.

This book is respectfully dedicated by the Author

to

COUNTESS OF LISBURNE, CROSSWOOD.

ALICE, COUNTESS AMHERST.

LADY ENID VAUGHAN.

LADY WEBLEY-PARRY-PRYSE, GOGERDDAN.

LADY HILLS-JOHNES OF DOLAUCOTHY.

MRS. HERBERT DAVIES-EVANS, HIGHMEAD.

MRS. WILLIAM BEAUCLERK POWELL, NANTEOS.

PREFACE

BY

ALICE, COUNTESS AMHERST.

The writer of this book lived for many years in the Welsh Colony,

Patagonia, where he was the pioneer of the Anglican Church. He

published a book dealing with that part of the world, which also

contained a great deal of interesting matter regarding the little known

Patagonian Indians, Ideas on Religion and Customs, etc. He returned

to Wales in 1891; and after spending a few years in his native land,

went out to a wild part of Western Australia, and was the pioneer

Christian worker in a district called Colliefields, where he also

built a church. (No one had ever conducted Divine Service in that

place before.)

Here again, he found time to write his experiences, and his book

contained a great deal of value to the Folklorist, regarding the

aborigines of that country, quite apart from the ordinary account of

Missionary enterprise, history and prospects of Western Australia, etc.

In 1901, Mr. Ceredig Davies came back to live in his native country,

Wales.

In Cardiganshire, and the centre of Wales, generally, there still

remains a great mass of unrecorded Celtic Folk Lore, Tradition,

and Custom.

Thus it was suggested that if Mr. Ceredig Davies wished again to

write a book--the material for a valuable one lay at his door if

he cared to undertake it. His accurate knowledge of Welsh gave him

great facility for the work. He took up the idea, and this book is

the result of his labours.

The main object has been to collect "verbatim," and render the Welsh

idiom into English as nearly as possible these old stories still told

of times gone by.

The book is in no way written to prove, or disprove, any of the

numerous theories and speculations regarding the origin of the Celtic

Race, its Religion or its Traditions. The fundamental object has been

to commit to writing what still remains of the unwritten Welsh Folk

Lore, before it is forgotten, and this is rapidly becoming the case.

The subjects are divided on the same lines as most of the books on

Highland and Irish Folk Lore, so that the student will find little

trouble in tracing the resemblance, or otherwise, of the Folk Lore

in Wales with that of the two sister countries.

ALICE AMHERST.

Plas Amherst, Harlech,

North Wales, 1911.

INTRODUCTION.

Welsh folk-lore is almost inexhaustible, and of great importance to

the historian and others. Indeed, without a knowledge of the past

traditions, customs and superstitions of the people, the history of

a country is not complete.

In this book I deal chiefly with the three counties of Cardiganshire,

Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire, technically known in the present

day as "West Wales"; but as I have introduced so many things from the

counties bordering on Cardigan and Carmarthen, such as Montgomery,

Radnor, Brecon, etc., I thought proper that the work should be

entitled, "The Folk-Lore of West and Mid-Wales."

Although I have been for some years abroad, in Patagonia, and

Australia, yet I know almost every county in my native land; and there

is hardly a spot in the three counties of Carmarthen, Cardigan, and

Pembroke that I have not visited during the last nine years, gathering

materials for this book from old people and others who were interested

in such subject, spending three or four months in some districts. All

this took considerable time and trouble, not to mention of the expenses

in going about; but I generally walked much, especially in the remote

country districts, but I feel I have rescued from oblivion things

which are dying out, and many things which have died out already. I

have written very fully concerning the old Welsh Wedding and Funeral

Customs, and obtained most interesting account of them from aged

persons. The "Bidder's Song," by Daniel Ddu, which first appeared

in the "Cambrian Briton" 1822, is of special interest. Mrs. Loxdale,

of Castle Hill, showed me a fine silver cup which had been presented

to this celebrated poet. I have also a chapter on Fairies; but as I

found that Fairy Lore has almost died out in those districts which I

visited, and the traditions concerning them already recorded, I was

obliged to extract much of my information on this subject from books,

though I found a few new fairy stories in Cardiganshire. But as to

my chapters about Witches, Wizards, Death Omens, I am indebted for

almost all my information to old men and old women whom I visited in

remote country districts, and I may emphatically state that I have not

embellished the stories, or added to anything I have heard; and care

has been taken that no statement be made conveying an idea different

from what has been heard. Indeed, I have in nearly all instances given

the names, and even the addresses of those from whom I obtained my

information. If there are a few Welsh idioms in the work here and

there, the English readers must remember that the information was

given me in the Welsh language by the aged peasants, and that I have

faithfully endeavoured to give a literal rendering of the narrative.

About 350 ladies and gentlemen have been pleased to give their names

as subscribers to the book, and I have received kind and encouraging

letters from distinguished and eminent persons from all parts of the

kingdom, and I thank them all for their kind support.

I have always taken a keen interest in the History and traditions of

my native land, which I love so well; and it is very gratifying that

His Royal Highness, the young Prince of Wales, has so graciously

accepted a genealogical table, in which I traced his descent from

Cadwaladr the Blessed, the last Welsh prince who claimed the title

of King of Britain.

