Gwyn ap Nudd

Ancient British God & Hero

One wonderful day as the sun rose and the mist departed, Pwyll rode out to hunt with his men and dogs. As the day wore on they entered the great hunting territories of Dyfed. There the dogs chased after a beast with the men hard behind but in the thickness of the forest, Pwyll became separated from his men and grew anxious. It was sometime before he heard the bark of his dogs and then he saw them in hot pursuit of something he couldn’t see.

As Pwyll got closer he was amazed to see the pursued beast was a beautiful white stag. Its movement was fast and deliberate but astonishingly silent. And then the forest cleared and the stag stood still, as if it was waiting.

Pwyll was suddenly surprised to see another pack of dogs was watching them. Behind the stag and on the edge of the forest there were strange looking dogs that had white coats and red ears. Before Pwyll or his pack could move the other dogs had jumped the stag and laid it to the ground. But as this was Pwyll’s land and his hunt he was immediately filled with anger. He ordered his dogs to move forward and the other dogs to move back and eventually he was able to claim his win.

Suddenly the forest appeared filled with the thunder of horses but Pwyll looked to see that it was only one horse that was approaching him. It was huge and grey and the rider was a magnificent man attired in red and black clothing. He appeared as angry as Pwyll had been and accused him of taking his stag. Pwyll was indignant that anyone could accuse him of stealing his own stag, but there was something different about the magnificent stranger as there was about his dogs and the stag! Feeling wary, he instead asked the stranger his name and learned it was Arawn. Pwyll fell to his knee and bowed his head. He had met the Lord of Annwn, the Welsh god of the underworld.

Pwyll’s control of his tongue and temper was observed and respected by the great underworld god. He wanted to give the Lord of Dyfed a special gift and in so doing set him a task. If he was in agreement they would they would exchange each others realms and honour the other. Neither would touch each others wives and Pwyll would fight Arawn’s enemy, who was called Hafgan. There was just something Pwyll needed to know first though. That Hafgan was magically protected. He could be killed but it had to be with a single blow, any more would allow Hafgan to regain his power. Pwyll agreed but wondered how he would know it was Hafgan when he faced him. ‘That is easy!’ Arawn replied. He was due to meet Hafgan in one year from that day at a river ford, the name of which Arawn whispered to him.

In the exchanging of roles for a year and a day, Arawn took on the appearance of Pwyll and he of the great underworld god. No one would have been able to tell the difference between them, not even their wives. They shook hands, patted each other on the backs and then set off to manage each other’s realms.

Pwyll went down deep into the earth into the underworld kingdom of Annwn. The land was green and beautiful, the castle of Arawn's was magnificent and imposing. For a whole year he managed the land, the castle and the people within it with respect. Everyone dressed in the colours of their master and were as noble and dignified. Despite the fact that Arawn’s wife was extremely beautiful he honoured and cared for her, sleeping in the same bed at night but always back to back.

After a whole year the time came for Pwyll to go to the river ford that Arawn had whispered to him. He dressed appropriately for battle and with several knights to accompany him, rode to the appointed meeting place. On his arrival he saw that Hafgan was watching him from the other side. He had his own knights and looked as powerful a lord as Arawn had.

The rules of battle were delivered to each other and in agreement they met in single combat armed only with sword and shield. Battling upon their horses, their hooves kicking up waves of water and tiny stones, the men fought and Pwyll was first to deliver a fatal blow. By all appearance s however it was only a slight wound but as Hafgan fell and Pwyll refused to fight, the lord who hoped to have tricked him to strike at least once more, lost the protection of his magic and died.

Now Pwyll was the lord and master of Hafgan’s men and land, but only as the representative of Arawn. The year and a day had passed and Arawn was able to return to collect his prize. He thanked Pwyll and had him escorted home where Pwyll found his own kingdom had become greater in land, wealth and happiness than he had left it.

