Ein brenin a fu, ein brenin a fydd

Legendary  Landmarks

Carn march arthur

SN 651982.  Take the minor road from Aberdovey that turns up steeply into the hills and follow it along the ridge until it terminates near to a small farmhouse, continuing along the signposted footpath on foot.  Alternatively approach from the north by parking at the car park in Cwm Maethlon, passing the farm and climbing moderately along the marked path towards Llyn Barfog where you can turn right along another path for Carn March Arthur.

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Legend

The story goes that in the weed hidden depths of Llyn Barfog (the bearded lake) there once lived a terrible monster known as an afanc.  None today know what this monster looked like although suggestions have ranged from a ferocious crocodilian reptile to a giant carnivorous beaver.  Some say it had the ability to launch poisoned spines with which to slay unwitting passers by.  It is said that tired of the afanc stalking the land and terrorising people and livestock the local folk called upon the young King Arthur for help.  These events may actually have taken place before he was king whilst still a boy in the care of his foster family in north Wales at Caer Gai (the fort of Cai, that is Sir Kay - Arthur’s foster brother).  Arthur came to the lake and in order that he might reach the monster to slay it he threw a great chain around it and contrived to haul it from the lake.  Attaching the other end of the chain to his trusty steed Llamrai Arthur began this terrible tug of war.  Such was the strain that the hoof of his horse sank down into the very rock itself leaving a clear hoof print.  The chain held and rushing down to the lake Arthur quickly drew his sword and slew the beast.

Another version of the story claims that Arthur’s horse made the footprint whislt fleeing from enemies on the other side of the Dovey valley.  Finding himself cornered, Arthur’s only option was a leap of faith across the entire width of the valley.  This imprinted rock is said to mark where his horse landed.

It is said that strange green clad fairy folk used to frequent the area around the lake with white dogs and cattle.  One day a farmer from the nearby village of Dysyrnant obtained one of the cows for himself which bore him many fine calves and much good fortune.  However the greedy farmer sent the cow for slaughter but before the butcher could complete his work a fairy woman dressed all in green appeared and called the cow and all it calves home.  They all disappeared into Llyn Barfog and were never seen again.  Needless to say the farmer’s good luck deserted him from that day onward.

 

There are other stories across Wales regarding the terrible Afanc, including at Bedd Afanc in the Preseli mountains and the tale of Hu Gardan in north Wales.  He too is said to have pulled an Afanc; this time from a river in the Conway Valley with the aid of some mighty oxen, and deposited the beast high up in Snowdonia in a lake known as Llyn Ffynnon Las. 

ARTIST:

The supposed hoof print of Arthur’s horse at Carn March Arthur on the hill above Abertafol and Aberdovey (Aberdyfi).

To contact chris:

E-mail: legendarylandmarks@hotmail.co.uk

Press/Venues: for publicity material click here

Proposed artwork:

The installation will attempt to serve as a monument to both the heroic efforts of Arthur and his horse.  It will consist of a sculptural piece representing the horse’s act of imprinting and the action of pulling itself.  It will take the form of a coil of heavy chain wound around into the form of a cairn and attached at regular intervals with horseshoes.  The idea is to create a visually striking piece that expresses the main elements of the tale.  The whole installation will stand for around a week and be recorded through photographs on the project website along with close up images of the component parts of the work.

Autumn 2006

Chris Collier

The visualization to the right gives an impression of how the installation may look when completed, the size and specific amount of chain used or amount of horseshoes employed may differ from those depicted but it serves to suggest a general impression of the appearance of the final installation.