I undertook to write this book at the suggestion and desire of

Alice, Countess Amherst, to whom I am related, and who loves all

Celtic things, especially Welsh traditions and legends; and about

nine or ten years ago, in order to suggest the "lines of search,"

her Ladyship cleverly put together for me the following interesting

sketch or headings, which proved a good guide when I was beginning

to gather Folk-Lore:--

(1) Traditions of Fairies. (2) Tales illustrative of Fairy

Lore. (3) Tutelary Beings. (4) Mermaids and Mermen. (5) Traditions

of Water Horses out of lakes, if any? (6) Superstitions about

animals:--Sea Serpents, Magpie, Fish, Dog, Raven, Cuckoo, Cats,

etc. (7) Miscellaneous:--Rising, Clothing, Baking, Hen's first egg;

Funerals; Corpse Candles; On first coming to a house on New Year's

Day; on going into a new house; Protection against Evil Spirits;

ghosts haunting places, houses, hills and roads; Lucky times,

unlucky actions. (8) Augury:--Starting on a journey; on seeing the

New Moon. (9) Divination; Premonitions; Shoulder Blade Reading;

Palmistry; Cup Reading. (10) Dreams and Prophecies; Prophecies of

Merlin and local ones. (11) Spells and Black Art:--Spells, Black

Art, Wizards, Witches. (12) Traditions of Strata Florida, King

Edward burning the Abbey, etc. (13) Marriage Customs.--What the

Bride brings to the house; The Bridegroom. (14) Birth Customs. (15)

Death Customs. (16) Customs of the Inheritance of farms; and

Sheep Shearing Customs.

Another noble lady who was greatly interested in Welsh Antiquities,

was the late Dowager Lady Kensington; and her Ladyship, had she lived,

intended to write down for me a few Pembrokeshire local traditions

that she knew in order to record them in this book.

In an interesting long letter written to me from Bothwell Castle,

Lanarkshire, dated September 9th, 1909, her Ladyship, referring

to Welsh Traditions and Folk-Lore, says:--"I always think that

such things should be preserved and collected now, before the next

generation lets them go! ... I am leaving home in October for India,

for three months." She did leave home for India in October, but sad

to say, died there in January; but her remains were brought home and

buried at St. Bride's, Pembrokeshire. On the date of her death I had

a remarkable dream, which I have recorded in this book, see page 277.

I tender my very best thanks to Evelyn, Countess of Lisburne, for so

much kindness and respect, and of whom I think very highly as a noble

lady who deserves to be specially mentioned; and also the young Earl

of Lisburne, and Lady Enid Vaughan, who have been friends to me even

from the time when they were children.

I am equally indebted to Colonel Davies-Evans, the esteemed Lord

Lieutenant of Cardiganshire, and Mrs. Davies-Evans, in particular,

whose kindness I shall never forget. I have on several occasions had

the great pleasure and honour of being their guest at Highmead.

I am also very grateful to my warm friends the Powells of Nanteos,

and also to Mrs. A. Crawley-Boevey, Birchgrove, Crosswood, sister of

Countess Lisburne.

Other friends who deserve to be mentioned are, Sir Edward and

Lady Webley-Parry-Pryse, of Gogerddan; Sir John and Lady Williams,

Plas, Llanstephan (now of Aberystwyth); General Sir James and Lady

Hills-Johnes, and Mrs. Johnes of Dolaucothy (who have been my friends

for nearly twenty years); the late Sir Lewis Morris, Penbryn; Lady

Evans, Lovesgrove; Colonel Lambton, Brownslade, Pem.; Colonel and

Mrs. Gwynne-Hughes, of Glancothy; Mrs. Wilmot Inglis-Jones; Capt. and

Mrs. Bertie Davies-Evans; Mr. and Mrs. Loxdale, Castle Hill, Llanilar;

Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd, Waunifor; Mrs. Webley-Tyler, of Glanhelig;

Archdeacon Williams, of Aberystwyth; Professor Tyrrell Green,

Lampeter; Dr. Hughes, and Dr. Rees, of Llanilar; Rev. J. F. Lloyd,

vicar of Llanilar, the energetic secretary of the Cardiganshire

Antiquarian Society; Rev. Joseph Evans, Rector of Jordanston,

Fishguard; Rev. W. J. Williams, Vicar of Llanafan; Rev. H. M. Williams,

Vicar of Lledrod; Rev. J. N. Evans, Vicar of Llangybi; Rev. T. Davies,

Vicar of Llanddewi Brefi; Rev. Rhys Morgan, C. M. Minister, Llanddewi

Brefi; Rev. J. Phillips, Vicar of Llancynfelyn; Rev. J. Morris,

Vicar, Llanybyther; Rev. W. M. Morgan-Jones (late of Washington,

U.S.A.); Rev. G. Eyre Evans, Aberystwyth; Rev. Z. M. Davies, Vicar

of Llanfihangel Geneu'r Glyn; Rev. J. Jones, Curate of Nantgaredig;

Rev. Prys Williams (Brythonydd) Baptist Minister in Carmarthenshire;

Rev. D. G. Williams, Congregational Minister, St. Clears (winner

of the prize at the National Eisteddfod, for the best essay on the

Folk-Lore of Carmarthen); Mr. William Davies, Talybont (winner of the

prize at the National Eisteddfod for the best essay on the Folk-Lore

of Merioneth); Mr. Roderick Evans, J. P., Lampeter; Rev. G. Davies,

Vicar of Blaenpenal; Mr. Stedman-Thomas (deceased), Carmarthen,

and others in all parts of the country too numerous to be mentioned

here. Many other names appear in the body of my book, more especially

aged persons from whom I obtained information.