There was once a man who thought he was happy, accept for one thing, he didn’t have any gold. He decided he would change that and bought a ring, but it wasn’t enough so he bought more. He finally used all his savings to buy more gold things, but wanting to own one great thing of gold he had it all melted down into a solid gold ingot. And it appeared very beautiful and he thought at last he was happy, but for the fact that now he had so much gold he was afraid someone would steal it! It troubled him and worried him. He was afraid to leave his house and he was afraid to stay in it.

The man continued to worry and failed to sleep until he decided to hide his gold where no one would find it. He went out in the dark one night, found a lonely field and buried it in the middle. At last he felt he could be happy now, but for the fact he now had a secret. It was a secret he struggled with as he didn’t dare share it with anyone. And so as the need to tell his secret grew larger than his need for gold, he decided he couldn’t keep it to himself any longer and went in search of someone he could trust. He packed his bags and went away, thinking that in another country there would be someone safe to talk to.

But there was no one. The man travelled across the world, crossed strange lands and climbed huge mountains. He walked and looked at every stranger’s face but there was no one he could trust. One day he walked into an enormous desert and seeing there was no one around, he dug a hole in the sand, put his face to the hole and said it into who he was, where he live and where he had buried his gold. Then he covered the hole up, left the desert and felt ever so much better. He was free of his secret at last and could begin to enjoy his life again! He was happy!

That night a furious wind blew up which tore up the desert sands and scattered them across half of the world. They blew across Africa and Europe and back over the lands and home where the man lived. And as the wind blew it carried a clear voice that everyone could hear. It told everyone who was listening where the gold could be found, even how deep the hole was where it had been buried. Not surprisingly then when the man returned home he discovered that his gold was gone, that it had been stolen. He was distraught and he was furious, but though he was very, very upset with himself it was mostly because he had wasted so many years caring for an object that had never made him happy. In fact now that he no longer had the gold he began to feel happier again. He was no longer a prisoner of his own fears.

There was once a Welshman who was crossing London Bridge and had in his hand a fine staff of hazel. As he crossed an Englishman asked him where he was from. ‘From my own country" he replied proudly but a bit short so that the Englishman supposed he had offended him. ‘I mean no respect’ he said ‘but if you hear what I have to say and do as I would do, you will be a very rich man.’ He explained that the staff was special. ‘As under it’s tree is buried treasure!’

As the Englishman was a wizard, the Welshman decided to listen and led him to the tree from which the staff had been taken from. The wizard lifted the tree with magic and as the roots tore up the ground, there was revealed a large slab of stone. They lifted it between them and discovered a passage leading into the deep and dark fathoms of the earth. There were stone steps leading down to a stone passageway and above them was a bell hanging from the roof. They carefully went past it and further under the ground until the reached a huge cavern.

The light was dim but as their eyes adjusted they saw the cavern was filled with hundreds of sleeping warriors. One was better dressed than the other warriors as he had a golden crown next to him, but it was what was in the centre of the cavern that was most amazing of all as there were two great piles of gold and silver. The wizard explained to the Welshman that he could take as much treasure as he could carry from either of the two piles but that he could not take them from both. He also warned the Welshman to be careful of the bell on the way out. ‘Because if you ring it, the knights will wake and ask if it is the day. If they do, you must reply; No sleep on!"

The wizard didn’t need the gold or the silver so he left the Welshman to gather as much as he could. Finally, weighed down with so much gold that it was difficult to walk, they began to exit the cavern. The wizard passed the bell easily but the Welshman brushed it with his coat. Immediately a dull peel was released that grew louder until it was thundering through the cavern. One of the warriors stirred and asked "Is it the Day?" but the Welshman replied "No sleep on" and the warrior closed his eyes and resumed his sleep. The wizard and Welshman continued climbing until the entered bright sunshine.

Now the wizard explained that the sleeping warriors were Arthur and his knights. They were in a magical sleep and were waiting for the day when the Black Eagle and Golden Eagle were ready for war. At that moment the bell would ring and the army would defeat all the enemies of the Welsh. The Wizard told him not to waste his gold and then said his farewells before disappearing.

