Legend Land, Vol. 1 | Page 8

has been struck; our marriage is ended," said the wife,
now in tears; and with that she started off across the hills to their farm.
There she called together her cattle and other stock, which immediately
obeyed her voice, and, led by the beautiful lady, the whole procession
moved off across the mountains back to the lake.
Among the animals was a team of four oxen which were ploughing at
the time. They followed, too, plough and all, and, they say, to this very
day you may see a well-marked furrow running right across the
Myddfai mountain to the edge of Llyn-y-Fan-Fach, which proves the
truth of this story.
The disconsolate husband never saw his lady again, but she used
sometimes to appear to her sons, and she gave them such wonderful
knowledge that all three became the most famous doctors in that part of
Wales.
Llandovery, from which place you may visit the scenes of this legend,
is a charming little town in East Carmarthenshire, situated in glorious
surroundings of mountains, vale, and moorland, where some of the
finest salmon and trout fishing in South Wales may be enjoyed. It
stands in the beautiful Towy Valley, on a branch line which runs up
into the mountain country from Llanelly. Llandovery is famous for its
air, which is said to be the purest and most bracing in the district.
[Illustration: Landovery Castle]
[Illustration]

ST. DAVID AND HIS MOTHER
St. David, everybody knows, is the patron saint of Wales, but few know
the unique little "village-city," the smallest cathedral city in the United
Kingdom, St. Davids, in the far south-west of Wales; and fewer still the
story of the holy David himself. This story really begins with St.
Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. As the old legends tell, St. Patrick
sailed on his mission to Ireland from the neighbourhood of present-day
St. Davids, and he liked the look of the country so well that many years
afterwards he established there a sort of missionary college known as
"Ty Gwyn," or the "White House," and here on the slopes of Carn Llidi
some of the earliest of the old Celtic holy men and women were
educated.
Among them, some fifteen hundred years ago, was a Welsh Princess
named Non, daughter of Cynyr of Caer Gawch, a powerful chieftain of
the district. Non was as pious as she was beautiful. There were few
maidens in the land who could compare with her.
But on what seemed to be an evil day--although it became really for
Wales a very lucky one--a barbarous chieftain from the north, called
Sant son of Ceredig, espied the rapturous Non picking flowers on a
lonely part of the hillside, and in the manner of those boisterous times
he decided to carry her off and make her his wife. And so despite her
struggles the unfortunate Non was kidnapped.
After some while she managed to escape from her fierce captor and
returned to live in a little cottage on the cliffs just south of St. Davids,
where subsequently a son was born to her. At the time of his birth they
say Non clutched at a stone in the wall of her cottage room, and the
marks of her fingers remained on it for ever. This stone was seen by
many people for years afterwards and was eventually placed over her
tomb.
The little son grew up and was baptised David by a kinsman of Non's,
one St. Ailbe. Like his mother, he was sent to the "Ty Gwyn" to school

and he became a very pious youth. Then he was sent away to the holy
St. Illtyd to be trained as a priest.
His grandfather Cynyr, who was by no means a holy man, growing
remorseful in his old age, was so much impressed by David's piety, that
for the good of his soul he made over to him all his lands, and on this
estate David founded a sanctuary for men of all tribes and nationalities,
and, to mark the privileged ground, he caused a deep trench to be dug,
and traces of this trench you may find to-day known as "The Monk's
Dyke."
Here in his sanctuary the holy David lived his pious, peaceful life for
many years, converting the heathen and performing miracles. And
when at last he died his sorrowing companions built over his grave a
great church to his memory, which years afterwards, when David had
become recognised as a saint, was replaced by the wonderful old
building which stands there now--St. David's Cathedral.
The remains of Non's old cottage on the cliff, which the monks
afterwards turned into a Chapel, may still be seen, and because of her
holy life she also became a saint. Near to the ruined Chapel you will
find, too,