JONATHAN CEREDIG DAVIES.

Llanilar, Cardiganshire.

March 18th, 1911.

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

Dedication III.

Preface V.

Introduction VII.

I. Love Customs, etc. 1

II. Wedding Customs 16

III. Funeral Customs 39

IV. Other Customs 59

V. Fairies and Mermaids 88

VI. Ghost Stories 148

VII. Death Portents 192

VIII. Miscellaneous Beliefs, Birds, etc. 215

IX. Witches and Wizards, etc. 230

X. Folk-Healing 281

XI. Fountains, Lakes, and Caves ... 298

XII. Local Traditions 315

CHAPTER I.

LOVE CUSTOMS AND OMEN SEEKING.

"Pwy sy'n caru, a phwy sy'n peidio,

A phwy sy'n troi hen gariad heibio."

Who loves, and who loves not,

And who puts off his old love?

Undoubtedly, young men and young women all over the world from the

time of Adam to the present day, always had, and still have, their

modes or ways of associating or keeping company with one another

whilst they are in love, and waiting for, and looking forward to,

the bright wedding day. In Wales, different modes of courting prevail;

but I am happy to state the old disgraceful custom of bundling, which

was once so common in some rural districts, has entirely died out,

or at least we do not hear anything about it nowadays. I believe

Wirt Sikes is right in his remarks when he says that such a custom

has had its origin in primitive times, when, out of the necessities

of existence, a whole household lay down together for greater warmth,

with their usual clothing on.

Giraldus Cambrensis, 700 years ago, writes of this custom in these

words:--

"Propinquo concubantium calore multum adjuti."

Of course, ministers of religion, both the Clergy of the Church of

England and Nonconformist ministers condemned such practice very

sternly, but about two generations ago, there were many respectable

farmers who more or less defended the custom, and it continued to a

certain extent until very recently, even without hardly any immoral

consequences, owing to the high moral standard and the religious

tendencies of the Welsh people.

One reason for the prevalence of such custom was that in times past

in Wales, both farm servants and farmers' sons and daughters were

so busy, from early dawn till a late hour in the evening that they

had hardly time or an opportunity to attend to their love affairs,

except in the night time. Within the memory of hundreds who are

still alive, it was the common practice of many of the young men in

Cardiganshire and other parts of West Wales, to go on a journey for

miles in the depth of night to see the fair maidens, and on their

way home, perhaps, about 3 o'clock in the morning they would see a

ghost or an apparition! but that did not keep them from going out at

night to see the girls they loved, or to try to make love. Sometimes,

several young men would proceed together on a courting expedition,

as it were, if we may use such a term, and after a good deal of idle

talk about the young ladies, some of them would direct their steps

towards a certain farmhouse in one direction, and others in another

direction in order to see their respective sweethearts, and this late

at night as I have already mentioned.

It was very often the case that a farmer's son and the servant

would go together to a neighbouring farm house, a few miles off,

the farmer's son to see the daughter of the house, and the servant to

see the servant maid, and when this happened it was most convenient

and suited them both. After approaching the house very quietly, they

would knock at the window of the young woman's room, very cautiously,

however, so as not to arouse the farmer and his wife.

I heard the following story when a boy:--A young farmer, who lived

somewhere between Tregaron and Lampeter, in Cardiganshire, rode one

night to a certain farm-house, some miles off, to have a talk with the

young woman of his affection, and after arriving at his destination,

he left his horse in a stable and then entered the house to see his

sweetheart. Meanwhile, a farm servant played him a trick by taking

the horse out of the stable, and putting a bull there instead. About

3 o'clock in the morning the young lover decided to go home, and went

to the stable for his horse. It was very dark, and as he entered the

stable he left the door wide open, through which an animal rushed

wildly out, which he took for his horse. He ran after the animal for

hours, but at daybreak, to his great disappointment, found that he

had been running after a bull!

Another common practice is to meet at the fairs, or on the way home

from the fairs. In most of the country towns and villages there are

special fairs for farm servants, both male and female, to resort to;

and many farmers' sons and daughters attend them as well. These fairs

give abundant opportunity for association and intimacy between young

men and women.

Indeed, it is at these fairs that hundreds of boys and girls meet

for the first time. A young man comes in contact with a young girl,

he gives her some "fairings" or offers her a glass of something to

drink, and accompanies her home in the evening. Sometimes when it

happens that there should be a prettier and more attractive maiden

than the rest present at the fair, occasionally a scuffle or perhaps

a fight takes place, between several young men in trying to secure

her society, and on such occasions, of course, the best young man in

her sight is to have the privilege of her company.

As to whether the Welsh maidens are prettier or not so pretty as

English girls, I am not able to express an opinion; but that many of

them were both handsome and attractive in the old times, at least, is

an historical fact; for we know that it was a very common thing among

the old Norman Nobles, after the Conquest, to marry Welsh ladies,

whilst they reduced the Anglo-Saxons almost to slavery. Who has

not heard the beautiful old Welsh Air, "Morwynion Glan Meirionydd"

("The Pretty Maidens of Merioneth")?

