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Superstitions

 

Elfed remembered one particular winter when it seemed all the talk on the hearth centred on superstition. Hardly a night went by without stories being told of will-o'-the-wisp, hounds from the netherworld and unnatural apparitions such as a hoofed animal without a head that had been seen by some near the entrance of Pen-y-graig Fawr and of course bogeys of all sorts. He felt that the fairies had descended on the neighbourhood.

 

His mother believed in these superstitions despite his father's constant ridiculing of such matters. Elfed later realised that many of the stories were the creation of fertile minds as there was always an able craftsman available to spin a yarn if there was a ready and gullible audience. At the time Elfed, the young boy, could hardly remove himself from the glow of the fireside to go to bed and its surrounding darkness such was his fright

 

Some half a mile from Pant-y-waun there was a place called Bwlchcydiadau where the road split into two and one road hence wound towards a desolate moorland. One dark Saturday evening a farmer was returning from Carmarthen and was set upon by two tramps near this particular place, was robbed of his money and left to die. However one of the two returned to confirm that he had been killed. The farmer had his wits about him despite the beating and had the presence of mind to hold his breath and feign death as the tramp prodded him.

 

Later, the farmer managed to drag himself to a nearby farm called Parc-y-mynydd and described what had happened to him. On Sunday morning the whole neighbourhood gathered from all directions carrying sickles, scythes, axes, pitchforks and whatever they could lay their hands on including a few guns and dogs in order to track down the two culprits. Following a few hours search the two thieves were found in Nant-y-castell wood. Elfed heard the story told umpteen times and until his dying day he could never go past Bwlchcydiadau without imagining the scene of a man holding his breath lest he should betray he was still alive.

Ryw hanner milltir o'n tŷ yr oedd man a elwid Bwlchcydiadau. Nìd oedd yno dŷ - yn fy nghof i, beth bynnag: dim ond y ffordd yn ymwahanu'n ddwy, ac un ohonynt yn fuan yn cyrraedd rhostir unig. Un nos Sadwrn yr oedd ffarmwr yn dychwelyd o dref Caerfyrddin yn lled hwyr, a'r nos yn dywyll. Ymosodwyd arno gerllaw'r Bwlch, gan ddau grwydryn; wedi lladrata ei arian, ac ar ol ei faeddu’n greulon, gadawsent ef, fel y tybient, yn gorff marw. Wedi ei adael dychwelodd un ohonynt i'w sicrhau ei hun yn fwy pendant ei fod yn farw. Yr oedd y dyn druan yn ddigon ymwybodol ar waethaf y driniaeth, i ddal ei anadl pan ddychwelodd yr adyn, ac i ffugio dyn marw.

 

Wedi rhoddi amser iddynt fyned yn ddigon pell llwyddodd i ymlusgo rywfodd i dŷ ffarm gerllaw – Parc-y-mynydd - ac adroddodd yr hanes. Bore trannoeth - bore Saboth - yr oedd y gymdogaeth i gyd yn ferw gan y newyddion: ymgasglodd y y bobl o bob cyfeiriad, wedi eu harfogi eu hunain â chryman neu bladur neu fwyell neu bigfforch, a dryll neu ddau, a chŵn; ac aed i'r helfa. Buont yn tramwy a chwilio am oriau, a daethpwyd o hyd i'r ddau leidr llofruddiog yng ngallt Nant-y-castell. Clywais adrodd y stori mewn llawer ffurf, yn frawychus ddigon; ac ni allaf hyd heddiw fynd heibio i Fwlchcydiadau heb ddychmygu'r olygfa, a'r dyn mewn ymdrech i ddal ei anadl rhag bradychu nad oedd yn farw.

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