Some years later the Welshman had spent all the gold on a wasteful existence. Now poor and in poor health he decided to ignore what the Wizard had said and went back to the cavern for the rest of the treasure. He easily found the hidden slab and removed it and descending into the deep dark earth again, he found the dimly lit cavern. The sleeping warriors were still there where he had left them. Quickly he filled a sack this time and all of the silver. Taking al that he could he dropped pieces as he tried to re-ascend the steps and as he tried to pass the bell, he hit hard against it Again it rang until the tone deafened the cavern. Again one of the knights awoke and asked if it was the day. However, as the Welshman who had become lazy with the years had lost his memory too, he could not remember what he was supposed to say back. Immediately the warriors all arose and grabbing hold of him, beat him until he was almost dead, allowing him only to live long enough so that he would be a warning to others of not to tempt with fate.

When I was at Walker Primary School in North London, we used to have sewing lessons. We sat in groups of 8, generally with our friends, and as we made something we would chat and tell each other stories. This one was a favourite that I was told was based on a true story:

A couple on their honeymoon were driving from one state of America to another when they heard on the radio that a mad man had escaped the local asylum. Whatever anyone did they were not to approach him but to keep themselves as safe as possible. He was extremely dangerous! The couple drove on and found the territory they were in was getting more dense and wooded. The car was getting low in petrol but they guessed there had to be a petrol station soon so they drove in into what became even thicker and darker. It appeared to be a huge forest with the road cutting through it and though they weren’t exactly lost, they didn’t know where they were or where the nearest petrol station was going to be. The one can they had of petrol had been poured and finally, the car seized to go on any further. It appeared that unless one of them was willing to get help they would not be reaching their hotel that night, the first one of their honeymoon. Naturally the young man told his young wife to lock the car doors and he would be back soon. He took the empty can of petrol and waved to her goodbye. The time passed and hours later there was a strange noise on the car. The woman called out her husband’s name but knew it couldn’t be him as he would have come to the door. And then she was aware that something was on the car and scraping itself up on to the top. It was heavy and on the roof and it began shaking the car from one side to another. The woman screamed and then it went quiet. Silence until the woman heard the first loud thud! She heard it again and again and the noise became louder until it was bangs on the car roof. And though she was screaming considerably now she didn’t dare leave the car being more fearful of what might happen if she tried. And then suddenly there was a bright light in her face and it virtually blinded her. She heard a loud voice, as it was through a megaphone, asking her to leave the car and walk quickly towards what she would discover were police car lights. She was not to look back under any circumstance but to keep walking towards them. She was not to hesitate or be afraid. The woman did as she was told and carefully left the car. She walked immediately towards the numerous police cars but as she felt closer to safety and further away from danger, she looked over her shoulder to see what had been going on. What she saw was still on the car roof what had been used to create the banging was still up there with it. It was the mad man she had heard about on the radio who had escaped from the asylum and clutched in his hands was a large thick stick that on the end of it was her husbands head!

Here are three true ghostly experiences as had by 3 generations of ladies – my grandmother, my mother and myself:

When my grandmother was a young woman, and not a mother yet then herself, she went to meet her husband, my grandfather, at the local railway station. Living in Lancashire, it was a less used station than Manchester’s main station but it had known busier times and was as old as when the railways were built. The two platforms to the railway were linked by a covered bridge that my grandmother thought she would wait in for the train to arrive. It offered the best view but it had also started to rain. As the time moved on she realised that the train she was waiting for was delayed but there was no one around to ask what had happened to it. Then the platforms began to fill with smoke, including the covered bridge where my grandmother was and she began to see people appearing through it who then walked quickly past her as if they had just arrived from a day’s work and were rushing home. She kept herself against the window to give them clear space, but it was only when it had returned to being quiet again that she realised the clothes the people had been wearing were early Edwardian. The next train that came in was her husband’s and it was a diesel. The steam and smoke that she could still smell was that of coal but only train before her husband’s had been diesel too and that was an hour before!