Good many men tell me that the young women of the County of

Merioneth are much more handsome than those of Cardiganshire; but

that Cardiganshire women make the best wives.

Myddfai Parish in Carmarthenshire was in former times celebrated

for its fair maidens, according to an old rhyme which records their

beauty thus:--

"Mae eira gwyn ar ben y bryn,

A'r glasgoed yn y Ferdre,

Mae bedw mân ynghanol Cwm-bran,

A merched glân yn Myddfe."

Principal Sir John Rhys translates this as follows:--

"There is white snow on the mountain's brow,

And greenwood at the Verdre,

Young birch so good in Cwm-bran wood,

And lovely girls in Myddfe."

In the time of King Arthur of old, the fairest maiden in Wales was

the beautiful Olwen, whom the young Prince Kilhwch married after

many adventures. In the Mabinogion we are informed that "more yellow

was her hair than the flowers of the broom, and her skin was whiter

than the foam of the wave, and fairer were her hands and her fingers

than the blossoms of the wood-anemone, amidst the spray of the meadow

fountain. The eye of the trained hawk, the glance of the three-mewed

falcon, was not brighter than hers. Her bosom was more snowy than

the breast of the white swan; her cheek was redder than the reddest

roses. Those who beheld her were filled with her love. Four white

trefoils sprang up wherever she trod. She was clothed in a robe of

flame-coloured silk, and about her neck was a collar of ruddy gold,

on which were precious emeralds and rubies."

A good deal of courting is done at the present day while going home

from church or chapel as the case may be. The Welsh people are

very religious, and almost everybody attends a place of worship,

and going home from church gives young people of both sexes abundant

opportunities of becoming intimate with one another. Indeed, it is

almost a general custom now for a young man to accompany a young lady

home from church.

The Welsh people are of an affectionate disposition, and thoroughly

enjoy the pleasures of love, but they keep their love more secret,

perhaps, than the English; and Welsh bards at all times have been

celebrated for singing in praise of female beauty. Davydd Ap Gwilym,

the chief poet of Wales, sang at least one hundred love songs to his

beloved Morfudd.

This celebrated bard flourished in the fourteenth century, and he

belonged to a good family, for his father, Gwilym Gam, was a direct

descendant from Llywarch Ap Bran, chief of one of the fifteen royal

tribes of North Wales; and his mother was a descendant of the Princes

of South Wales. According to the traditions of Cardiganshire people,

Davydd was born at Bro-Gynin, near Gogerddan, in the Parish of

Llanbadarn-Fawr, and only a few miles from the spot where the town

of Aberystwyth is situated at present.

An ancient bard informs us that Taliesin of old had foretold the

honour to be conferred on Bro-Gynin, in being the birthplace of a

poet whose muse should be as the sweetness of wine:--

"Am Dafydd, gelfydd goelin--praff awdwr,

Prophwydodd Taliesin,

Y genid ym mro Gynin,

Brydydd a'i gywydd fel gwin."

The poet, Davydd Ap Gwilym, is represented as a fair young man who

loved many, or that many were the young maidens who fell in love with

him, and there is one most amusing tradition of his love adventures. It

is said that on one occasion he went to visit about twenty young ladies

about the same time, and that he appointed a meeting with each of them

under an oak-tree--all of them at the same hour. Meanwhile, the young

bard had secretly climbed up the tree and concealed himself among the

branches, so that he might see the event of this meeting. Every one of

the young girls was there punctually at the appointed time, and equally

astonished to perceive any female there besides herself. They looked

at one another in surprise, and at last one of them asked another,

"What brought you here?" "to keep an appointment with Dafydd ap Gwilym"

was the reply. "That's how I came also" said the other "and I" added

a third girl, and all of them had the same tale. They then discovered

the trick which Dafydd had played with them, and all of them agreed

together to punish him, and even to kill him, if they could get hold

of him. Dafydd, who was peeping from his hiding-place amongst the

branches of the tree, replied as follows in rhyme:--

"Y butein wen fain fwynnf--o honoch

I hono maddeuaf,

Tan frig pren a heulwen haf,

Teg anterth, t'rawed gyntaf!"

The words have been translated by someone something as follows:--

"If you can be so cruel,

Let the kind wanton jade,

Who oftenest met me in this shade,

On summer's morn, by love inclined,

Let her strike first, and I'm resigned."

Dafydd's words had the desired effect. The young women began to

question each other's purity, which led to a regular quarrel between

them, and, during the scuffle, the poet escaped safe and sound.

After this the Poet fell in love with the daughter of one Madog Lawgam,

whose name was Morfudd, and in her honour he wrote many songs, and

it seems that he ever remained true to this lady. They were secretly

married in the woodland; but Morfudd's parents disliked the Poet so

much for some reason or other, that the beautiful young lady was taken

away from him and compelled to marry an old man known as Bwa Bach, or

Little Hunchback. Dafydd was tempted to elope with Morfudd, but he was

found, fined and put in prison; but through the kindness of the men of

Glamorgan, who highly esteemed the Poet, he was released. After this,

it seems that Dafydd was love-sick as long as he lived, and at last

died of love, and he left the following directions for his funeral:--

"My spotless shroud shall be of summer flowers,

My coffin from out the woodland bowers:

The flowers of wood and wild shall be my pall,

My bier, light forest branches green and tall;

And thou shalt see the white gulls of the main

In thousands gather then to bear my train!"

