98 
Davies and Nash (in “ Taliesin”)* about the meaning of the 
poem y Howel ab Owain to which I have referred. He cele- 
brates, to quote Nash's translation, some <( tall and white- 
necked fair of slowly languid gait," whose company he wishes 
to enjoy. If Mr. Nash, who is very decided that this was an 
earthly female, and not a goddess, would but have attempted 
the task of taking a languid young lady — Even in bending 
a rush she would totter, so small, so delicate, so feebly descend- 
ing" f — from Dwygyfylchi up to the Meini Hirion, he would 
have been well- convinced by the task that Howel ab Owain 
had no such intention ; but that he either was or professed to 
be sufficiently “ moonstruck" to think of spending the night 
in observing the “ luminary of splendid qualities and fair" 
which he describes in such romantic terms. 
All this Neo-Bar dism in the twelfth century I conclude to 
have had no real foundation in the belief of the people. It 
was otherwise, however, in the earlier ages of mankind, when, 
as in the days of the prophet Isaiah, the idolaters remained 
among the graves (or tumuli) and lodged in the monuments 
(or hidden places), evidently with the object of obtaining 
some intercourse with the invisible world, J a superstition in 
part described by Sir Walter Scott : — 
“ Brian an augury hath tried 
Of that dread kind which must not be 
Unless in dread extremity. 
The Taghairm called ; by which afar 
Our sires foresaw the events of war,” &c., &c.§ 
The tale of Arthur is mystically connected with the revival 
of Druidism ; and still this association may be traced in the 
language of the country. Thus, in Llan Bendy parish, in Car- 
marthenshire, we find a monument which joins the name of 
Arthur with another name which can only refer to Ceridwen.|| 
We are told^f that the three mighty labours of the Isle of 
Britain were — 1 
Lifting the Stone of Ketti, 
Building the work of Emrys, 
Piling up the Mount of Assemblies. 
* Taliesin , or the Bards and Druids of Britain, 1858. 
f Davies, p. 284. J See Ges. Lex. § Lady of the LaJce, canto iv. 4. 
|| It is called Bwrdd Arthur and Gwdl y vilast. A monument of the 
same kind distinguished by the latter name exists, according to the author 
quoted above, in Glamorganshire, and a third Llecli yr Ast in Cardiganshire. 
Probably many more, as a similar instance was to be found (of the latter 
name) near Llandudno. To explain this would be as tedious as unpleasant, 
as it refers to the transmigrations of Ceridwen. 
•IT Davies, p. 402 (“ W. Arch.” ii., p. 70). 
