Rhys and Meinir - a Welsh folk-tale
posted by sooyup
on
Mythology
A sad tale is told of Nant Gwrtheyrn - a deserted village enclosed between the sea and steep cliffs in Gwynedd, the county where Emma and I live. It tells of two lovers, Rhys and Meinir. On the day of their wedding, the young men came to carry the bride to church as was the custom. Meinir, following the ancient tradition, pretended to run away. She hid in a hollow tree, but was unable to extract herself, and could not be found. Rhys became an insane wanderer with only his faithful dog to help him search for his missing bride. Many years later, the tree was split by lightning, and Meinir’s perfectly preserved body fell out. Rhys died of a broken heart and the two lovers were to be buried in the same coffin. Sad to tell, the horse carrying the coffin to Clynnog Church failed to climb the steep hill from the Nant. It plunged into the sea, dragging the cart and the coffin with it. [Incidentally, the village of Nant Gwrtheyrn has been totally restored and is now a centre for the teaching of Welsh.]
A sad tale is told of Nant Gwrtheyrn - a deserted village enclosed between the sea and steep cliffs in Gwynedd, the county where Emma and I live. It tells of two lovers, Rhys and Meinir. On the day of their wedding, the young men came to carry the bride to church as was the custom. Meinir, following the ancient tradition, pretended to run away. She hid in a hollow tree, but was unable to extract herself, and could not be found. Rhys became an insane wanderer with only his faithful dog to help him search for his missing bride. Many years later, the tree was split by lightning, and Meinir’s perfectly preserved body fell out. Rhys died of a broken heart and the two lovers were to be buried in the same coffin. Sad to tell, the horse carrying the coffin to Clynnog Church failed to climb the steep hill from the Nant. It plunged into the sea, dragging the cart and the coffin with it. [Incidentally, the village of Nant Gwrtheyrn has been totally restored and is now a centre for the teaching of Welsh.]