One of Dafydd's chief patrons was his kinsman, the famous and noble

Ivor Hael, Lord of Macsaleg, from whose stock the present Viscount

Tredegar is a direct descendant, and, in judging the character of the

Poet we must take into consideration what was the moral condition of

the country in the fourteenth century.

But to come to more modern times, tradition has it that a young man

named Morgan Jones of Dolau Gwyrddon, in the Vale of Teivi, fell in

love with the Squire of Dyffryn Llynod's daughter. The young man and

the young woman were passionately in love with each other; but the

Squire, who was a staunch Royalist, refused to give his consent to his

daughter's marriage with Morgan Jones, as the young man's grandfather

had fought for Cromwell. The courtship between the lovers was kept on

for years in secret, and the Squire banished his daughter to France

more than once. At last the young lady fell a victim to the small

pox, and died. Just before her death, her lover came to see her,

and caught the fever from her, and he also died. His last wish was

that he should be buried in the same grave as the one he had loved

so dearly, but this was denied him.

In Merionethshire there is a tradition that many generations ago a

Squire of Gorsygedol, near Harlech, had a beautiful daughter who fell

in love with a shepherd boy. To prevent her seeing the young man, her

father locked his daughter in a garret, but a secret correspondence

was carried on between the lovers by means of a dove she had taught

to carry the letters. The young lady at last died broken-hearted,

and soon after her burial the dove was found dead upon her grave! And

the young man with a sad heart left his native land for ever.

More happy, though not less romantic, was the lot of a young man who

was shipwrecked on the coast of Pembrokeshire, and washed up more dead

than alive on the seashore, where he was found by the daughter and

heiress of Sir John de St. Bride's, who caused him to be carried to

her father's house where he was hospitably entertained. The young man,

of course, was soon head and ears in love with his fair deliverer,

and the lady being in nowise backward in response to his suit, they

married and founded a family of Laugharnes, and their descendants

for generations resided at Orlandon, near St. Bride's.

The Rev. D. G. Williams in his interesting Welsh collection of the

Folk-lore of Carmarthenshire says that in that part of the county which

borders on Pembrokeshire, there is a strange custom of presenting a

rejected lover with a yellow flower, or should it happen at the time

of year when there are no flowers, to give a yellow ribbon.

This reminds us of a curious old custom which was formerly very common

everywhere in Wales; that of presenting a rejected lover, whether

male or female, with a stick or sprig of hazel-tree. According to

the "Cambro Briton," for November, 1821, this was often done at a

"Cyfarfod Cymhorth," or a meeting held for the benefit of a poor

person, at whose house or at that of a neighbour, a number of young

women, mostly servants, used to meet by permission of their respective

employers, in order to give a day's work, either in spinning or

knitting, according as there was need of their assistance, and,

towards the close of the day, when their task was ended, dancing

and singing were usually introduced, and the evening spent with glee

and conviviality. At the early part of the day, it was customary for

the young women to receive some presents from their several suitors,

as a token of their truth or inconstancy. On this occasion the lover

could not present anything more odious to the fair one than the sprig

of a "collen," or hazel-tree, which was always a well-known sign of

a change of mind on the part of the young man, and, consequently,

that the maiden could no longer expect to be the real object of his

choice. The presents, in general, consisted of cakes, silver spoons,

etc., and agreeably to the respectability of the sweetheart, and were

highly decorated with all manner of flowers; and if it was the lover's

intention to break off his engagement with the young lady, he had only

to add a sprig of hazel. These pledges were handed to the respective

lasses by the different "Caisars," or Merry Andrews,--persons dressed

in disguise for the occasion, who, in their turn, used to take each

his young woman by the hand to an adjoining room where they would

deliver the "pwysi," or nose-gay, as it was called, and afterwards

immediately retire upon having mentioned the giver's name.

When a young woman also had made up her mind to have nothing further to

do with a young man who had been her lover, or proposed to become one,

she used to give him a "ffon wen," (white wand) from an hazel tree,

decorated with white ribbons. This was a sign to the young man that

she did not love him.

The Welsh name for hazel-tree is "collen." Now the word "coll" has a

double meaning; it means to lose anything, as well as a name for the

hazel, and it is the opinion of some that this double meaning of the

word gave the origin to the custom of making use of the hazel-tree

as a sign of the loss of a lover.

It is also worthy of notice, that, whilst the hazel indicated the

rejection of a lover, the birch tree, on the other hand, was used as an

emblem of love, or in other words that a lover was accepted. Among the

Welsh young persons of both sexes were able to make known their love to

one another without speaking, only by presenting a Birchen-Wreath. This

curious old custom of presenting a rejected lover with a white wand

was known at Pontrhydfendigaid, in Cardiganshire until only a few

years ago. My informant was Dr. Morgan, Pontrhydygroes. Mrs. Hughes,

Cwrtycadno, Llanilar, also informed me that she had heard something

about such custom at Tregaron, when she was young.

