Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus!

Just south of Snowdon, in the grey-stoned village of Beddgelert set among the wild mountains of Wales, is the Grave of Gelert. Here, in a beautiful meadow below Cerrig Llan, is a large stone slab lying on its side with two upright slabs which owes its fame to the legend of Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth and his faithful hound.

Llewelyn (1173-1240 CE) was very fond of hunting and in the summer he lived in a hunting lodge at the foot of Snowdon. Although he had many dogs, his favourite was the brave Gelert, his great Irish Wolf Hound, not only a dog fearless in the hunt, but a loyal friend and companion at the fireside.

One fateful day on the hunt, Gelert refused to accompany his master further, but instead he ran howling back to the Lodge. When Llewellyn returned he was met by his dog, bounding to meet him, but splashed with blood around his muzzle. On entering his living quarters, Llewellyn found a scene of confusion with rooms disordered and articles scattered in heaps. Now Llewelyn had a son, barely a year old, and as the prince recalled how Gelert and his little boy used to play together, a terrible thought came to him - he rushed to the nursery only to find his baby son’s cradle was overturned, the bed clothes blood-stained and though he looked frantically for his son, the child could not be found.

Turning to Gelert, whose muzzle was still wet with blood, Llewelyn came into a great rage and cried, "Thou hast killed my only son!", and drew his sword and drove it into the heart of the hound.

Then, as all was silent but for the steady drip of blood onto the stone flag floor, the wail of a baby could be heard. On searching further Llewelyn found his son safe and well, lying next to the body of a large grey wolf. Gelert had killed the wolf whilst defending the baby from attack. Overcome with grief at his hasty action, Llewellyn buried Gelert with all honour and raised a memorial over his grave.

From then on the settlement was known as Beddgelert, meaning "Gelert's Grave"

(the Welsh holidays I *do* remember were mostly in the Harlech / Porthmadog area, with another in Tywyn)

(the Tywyn in Gwynedd, not the one in Clwyd)

Dyfal donc a dyr y garreg.

meaning literally "steady tapping breaks the stone."