Welsh Legends - Devil's Bridge

This week I thought I 'd turn to a rather more light hearted tale - the legend of Devil's Bridge. I have featured this before but if you haven't heard it before, I think you'll enjoy it - and if you have, I hope you don't mind me repeating it. It's one of my favourite Welsh legends.

I used to live near a well known beauty spot called Pontarfynach, or Devils Bridge. It is really three bridges, built over a spectacular and beautiful waterfall, which rages down into a deep pool known as the Devils Punchbowl. The first bridge was built by the Monks of Strata Florida, (where the Holy Grail is reputed to have been hidden for a while) in 1075. In the 18th Century it was deemed to be unsafe, and a second bridge was built, over the first. The third bridge being built over that in 1901. I thought it would be nice to share the legend of how the first bridge was built:  

An old woman had a cow of which she was very fond, and which provided her with all the milk she needed. Early one morning she was distraught to find that the cow had somehow managed to cross the river and was now grazing on the bank the other side. The old lady looked at the swirling river and wondered how she would be able to get her cow back. “What the Devil can I do now?” she asked aloud.

At once there was a smell of sulphur and a cloud of thick smoke, out of the middle of which appeared Old Nick himself! “You called?” he smirked. The old lady was made of stern stuff, and after a moment’s hesitation, she explained her predicament. Satan grinned wickedly. “That’s easily sorted,” he said craftily, “I can build you a bridge – but it will cost you.”

“How much?” the old lady asked uneasily. “Oh nothing much, just the soul of the first living thing to cross the bridge,” the Devil stated cunningly, knowing full well that she would have to cross the bridge herself to get her cow.

 “Done!” said the old woman. The Devil waved his arms and there, spanning the falls, was a beautiful new stone bridge. The Devil laughed nastily, “Now for my payment he said smugly. The old lady was not as naïve as she appeared. She put her hand into her apron pocket and drew out a crust of bread which she had put there for her breakfast, and threw it across to the other side of the bridge. Immediately her little dog ran across the bridge and gobbled it up.

Satan knew he had been outwitted, the soul of a dog was of no use to him; he scowled furiously and disappeared in an even bigger cloud of foul smelling black smoke than the first, and was never seen in those parts again. The old woman crossed the lovely new bridge, and having retrieved both her cow and her dog, made her way home, humming softly to herself. The bridge still remains, to this very day. (Although two later bridges have been built above it, and today it has the usual tourist trappings.)

You'll rarely see the Devil in Wales these days, local folk say he's too embarrassed to show his face!

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The Welsh Atlantis

Hello dear readers! I have another Welsh legend for you today - did you know that Wales has its own Atlantis?

The town of Aberystwyth, where I grew up, and lived most of my life, overlooks the beautiful Cardigan Bay, where dolphins and porpoises play with canoeists and surfers.

 According to legend, there was once a prosperous, low lying kingdom, known as Cantre'r Gwaelod, which stretched along the coast where now the waves lap against the sandy shores.The kingdom was a community of merchants and princes and comprised sixteen thriving cities.

In order to protect the kingdom from the sea, a number of steep embankments were built, with gates, or sluices which were only opened if water was needed to irrigate the fields, and kept closed at high tide.

The Prince Gwyddno Garanhir ruled over the land, and he  delegated the working of the sluices to the control of a man called Seithennin,  described as a notorious drunkard. (Probably not the best choice for the job, one thinks.) One night he became so inebriated he forgot to close the sluice gates and the sea poured through, drowning the kingdom which vanished forever beneath the waves of Cardigan Bay.  At times of danger it is said the bells ring out from the ocean's depths. A famous folk song 'The Bells Of Aberdovey' supposedly refers to the legend. 

About seven miles along the coast from Aberystwyth, between the town and Aberdovey, lie the old fishing villages of Borth and Ynyslas, Every winter, after storms have scoured away the surface of the sand, at low tide large areas of peat appear, littered with tree stumps and fallen tree trunks. Radiocarbon dating suggests these trees died about 1500 BC. The remains of the ancient forest were especially evidenta few years ago, when fierce storms swept along the coast, causing much damage and uncovering fresh areas of peat. And in 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar William Owen Pughe reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles off the Cardiganshire coast, between the rivers Ystwyth and Teifi.