It was also the custom to adorn a mixture of birch and quicken-tree

with flowers and a ribbon, and leave it where it was most likely to

be found by the person intended on May-morning. Dafydd ap Gwilym, the

poet, I have just referred to, mentions of this in singing to Morfudd.

Young people of both sexes, are very anxious to know whether they

are to marry the lady or the gentleman they now love, or who is to

be their future partner in life, or are they to die single. Young

people have good many most curious and different ways to decide all

such interesting and important questions, by resorting to uncanny

and romantic charms and incantations. To seek hidden information by

incantation was very often resorted to in times past, especially about

a hundred years ago, and even at the present day, but not as much

as in former times. It was believed, and is perhaps, still believed

by some, that the spirit of a person could be invoked, and that it

would appear, and that young women by performing certain ceremonies

could obtain a sight of the young men they were to marry.

Such charms were performed sometimes on certain Saints' Days, or on

one of the "Three Spirits' Nights," or on a certain day of the moon;

but more frequently on "Nos Calan Gauaf" or All Hallows Eve--the

31st. of October. All Hallows was one of the "Three Spirits' Nights,"

and an important night in the calendar of young maidens anxious to

see the spirits of their future husbands.

In Cardiganshire, divination by means of a ball of yarn, known as

"coel yr edau Wlan" is practised, and indeed in many other parts of

Wales. A young unmarried woman in going to her bedroom would take

with her a ball of yarn, and double the threads, and then she would

tie small pieces of wool along these threads, so as to form a small

thread ladder, and, opening her bedroom window threw this miniature

ladder out to the ground, and then winding back the yarn, and at the

same time saying the following words:--

"Y fi sy'n dirwyn

Pwy sy'n dal"

which means:

"I am winding,

Who is holding?"

Then the spirit of the future husband of the girl who was performing

the ceremony was supposed to mount this little ladder and appear to

her. But if the spirit did not appear, the charm was repeated over

again, and even a third time. If no spirit was to be seen after

performing such ceremony three times, the young lady had no hope

of a husband. In some places, young girls do not take the trouble

to make this ladder, but, simply throw out through the open window,

a ball of yarn, and saying the words:

"I am winding, who is holding."

Another custom among the young ladies of Cardiganshire in order

to see their future husbands is to walk nine times round the house

with a glove in the hand, saying the while--"Dyma'r faneg, lle mae'r

llaw."--"Here's the glove, where is the hand?" Others again would

walk round the dungheap, holding a shoe in the left hand, and saying

"Here's the shoe, where is the foot?" Happy is the young woman who

sees the young man she loves, for he is to be her future husband.

In Carmarthenshire young girls desirous of seeing their future

partners in life, walk round a leek bed, carrying seed in their hand,

and saying as follows:--

"Hadau, hadau, hau,

Sawl sy'n cam, doed i grynhoi."

"Seed, seed, sowing.

He that loves, let him come to gather."

It was also the custom in the same county for young men and young

women to go round a grove and take a handful of moss, in which was

found the colour of the future wife or husband's hair.

In Pembrokeshire, it is the custom for young girls to put under

their pillow at night, a shoulder of mutton, with nine holes bored

in the blade bone, and at the same time they put their shoes at the

foot of the bed in the shape of the letter T, and an incantation is

said over them. By doing this, they are supposed to see their future

husbands in their dreams, and that in their everyday clothes. This

curious custom of placing shoes at the foot of the bed was very

common till very recently, and, probably, it is still so, not only

in Pembrokeshire, but with Welsh girls all over South Wales. A woman

who is well and alive told me once, that many years ago she had

tried the experiment herself, and she positively asserted that she

actually saw the spirit of the man who became her husband, coming

near her bed, and that happened when she was only a young girl, and

some time before she ever met the man. When she was telling me this,

she had been married for many years and had grown-up children, and

I may add that her husband was a particular friend of mine.

Another well-known form of divination, often practised by the young

girls in Carmarthenshire, Cardiganshire and Pembrokeshire, is for

a young woman to wash her shirt or whatever article of clothing she

happens to wear next to the skin, and having turned it inside out,

place it before the fire to dry, and then watch to see who should come

at midnight to turn it. If the young woman is to marry, the spirit

of her future husband is supposed to appear and perform the work for

the young woman, but if she is to die single, a coffin is seen moving

along the room, and many a young girl has been frightened almost to

death in performing these uncanny ceremonies. The Rev. D. G. Williams

in his excellent Welsh essay on the Folk-lore of Carmarthenshire,

mentions a farmer's daughter who practised this form of divination

whilst she was away from home at school. A young farmer had fallen

in love with her, but she hated him with all her heart. Whilst she

was performing this ceremony at midnight, another girl, from mere

mischief dressed herself in man's clothing, exactly the same kind

as the clothes generally worn by the young farmer I have mentioned,

and, trying to appear as like him as possible, entered the room at

the very moment when the charm of invoking the spirit of a future

husband was being performed by the farmer's daughter, who went half

mad when she saw, as she thought, the very one whom she hated so much,

making his appearance.

The other girls had to arouse their schoolmistress from her bed

immediately so that she might try and convince the young girl that

she had seen nothing, but another girl in man's clothes. But nothing

availed. The doctor was sent for, but he also failed to do anything

to bring her to herself, and very soon the poor young woman died

through fright and disappointment.

