The Description of Wales
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Book I
Chapter V
Of the two mountains from which the noble rivers
which divide Wales spring
Wales is divided and distinguished by noble rivers, which
derive their source from two ranges of mountains, the
Ellennith, in South Wales, which the English call Moruge, as
being the heads of moors, or bogs; and Eryri, in North
Wales, which they call Snowdon, or mountains of snow; the
latter of which are said to be of so great an extent, that
if all the herds in Wales were collected together, they
would supply them with pasture for a considerable time. Upon
them are two lakes, one of which has a floating island; and
the other contains fish having only one eye, as we have
related in our Itinerary.
We must also here remark, that at two places in Scotland,
one on the eastern, and the other on the western ocean, the
sea-fish called mulvelli (mullets) have only the right
eye.
The noble river Severn takes its rise from the Ellennith
mountains, and flowing by the castles of Shrewsbury and
Bridgenorth, through the city of Worcester, and that of
Gloucester, celebrated for its iron manufactories, falls
into the sea a few miles from the latter place, and gives
its name to the Severn Sea. This river was for many years
the boundary between Cambria and Loegria, or Wales and
England; it was called in British Hafren, from the daughter
of Locrinus, who was drowned in it by her step-mother; the
aspirate being changed, according to the Latin idiom, into
S, as is usual in words derived from the Greek, it was
termed Sarina, as hal becomes SAL; hemi, SEMI; hepta,
SEPTEM.
The river Wye rises in the same mountains of Ellennith,
and flows by the castles of Hay and Clifford, through the
city of Hereford, by the castles of Wilton and Goodrich,
through the forest of Dean, abounding with iron and deer,
and proceeds to Strigul castle, below which it empties
itself into the sea, and forms in modern times the boundary
between England and Wales. The Usk does not derive its
origin from these mountains, but from those of Cantref
Bachan; it flows by the castle of Brecheinoc, or Aberhodni,
that is, the fall of the river Hodni into the Usk (for Aber,
in the British language, signifies every place where two
rivers unite their streams); by the castles of Abergevenni
and Usk, through the ancient city of Legions, and discharges
itself into the Severn Sea, not far from Newport.
The river Remni flows towards the sea from the mountains
of Brecheinoc, having passed the castle and bridge of Remni.
From the same range of mountains springs the Taf, which
pursues its course to the episcopal see of Landaf (to which
it gives its name), and falls into the sea below the castle
of Caerdyf. The river Avon rushes impetuously from the
mountains of Glamorgan, between the celebrated Cistercian
monasteries of Margan and Neth; and the river Neth,
descending from the mountains of Brecheinoc, unites itself
with the sea, at no great distance from the castle of Neth;
each of these rivers forming a long tract of dangerous
quicksands. From the same mountains of Brecheinoc the river
Tawe flows down to Abertawe, called in English Swainsey. The
Lochor joins the sea near the castle of the same name; and
the Wendraeth has its confluence near Cydweli. The Tywy,
another noble river, rises in the Ellennith mountains, and
separating the Cantref Mawr from the Cantref Bachan, passes
by the castle of Llanymddyfri, and the royal palace and
castle of Dinevor, strongly situated in the deep recesses of
its woods, by the noble castle of Caermarddin, where Merlin
was found, and from whom the city received its name, and
runs into the sea near the castle of Lhanstephan. The river
Taf rises in the Presseleu mountains, not far from the
monastery of Whitland, and passing by the castle of St.
Clare, falls into the sea near Abercorran and Talacharn.
From the same mountains flow the rivers Cleddeu,
encompassing the province of Daugleddeu, and giving it their
name one passes by the castle of Lahaden, and the other by
Haverford, to the sea; and in the British language they bear
the name of Daugleddeu, or two swords.
The noble river Teivi springs from the Ellennith
mountains, in the upper part of the Cantref Mawr and
Caerdigan, not far from the pastures and excellent monastery
of Stratflur, forming a boundary between Demetia and
Caerdigan down to the Irish channel; this is the only river
in Wales that produces beavers, an account of which is given
in our Itinerary; and also exceeds every other river in the
abundance and delicacy of its salmon. But as this book may
fall into the hands of many persons who will not meet with
the other, I have thought it right here to insert many
curious and particular qualities relating to the nature of
these animals, how they convey their materials from the
woods to the river, with what skill they employ these
materials in constructing places of safety in the middle of
the stream, how artfully they defend themselves against the
attack of the hunters on the eastern and how on the western
side; the singularity of their tails, which partake more of
the nature of fish than flesh. For further particulars see
the Itinerary.
From the same mountains issues the Ystuyth, and flowing
through the upper parts of Penwedic, in Cardiganshire, falls
into the sea near the castle of Aberystuyth. From the snowy
mountains of Eryri flows the noble river Devi, dividing for
a great distance North and South Wales; and from the same
mountains also the large river Maw, forming by its course
the greater and smaller tract of sands called the Traeth
Mawr and the Traeth Bachan. The Dissennith also, and the
Arthro, flow through Merionethshire and the land of Conan.
The Conwy, springing from the northern side of the Eryri
mountains, unites its waters with the sea under the noble
castle of Deganwy. The Cloyd rises from another side of the
same mountain, and passes by the castle of Ruthlan to the
sea. The Doverdwy, called by the English Dee, draws its
source from the lake of Penmelesmere, and runs through
Chester, leaving the wood of Coleshulle, Basinwerk, and a
rich vein of silver in its neighbourhood, far to the right,
and by the influx of the sea forming a very dangerous
quicksand; thus the Dee makes the northern, and the river
Wye the southern boundary of Wales.
The Description of Wales
Book I
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Chapter IV
<<< Book I
Contents >>> Chapter
VI
Main
Contents
|