So perhaps the idea of a submerged kingdom may be more than just a legend, after all.


I often incorporate snippets of Welsh legends into my writing, and I mention the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod in my  fantasy novella Dancing With Fate, only I use the more ancient name of 'Maes Gwyddno.'

"He’d never known anyone to dance as she did. The way she swiveled her hips had him mesmerized. Her voice was soft and clear, with a haunting quality. It reminded him of the musical bells of Maes Gwyddno, the civilization that now lay drowned beneath the sea. At times of danger, if one listened hard enough, one could hear the bells ringing from beneath the waves."


I  hope you've enjoyed hearing about today's legend.  Do you know any other legends which bear a similarity to 'Atlantis'?

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The Welsh Valentine

                        

Happy 'Valentines' Day! 

However, did  you know that the Welsh Valentine's Day is actually 25th January - St Dwynwen's Day? (Although not too many people celebrate it these days.)

There are several legends about St Dwynwen, this is one of the most popular: Dwynwen was the beautiful daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog. She fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else.

Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. He then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. Dwynwen became a nun, fulfilling her wish to never marry, and left for the island of Anglesey to build a Church. This is referred to as Llanddwynwen, literally meaning 'Church of Dwynwen'.

Isn't that a romantic (if rather sad) story?

The lighthouse and cross at Llanddwynwen

(Picture courtesy of Wikipaedia)

The remains of St Dwynwen's Church today

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The Mouse and the Golden Bowl - a Welsh legend

It's been a while since I posted some of the legends of my home country, Wales, so I thought I'd revisit some of them, for those of you who may  be unfamiliar with these legends.

Dyfed is a county in Wales that used to be called Cardiganshire or Ceredigion and has now reverted back to Ceredigion again! It is the county where I lived most of my life, and is famous for the Welsh ponies and Cobs that are bred there, as well as the Cardiganshire Corgi.

An old legend about Dyfed, goes as follows:

A magical mist descended  Dyfed, and all animals and people perished, apart from Pryderi, Manawydan, Pryderi's wife, Cigfa, and Rhiannon, Manawydan's new wife who was also Pryderi's mother.  They supported themselves by hunting at first, then moved to England where they made a living making saddles shoes, and leather shields, the quality of which was so high the local craftsmen were unable to complete, and threatened to kill them out of jealousy.  Eventually they fled back to Dyfed and became hunters again.

While  hunting a white boar  Pryderi and Manawydan came to a mysterious castle. Pryderi, against Manawydan's advice, ventured inside and did not return. Rhiannon went to find him and eventually came upon Pryderi clinging to a beautiful golden bowl, transfixed and unable to speak. When she tried to help him get free, the same fate overcame her. Another mist descended and the castle disappeared, taking them with it. Manawydan and Cigfa returned to England  but once again were driven away and forced to return to Dyfed and take up farming to grow food for themselves.

They sowed three fields of wheat but the each crop in the first two fields disappeared before it could be harvested. Manawydan kept watch over the third field and realised that mice were responsible for the disappearance of the grain. He caught one and prepared a mouse sized gallows, intending to hang it the next day as punishment.

A scholar, a priest and a bishop in turn offered him gifts if he would spare the mouse but he refused. The bishop said he was willing to pay any price he wanted in return for the mouse's life and at length Manawydan relented and demanded  the release of Pryderi and Rhiannon and the lifting of the curse over Dyfed in return for releasing the mouse. The bishop agreed,  because the mouse was, in fact, his wife. He revealed that his name was Llwyd, son of Cil Coed, the other mice were actually lords and ladies of the court and that he caused the enchantment on Dyfed in revenge for the insult against his friend Gwawl, whom Pwyll, Pryderi's father had humiliated,by tricking him out of a marriage with  Rhiannon. Manawydan handed over the mouse and as agreed, Rhiannon and Pryderi were released from their enchantment and returned, and  Dyfed was restored.

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The Watchers Series by Deirdra Eden

The Watchers is an epic fairytale about finding hope and light during dark times. The story introduces you to a cast of engaging, down-to-earth, yet supernatural characters. There is someone for everyone to identify with and come to love, hate, and recognize in our own modern-day life. The story line leads the audience through epic adventures, young love, challenges, heartache, and very human experiences by otherworldly and apocryphal beings of legend. The mythology of the story is deep, yet easy to understand as it incorporates real historical events, places you can find on Google maps, and documented paranormal encounters from cultures and religions from all over the world. 

Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3SNOqKt 

Deirdra's Blog: https://www.astorybookworld.com/ 

Deirdra's Website: https://www.deirdraeden.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/deirdraeden 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeirdraEdenWatchers/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deirdraeden/ 

 The Watchers is published by Rogue Matter. 

Pst. You can get the first book for free on the publisher’s website. https://roguematter.com/project/the-watchers/ 

Book 7 released 1st December 2023

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 Deirdra Eden is an award winning artist and international bestselling author of The Watchers Series. Captivating audiences of all ages with her novels and fairy tales, her specialty is inspirational epic fantasy. Including documented historical phenomena, natural disasters of biblical proportions, and
eyewitness accounts of the supernatural, she creates a relatable world for the modern reader with inspiring messages of hope. Deirdra enjoys horseback riding through open meadows, swimming in the ocean, hiking up mountains, camping in cool shady woods, climbing trees barefoot, cuddling her kitties, and going on adventures with her family and friends. She is passionate about empowering people and helping them to reach their goals and overcome trials. She believes that we are all meant to be the hero of our own stories.

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The Curse of Moonseed Manor by D. Lieber - review

A haunted hotel. A sceptical photographer. A deadly curse that could cost her everything.

Wren Mabry’s life is a disaster. Her last few years have been rife with tragedy and hardship. So when she’s offered a job at Moonseed Manor, a Gothic revival mansion that’s never welcomed visitors, it seems suspicious. Even so, this is her chance to finally turn her life around.

The gloom that hangs over Moonseed Manor is enhanced by its cold yet alluring owner, Mr. William Courtland Bennings. And the spooky tales of the flirtatious and sexy caretaker, Watt, play up that feeling.

Even though Wren doesn’t believe in ghosts or curses, she’s always had a flair for the darker side. And when she finds a handwritten book of poetry filled with longing, terror, and ghostly revenge, it
reawakens her very soul—or rather the unknown poet does.

Love, death, secrets, and lies await in this gothic romance.

Purchase Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDMFFXJC

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-curse-of-moonseed-manor-d-lieber/1143881252?ean=2940167518445 

Universal: https://books2read.com/u/bOeZ0A

Author Bio – 

D. Lieber has a wanderlust that would make a butterfly envious. When she isn’t planning her next physical adventure, she’s recklessly jumping from one fictional world to another. Her love of reading led her to earn a Bachelor’s in English from Wright State University.

Beyond her skeptic and slightly pessimistic mind, Lieber wants to believe. She has been many places—from Canada to England, France to Italy, Germany to Russia—believing that a better world comes from putting a face on “other.” She is a romantic idealist at heart, always fighting to keep her feet on the ground and her head in the clouds.

Lieber lives in Wisconsin with her husband (John) and cats (Yin and Nox). 

 

MY REVIEW

 

From the moment Wren steps foot inside Moonseed Manor, we experience with her its mystery as well as its elegance and charm, together with a hint of the supernatural which gradually grows as the story progresses.. The rich descriptions of the furnishings and interior drew me in, so that I wished I could experience it for myself. Whilst looking like a typical Gothic manor, Moonseed Manor, sitting on  an island in the middle of a lake, seems like the perfect setting for a hotel with a difference. However, there is an atmosphere about the place - an air of impending doom that gradually surrounds Wren.  Her seemingly rather cold and distant employer, William 'Corrie' Bennings hides a secret which she is determined to discover, while feeling drawn to him as if they somehow have a connection. The other occupants of the house are outwardly friendly and she soon feels at home with them - but can they all be trusted? 

Soon Wren realises that the mansion itself also hides a secret, and wonders if her imagination is playing tricks with her or are there really deadly and vengeful spirits haunting its rooms.

I found this story to be a real page turner, the vivid descriptions brought the mansion and its surroundings to life. Even the furniture is beautifully described in such a way as to make it seem real and authentic, making me feel author either had first-hand experience of this kind of large, ancestral home, or had done a lot of research on the subject. The atmosphere reminded me a little of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and if you enjoy Ms du Maurier's brand of Gothic novel, with a gradually developing romance, I'm sure you will enjoy The Curse of Moonseed Manor.

I gave this story five stars.

  

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