Another common practice in West Wales is for a young woman to peel

an apple at twelve o'clock, before a looking glass in order to see

the spirit of her future husband. This also is done on All Hallow's

Eve. Sowing Hemp Seed is also a well-known ceremony among the young

ladies of Wales, as well as England.

THE CANDLE AND PIN DIVINATION.

It was also the custom, at least many years ago, if not now, for a

young woman, or two of them together to stick pins at midnight in a

candle, all in a row, right from its top to the bottom, and then to

watch the candle burning and the pins dropping one by one, till the

last pin had dropped, and then the future husband of the girl to whom

the pin belonged, was supposed to appear; but if she was destined to

die single, she would see a coffin.

Another form of Divination, was to put the plates on the dining-room

table upside down, and at midnight the spirit of the future husband

was supposed to come and arrange them in their proper order.

Another custom resorted to in Cardiganshire and other parts in order to

see a future husband, or rather to dream of him, was to eat a hen's

first egg; but no one was to know the secret, and absolute silence

was to be observed, and the egg was to be eaten in bed.

GOING ROUND THE CHURCH.

This kind of divination was perhaps of a more uncanny character

than anything I have hitherto mentioned, and a custom which both

young men and young women very commonly practised, even within the

last 50 years as I have been told by old people. This weird practice

was to go round the parish church seven times, some say nine times,

whilst others again say nine times-and-half, and holding a knife in

the hand saying the while:--

"Dyma'r twca, lle mae'r wain?"

"Here's the knife, where is the sheath?"

It was also the practice to look in through the key-hole of the church

door each time whilst going round, and many people assert to this very

day that whoever performed this mode of divination in proper order,

that the spirit of his or her future wife or husband would appear

with a sheath to fit the knife; but, if the young man or woman was

to die single, a coffin would meet him or her. Mr. John Jones, of

Pontrhydfendigaid, an intelligent old man of 95, with a wonderful

memory, told me that, when a boy, he had heard his mother giving

a most sad account of what happened to a young woman who did this

at Ystrad Meurig in Cardiganshire about the year 1800. She was the

daughter of a public house in the village, and the name of her mother

was Catherine Dafydd Evan. Mr. Jones's mother knew the family well;

some of them emigrated to America.

This young woman was in love with one of the students of St. John's

College, in the neighbourhood, and being anxious to know whether he

was to be her husband or not, she resorted to this uncanny practice

of walking nine times round Ystrad Meurig Church. Around and round

she went, holding the knife in her hand and repeating the words of

incantation, "Here's the knife, where is the sheath?" And whilst she

was performing her weird adventure, to her great alarm, she perceived

a clergyman coming out to meet her through the church door with his

white surplice on, as if coming to meet a funeral procession. The

frightened young woman fell down in a swoon, almost half dead, as she

imagined that the one she met with a surplice on was an apparition

or the spirit of a clergyman officiating at the phantom funeral of

herself, which prognosticated that instead of going to be married,

she was doomed to die.

It turned out that the apparition she had seen was only one of the

students, who, in order to frighten her, had secretly entered the

Church for the purpose. But the poor girl recovered not, and she died

very soon afterwards.

I heard the following story from my mother when I was a boy. A girl

had determined to obtain a sight of her future husband by going round

the parish church nine times at All Hallows' Eve in the same manner

as the young woman I mentioned in the above story, but with more

fortunate results. This also happened somewhere in Cardiganshire or

Carmarthenshire. Just as the young woman was walking round the ninth

time, she saw, to her great surprise, her own master (for she was a

servant maid) coming to meet her. She immediately ran home and asked

her mistress why she had sent her master after her to frighten her. But

the master had not gone out from the house. On hearing the girl's

account, the mistress was greatly alarmed and was taken ill, and she

apprehended that she herself was doomed to die, and that her husband

was going to marry this servant girl, ultimately. Then the poor woman

on her death bed begged the young woman to be kind to her children,

"For you are to become the mistress here," said she, "when I am gone."

It was also a custom in Wales once for nine young girls to meet

together to make a pancake, with nine different things, and share it

between them, that is, each of the girls taking a piece before going

to bed in order to dream of their future husbands.

Another practice among young girls was to sleep on a bit of wedding

cake.

WATER IN DISH DIVINATION.

I remember the following test or divination resorted to in

Cardiganshire only about twelve years ago. It was tried by young

maidens who wished to know whether their husbands were to be bachelors,

and by young men who wished to know whether their wives were to be

spinsters. Those who performed this ceremony were blindfolded. Then

three basins or dishes were placed on the table, one filled with

clean water, the other with dirty water, and the third empty. Then the

young man or young woman as the case might be advanced to the table

blindfolded and put their hand in the dish; and the one who placed

his hands in the clean water was to marry a maiden; if into the foul

water, a widow; but if into the empty basin, he was doomed to remain

single all his life. Another way for a young maiden to dream of her

future husband was to put salt in a thimble, and place the same in her

stockings, laying them under her pillow, and repeat an incantation

when going to bed. Meyrick in his History of Cardiganshire states

that "Ivy leaves are gathered, those pointed are called males, and

those rounded are females, and should they jump towards each other,

then the parties who had placed them in the fire will be believed by

and married by their sweethearts; but should they jump away from one

another, then, hatred will be the portion of the anxious person."

