The Legend of Gwybr of Llanrhaeadr
Wales in the UK is home to many legends of dragons, and this enigmatic mythical beast is emblazoned on the national flag... so it was with some excitement that I set out on the long drive to Pistyll Rhaeadr ('Rhaeadr Falls') in the Tanat valley.
As a lifelong lover, and author, of fantasy fiction, the chance to visit such places of legend are an amalgamation of escapism, sensory research and spiritual nourishment.
Stories of legend like that of the dragon Gwybr of Llanrhaeadr are engrained in the landscape, chiselled into the bedrock, and run through the living sap of the ferns and trees.
According to legend, the lake above the falls (called Llyn Luncaws) holds a secret - a serpent with wings called Gwybr of Llanrhaeadr laired within the dark waters.
The ancient legend says that every few days, the dragon would fly down the valley to the village bellow and seize children, women or animals, taking them back to the lake to devour them.
In fear, the people of the village gathered and, as nobody knew how to kill the dragon, a number of them set off to petition the wise woman of the hills walking over mountains for many days. Upon telling her the frightening story she listened in silence, then she bade them sleep whilst she considered the problem.
In the morning, when the villagers awoke, they gathered round her and she explained to them what they had to do. When they got back to the village the men gathered and went to the blacksmith's shop, where they worked day and night creating three giant spiked collars of different sizes. During this time the women of the village gathered all their linen, sewing it together to make a huge sheet and dyed it blood-red.
On the second day, when all was prepared, all the people of the village set off to the tumuli (late Middle English word for a burial mound) and great standing stone in the field at the foot of the valley. Here the men dropped the three spiked collars over the pillar and the women wrapped it in the red linen. Then they then built a circle of firewood round the pillar.
After a warning that the dragon had been sighted on its way down the river, they quickly lit the fire and hid amongst bushes close by to watch. As the dragon approached the village, the ring of fire attracted the great serpent, as it thought it sighted another dragon illuminated by the tongues of flame.
Gwybr of Llanrhaeadr roared in anger and attacked, spearing its breast on the hidden spikes.
Enraged, it attacked over and over, the spikes piercing deeper into its body until blood ran like the river, and it grew weaker. Eventually the dragon collapsed upon the spikes, dying at the foot of the pillar.
A Gentle Walk through Fairy Woodlands and Fells
The falls are literally a minute walk from the carpark, and as you find at most places these days there was a constantly shifting mass of visitors documenting this amazing waterfall with their smartphones 😂
I can hardly complain as we were doing the same, but before taking these pictures I took a moment to stand and drink it in unadulterated by technology.
In the rhythmic thunder of the falls I could hear echoes of the roar of Gwybr of Llanrhaeadr, complimented by the sylvan harmonies of the gentler waters that run down slick rocks and through small pools below the falls.
This language of water is timeless. It is a flowing voice that has run through the collective unconscious of humankind since the beginning, a soothing melody that signals life from the deepest of ancestral memory. I suppose all creatures recognize its cadence as a sign of nourishment, from the tiniest bugs to the most fearsome bears, water means life!
These were the thoughts that were inspired from the music of the falls, when after a time I emerged from my reverie.
The falls are a truly epic sight, and although it doesn't have the volume or the width of Niagara Falls, it is in fact higher than that famous waterfall as Pistyll Rhaeadr encompass a 240ft drop.
After checking out the waterfall we walked up the path that eventually leads to the top of the falls through ancient woodland very typical to the area of North Wales in and around Snowdonia.
These woods are among the few true Celtic rain forests. As we walked through the steep woods the earthy scent of root and ferns enlivened my senses. It literally smelled like growth, and the slow rise of chlorophyll through bud and leaf.
We eventually emerged from the sun-dappled canopy of green to a contrasting environment of a steep moorland path that would eventually lead to the top of the waterfalls.
We decided to stop for lunch near to a bridge and stream overlooking the valley.
A Healing Plunge in the Waters of Pistyll Rhaeadr
After descending from the thistle-kissed fells, alive with the dance of foxgloves, the chirup of crickets and the gurgle of water, I decided to take one last commune with nature.
I brought my swim trunks along with me, and after witnessing the majesty of the falls I really wanted to get a free massage in that tumbling tumult.
The water was cold, but not icy, and after the first 30 seconds fully submerged it started to feel fine. As I've experienced with past cold water immersions, I instantly felt alive, with the blood pumping and rising in the veins to warm my body.
The falling water pummelled my shoulders, slowly easing away any tension through the force of nature. I stayed under the falls for around a minute and half, but moved away quicker than I might have wanted to, as sometimes rocks can be dislodged at waterfalls, and the last thing I needed was to end the day with a head injury.
I swam around on my back for a while afterwards staring up at the falls and marvelling at the unwavering power of nature.
After my plunge I felt so clear of mind... that I decided to reward myself with a coffee and a slice of chocolate orange cake from the cafe near to the carpark 😂
Thanks for joining me on my Wednesday walk 🙂🌿
All of the pictures used in this post are my own, taken today using my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. All media used is made by me using GIMP photo editor (CC license sources).
This post is included on worldmappin.com so that you can find the location if you want to visit Pistyll Rhaeadr (please also see in the comments of this post).
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