The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-10-04
THE CEl.rIc !.rcH":os Of sCNKEN
CATI:D3. q"

There IL n myth common to tho j
Celtic race in many places, a myth :
which tells Of 4 mighty city submerged =
for the wickedncss Of It's inhabitants. ;
In Ireland the waters Of Tough Neagh
are supposed tn cover the yestiges. OF
such a city, and in Wales the Boy OF
Cardigan. But the myth has associ.
atcd itself, in most detail and consist.
ency, with tho Bay Of. Douurnenez. AS =
@ matter Of fact, traccsci lsoman roads
leading from inland to the bay, traces
Of Roman buildings on the Ile Tristan.
and at many points OF the shore near
the town Of Do%uarneneZ, point certain .
~ to an important station which e1-'
listed at this point OF Gaul, and on
ground uron which the SCH has at
least partially c~ncroachcd. These re- !
mains, in Lie days when legends grew,
must have been FIR more conspicuous
than now. Tie popular imagination
seems to have tai en- hold Of them, and
Of the G Lutation OF a certain Gradlon,
who, as far as real History shows, seems
to have hat a historical existence as
count over @ snu!l rvincila ally in the
Black Mountains in tho sixth or sew!
enth century. With these data, andwitR
that national myth Of * ~sublnerged
city in their brains. they have laoh-:
toned a legend like this: "Gradlon
the Great WIS Ring Of all CORNWALL
and had his ca:.'itnidt QnimI'er. When
lie and lis kingdom were converted ny
Saint Corcntin, lie male over the city
of Quimlcr to the government OF that
Saint, and went to i've md rll!o his do,
minions from uautiirr city by the sea-
This city was ca!,c.l Is, uai was one,
Of the mishticst ard gcod!iest IL the
world; but men lived there too riot
ously. It was built on low ground be-,
side the sea, an.l the waters we're Kept
OUT by a pair Of great sIaice-gates OF
which no man hAi ting kcy--a ley OF
rure gold Int the king only. Now
King Gradlon had n daughter, the
Princess Huhrt, and loved her dearly.
But Dahut cared neither tor God nor
man, and was first III all manner q
r~iotousncas and tbs lovers that wer,
brought to Ler nightly she was won't
to murder before dawn, and send the!
bodies to be- fang into a pit far wlth-t
the country. So God was angry against
Dial ut and against that city. And n
lay King GraIlon met Saint Corentiu
Tor cs Others say his disciple Saint
iIuennolei il the forest CT Newt; and
the sain, said to him, beware; for
the wrath If God is about to make IT.
eelf felt against thee and thine" But!
the king took no heed. And one night
after the feast wa over, the foul fend
came in the suise Of q lo"cr to Dahut'
and caressed her rand asked her for the
golden key from about her fathers
neck. And Dahut, went TO her father;
where he slept, aad took the key from
about his neck, and glveitto her lover
And the foul lend vanished away, and
.:aok the key, and turned it; and the
sluice-gatcs were orenedand tho waters
went over the city. Anil King Gradlon
leapt upon his horse, and roGe for life:
and Dahut begged with a great yolce
that he would take her behind him.
And he took her behind him; but the
sea pursued them; and a voice cried,
"Let 60 the Gccursad Il that rides
behind thee" and Dahut's arE!s were
loosened, and she fei!,and w"F drowned,
aud the waters were stayed; anl the
place where she fell is called PoIl'
Nuhut To this day. -CCrnhM.