Testing a lover's love by cracking of nuts is also well known in West

and Mid-Wales.

It was also a custom in the old times for a young girl on St. John's

Eve to go out at midnight to search for St. John's Wort in the light of

a glow worm which they carried in the palm of their hand. After finding

some, a bunch of it was taken home and hung in her bedroom. Next

morning, if the leaves still appeared fresh, it was a good omen;

the girl was to marry within that same year; but, on the other hand,

if the leaves were dead, it was a sign that the girl should die,

or at least she was not to marry that year.

THE BIBLE AND KEY DIVINATION.

The Bible and Key Divination, or how to find out the two first letters

of a future Wife's or Husband's name is very commonly practised,

even now, by both young men and young women. A small Bible is taken,

and having opened it, the key of the front door is placed on the

16th verse of the 1st Chapter of Ruth:--"And Ruth said, intreat

me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for

whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge;

thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Some take Solomon's

Songs, Chapter viii., verses 6 and 7 instead of the above verse from

the Book of Ruth. Then the Bible is closed, and tied round with the

garter taken off the left leg of him or her who wishes to know his or

her future wife or husband's initials. A person cannot perform this

ceremony himself; he must get a friend with him to assist him. The

young man must put the middle finger of his right hand on the key

underneath the loop, and take care to keep the Bible steady. Then

the man, who does not consult the future, repeats the above verse or

verses, and when he comes to the appointed letter, that is the first

letter of the future wife's name, the Bible will turn round under the

finger. I was told at Ystrad Meurig, that a few years ago, a young

woman, a farmer's daughter, tried this Bible and key divination;

and whilst the ceremony was going on, and her sister assisting her

to hold the key under the Bible and repeating the words, instead

of the book turning round as she expected, she saw a coffin moving

along the room, which was a sign that she was doomed to die single;

and so it came to pass! The farmhouse where this young woman lived is

situated in the neighbourhood of Strata Florida, Cardiganshire; but I

do not wish to name the house. I have myself once or twice witnessed

this divination practised, but I never heard of a coffin appearing,

except in the case of the young woman just mentioned.

DIVINATION BY THE TEA-CUP.

Tea-cup divination is also very much practised by young girls in

Wales in order to find out some future events concerning love affairs,

future husbands, etc. There was a woman, who only died a few years ago,

in the parish of Llandyssul, near a small village called Pontshan in

Cardiganshire, who was considered an expert in the art of fortune

telling by a tea cup, at least young women and young men thought

so, and many of them resorted to her, especially those who were in

love or intending to marry. There was another one near Llandovery

in Carmarthenshire, and there are a few even at present to whom the

maidens go for consultation.

But Welsh women, who are so fond of tea, can find out many things

themselves by means of the tea cup without resorting to those who are

considered experts in the art. When several of them meet together to

tea they help one another in divining their cups, and tea drinking

or sipping is the order of the day among the females of Wales. After

having emptied the cup, it is turned round three times in the left

hand, so that the tea-leaves may cover the surface of the whole

cup. Then the cup is placed in the saucer, bottom upwards, to drain,

for a few minutes before inspection. If the leaves are scattered evenly

round the sides of the cup, leaving the bottom perfectly clear, it is

considered a very good sign; but on the other hand when the bottom of

the cup appears very black with leaves, it is a very bad sign: some

trouble or some misfortune is near. When the leaves form a ring on the

side of the cup, it means that the girl who consults is to marry very

soon; but if the ring is at the bottom of the cup, disappointment

in love awaits her, or she is doomed to die single. When the tea

leaves form a cross or a coffin, that also is considered a bad sign;

but as a rule, a horse, a dog, or a bird portends good. Two leaves

seen in close proximity on the side of the cup foretell a letter

bringing good news. When there is a speck floating on the surface

of a cup of tea before drinking, some people say it means a letter,

a parcel, or a visitor, but a young girl takes it to represent her

lover, and she proves his faithfulness by placing the speck on the

back of her left hand, and striking it with the back of her right

hand. Should the speck or the small tea leaves stick to the back of

the left hand and cling or stick fast to the right hand when striking

it, it means that the young man is faithful; but on the other hand,

should it happen that the tea still remain on the left hand where

it was first placed, especially after striking it three times, the

young man is not to be depended upon. Some women can even tell by

means of the tea-cup what trade their admirer follows, the colour of

their future husband's hair, and many other such things.

A lily is considered a most lucky emblem, if it be at the top, or in

the middle of the cup, for this is considered a sign that the young

man, or the young woman who consults, will have a good and kind wife,

or husband, who will make him or her happy in the marriage estate,

but on the other hand, a lily at the bottom of the cup, portends

trouble, especially if clouded, or in the thick.

A heart, especially in the clear, is also a very good sign, for it

signifies joy and future happiness. Two hearts seen together in the

cup, the young man, or the young woman's wedding is about to take

place. Tea-cup divination is well-known all over the Kingdom; and in

the Colonies, especially Australia, it is by far more popular than

in England.

DIVINATION BY CARDS.

Divination by cards is not so much known in Wales as in England,

and this is more popular in towns than country places.