When my mother was a little girl there were fields and a wood at the back of where she lived. Old enough to play outside but too young to go too far away, she was forbidden to go anywhere near a small stream that in winter was an active river. But as hide and seek was the favoured game of that particular day and my mother had run out of the first known places to hide herself, she ventured further away and closer to the stream until she saw she could cross it safely. On the other side of the stream no one would think of looking for her and she kept hidden for almost an hour before those looking for her worried and went for help. Immediately her mother appeared and shouting out her name, ‘Margaret’, indicated to my mother that she was in trouble. Generally she was called ‘Maggie’ but ‘Margaret’ was used before a ‘good telling off’! My mother quickly went home and when her mother learned she had crossed the forbidden stream she was evidently angry, but more surprised as to how my mother had crossed it and not got wet? According to my mother she had crossed a stone bridge where there wasn’t one but, as it turned out, where there used to be one until it got damaged and collapsed into the stream many years before!

There were several witnesses to this including my former husband who I was just beginning to go out with at the time. I had gone to visit him in the Lake District where he was staying with friends of ours in a rented stone house. We were all walkers belonging to the Barnet YHA Group and this was one of the weeks between Christmas and New Year that the Group liked to go away for a few days walking. Anyway, on the last evening, and we were just beginning to relax, some of us were sitting in room and talking and in the centre of where we sat there was a low table to rest our glasses on. Some of us were in arms chairs and others sharing a sofa. One or two were sitting in more upright chairs and all of us were talking about something as was typical of our shared interests …. still talking when the table rose! And that was odd enough but the peculiar bit I remember was thinking ‘This is interesting’ as it was happening but saying nothing, as no one thought to, until it happened again. May be we were just waiting for someone else to say something in case we had only imagined it, but when it did happen again one of us felt encouraged to say, ‘Did you see that …’ and then we all admitted we had. It didn’t rise again and we never found out what may have caused it to, ghosts or a more logical explanation, but we were on the first floor, the table had had glasses of drink on it and there was a mat under the table too. And though I can’t remember if the mat had risen with the table, the fact that we, who saw it, remember the table did rise (twice) was enough for us to log it in our Barnet YHA Newsletter as our ‘Group Mystery’!

Once a small boy was walking to school and dragging his feet along the way. It was the first day back after the holidays and he would rather have stayed and played at home than sit in a stuffy classroom all day. His mother told him to hurry and so he went along even slower. He dropped his head low in the heaviest of sulks and kicked at every stone he could see and couldn’t see. His mother was almost at the point of losing her temper and literally dragging him to school by the ruff of his neck when suddenly his mood changed to one that was much brighter. He even ran past her in the direction of the school but stopped after a few feet to stoop down to the pavement. In the beautiful morning sunshine he had espied a glittering coin, a whole gold sovereign, and as he had found it his mother said he could keep it. He was jubilant, joyous and couldn’t wait to get to school and tell his friends, tell everyone! That day, after school, everyone was looking at the pavement as they walked home, in the hope that they would find a coin too. The boy looked and his mother looked but after some days everyone got tired and looked to do other things, like running, playing and having fun. Everyone but the boy! As the years passed he did nothing but tried to find something for nothing. He was always looking on pavements for money, in the gutters for any valuable item, in the undergrowth for buried treasure! And occasionally he found a shilling or a threepenny bit but little else. As the years passed by some more, his mother died and he was alone. He had never learned a trade, had no skills, qualifications or abilities and knew nothing else than to look in expectation of something that wasn’t there. Those who pitied him gave him money and he lived on what little he was given until he became ill and collapsed to the ground one day. From where he lay he looked up at the sky and heard a small boy next to him ask if he was alright.

“I am now!” He replied as he stared up at the biggest coin he had ever seen. “What is that?” he asked as he tried to reach it but found he couldn’t. The boy told him that it was the sun and that it belonged to everyone. Then the man saw birds for the first time, soft clouds and blue sky and it warmed his heart. ‘It’s all so beautiful!” he said and began to cry.

“I know!” the boy laughed and ran off to play with his friends who were waiting for him.

The man tried to rise. “Wait for me!” He called out, but all the children had gone and left him and so, sadly, had the whole of his life!