Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-13
Welsh Fairies.

| Prophet Jones, the famous Welsh
preacher, had theory of his own car
corning the fairies OF Wales. He said:
"They are the souls OF heatkens who
lived without having heard the means
of grace. aud who. therefore, do not de-
serve 80 severe punishment as bad
Christians. The reason why they are
so numerous and active IN Wales is that
in the eighth and ninth centuries the
| Welsh lost the light Of true Christian
ity, and received Popery instead. This
enabled the fairies To be holder and
more intrusive; and then, in Henry the
Fourth's time, the hard laws which
hinGered the Welsh from educating
their children brought total darkness
on them, and go left them helpless
against such beings. These laws were
enacted after Owen GlyIdwr had failed.
toollshiy thinking his nation could
snake oil tue Saxon yoke before it hai
repentcd OF its sins.
The vale OF Meath, still fairy haunted,
was famous place for fairies IL the
twelfth century. Gerald du Barri (clias
GifHlduS Cainbrensis) tells of the
naughty Elidurus, who, having run
away from school, was lured into fairy
land. He often used to visit the upper
world, and once his mother babe him
bring her present of gold. SO, while
at play with the kings son, he stole
the golden ball and ran off. At his
Threshold, however, two elves tripped
him up; the ball fell, and they seized
it, showing him every mark of con-
tempt; for the fairies, though they have
no form OF public worship, are great
lovers OF truth, and strictly honest.
They are pattern, too, to mortals in
their domestic life. Inconsistency and
intde1ity are unknown. Wife beaters
had better eschew furry wives. One
New Years Eve young farmer of
Myddtai parish, Carmarthen, went to
look for his lambs by the lake called
Llyn y FaA Each, in the Black Noun
tains. On the lake he saw three lovely
girls rowing in a golden boat. They
landed, ami he tried to catch them, but
they always escaped. A wizard told
him to throw in seven loaves and Il
| cheese on Midsummer Eve. He did so,
though to part with fine cheese grieved
him sore. There was no result; but
next New.Year's Eve, in answer to the
same offering, the golden boat appeared,
the girls landed, and let him talk to
them. In fact. he actually ventured to
propose to one of them. I'll marry
you, said she, u" if you can distinguish
me tomorrow from my two sisters"
Fortunately he had noticed peculiar
ity in the strapping of Ler sandal; so
next day she went with him to his farm,
bringing out of the lake seven COWS
and bull for dowry. ~ shall leave
you," she said, "the moment you have
thrice struck me without cause" For
years they lived happily, and her three
sons became the celebrated Meddygon
Myddfai-certain physicians renowned
in the thirteenth century $50 curiously
does bit Of real history mingle with
the oldworld myth. One day they
were at christening. when the wraig
(wife) burst into tears. what are
you making fool of yourself for?"
angrily asked her husband. why
should / not weep? Misery lies before
that poor babe in world of sin and
| sorrow she replied. He pushed her
pcttishly away. ~ warn you, hus-
band" said she, you have struck me
once" Not long after, at child's flu
neral, she laughed and sang, and even
danced. Again her husband was angry,
nor Was he appeased by her explana-
| ton "that the dear child is gone to be
good and happy forever" He struck
her once more. Again, at a wedding,
the bride was young aud fair, the bride
groom decrcpit old miser. Here she
fell a-weeping, "for," said she, >" it is
the davis compact. Youth weds age
for greed, and not for love-" He
thrust her from him in rage. She
looked at him with tender love and re-
proach, saying, 1.-The three blows are
struck: husband, farewell" Her fairy
kline all disappeared with her.
Sometimes the compact takes diff
ferent form. A fairy wife was given by
her father (the only appearance of such
| a parsonage at these weddings) to u
| farmers son of Drws Coed (Oakwood)
the condition being that she should
never be touched with iron. They had
several children, and lived most hap
PLY; but ono day her horse sank in the
deep mire, and as her husband was
| helping her to remount, his stirrup
struck her knee. AT once sweet sing
ing was heard on the hilltop, and she
was parted from him; but though no
longer allowed to walk the earth with
man, she used to haunt the turf-lake
(Llyn y Dwarchen). This lake has
moving islands of tussock-grass, like
Derwentwater and the little lake of st.
Qainlan, near kenmare, in which, an
old man told me. the islands move
mostly about the time of tho great
Church festivals. So on one of these
islands she used to stand for hours, and
hold converse with her husband.
a realistic account of the origin OF
tho lake-maidens is current in the Vale
of Clwyd. The men Of Ardudwy find
ing no suitable wives in their own class,
perhaps being, by tribal usage, limited
to what the ethnologists call exoteric
marriages, carried off a number OF girls.
Their fathers and brothers pursued and
slaughtered tho robbers; whereupon
the girls cast themselves into the 80.
called maidens' lake (Llyn y Morwyn.
ion).
Far less pleasant than sportive elves
(ellyllon) or lake.maidens are the