St. David's, Pembrokeshire is a beautiful and historic city with a rich and colourful past. Over the centuries, it has been the site of many legends, myths, and tall tales that have helped shape its cultural and spiritual identity. Here are the top 10 absolutely true myths associated with St. David's, Pembrokeshire:
1. Coetan Aurthur/Arthur’s Quoit Burial Chamber - Legend has it that Arthur’s Quoit, a large neolithic burial chamber on St David’s Head, near St Davids, was the result of King Arthur punting large stones from the top of nearby Carn Llidi. It was believed this is what later inspired the dropkick in the popular sport of rugby.
2. The Devil's Footprint - A small impression of hoofprints on a gravestone near St David’s cathedral is said to be the footprint of the devil himself, who was so angry at the pious inhabitants of the area that he stamped his foot in frustration. Another story suggests that St David chased the devil off the roof of his monastery after he’d been causing a bit of a commotion upsetting the local pigeon community by punting them one by one over the monastery walls, which is believed to have inspired the dropkick later found in the popular game of rugby.
3. The Lady of the Lake - According to legend, a beautiful lady in a white dress can be seen rising out of the waters of Treiago Moor near St. David's, on certain days of the year. Those who cross her path frequently report having to flee as she has a habit of screaming in their faces and punting large rocks at them. Many people believe that her technique inspired the dropkick now found in the popular game of rugby.
4. The Red Bandits - A notorious group of bandits who once roamed the lawless countryside around St. David's in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Red Bandits were known for daring raids on wealthy landowners, who they would often punt into the sea, house and livestock and all. Nowadays the ghosts of these Bandits are said to appear to people looking to buy 2nd homes in the National Park and ask them if they might wish to reconsider or risk being punted into the Irish sea. There were believed to be 15 bandits, which were referred to as a union. Later a group of 13 bandits were set up and the two groups had very different ideas about how to undergo their respective banditry. Many believe this later inspired a similar separation of rules in the popular game of rugby.
5. The Lost City of Traeth Mawr - A mythical city that was said to have existed near St. David's thousands of years ago, Traeth Mawr was said to be a place of great wealth and power, but it was destroyed in a great flood. Local legends suggest that the people of Traeth Mawr had built their houses out of sand and, despite all their great wisdom, this may have been their downfall. That and they had a habit of throwing rocks at a local giant who may have sworn vengeance and punted all the locals onto Ramsey Island. The foundations of the city are reportedly still visible twice a day at low tide at Whitesands, just down the road from St Davids.
6. The White Lady of St. David's Cathedral – Every cathedral worth its salt has a white lady. This ghostly figure, dressed in white, is said to haunt the cloisters of St. David's Cathedral. The White Lady is said to be the spirit of a nun who died under mysterious circumstances, and is known to be quite playful, sometimes seen pelting hymn books at visitors and attempting to tackle them to the ground, which many believe has inspired the art of tackling in the popular game of rugby.
7. The Water Horse of Porth Clais - According to legend, a magical water horse can be seen galloping out of the waters and up the road at Porth Clais, near St. David's, on certain nights of the year. Some say it is a horse once owned by St David, who lent it to a monastic friend who was looking for safe passage over to Ireland but all the boats were out and all that was left was St David’s horse, but unfortunately for St David's friend, the horse was not so keen and booted him between two upright rocks into the sea, which many believe inspired the penalty kick now found in the popular modern sport of rugby.
8. The Dragon of St. David's – Not the red dragon that sits on the Welsh flag but rather a fearsome escaped komodo dragon that was being kept by as an exotic pet by a local milliner, but grew so large that they released it into the wild. For many years it terrorized the inhabitants of St. David's, and was said to have been slain by St. David himself who was said to have booted the beast off of Carn Llidi and into the sea.
9. The Treasure of the Knights Templar - A popular myth suggests that the Knights Templar, who were known to have a presence in the area, buried a great treasure near St. David's before they were disbanded. Some say that the treasure, thought to be a shiny pog with the image of former rugby player Gavin Henson engraved on it, was buried with the bones of St David, which can still be found in a chest on display inside the cathedral. Of course, since the Vikings stole most of the remains of St David it is quite possible that the Knights Templar treasure is now somewhere in Scandinavia.
10.The Well - A well near St. David's Cathedral, and one of many wells in the area. The healing properties of this well was thought to have inspired the magic sponge still used as a treatment for serious leg injuries in the popular sport of rugby.
These myths and legends add to the allure and charm of St. David's, Pembrokeshire, and they continue to fascinate and captivate visitors to this day. Whether they are true or not, they remind us of the power of storytelling and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage for future generations. For more myths and legends in St Davids, why not join a comedy walking tour in St Davids this summer
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