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Penllech Coetan Arthur

Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech

Folklore

"[A]cromlech named 'Arthur's Quoit' is found in Myllteyrn parish, Caernarvonshire (SH22973456). Professor Grooms (1993, pp.118-9) translates the following from Myrddin Fardd (writing in the 19th-century), which is worth repeating for its illustration of the local folkloric traditions surrounding these stones:"
A multitude of tales are told about him [Arthur]. Sometimes, he is portrayed as a king and mighty soldier, other times like a giant huge in size, and they are found the length and bredth of the land of stones, in tons in weight, and the tradition connects them with his name - a few of them have been in his shoes time after time, bothering him, and compelling him also to pull them, and to throw them some unbelievable distance... A cromlech recognized by the name 'Coetan Arthur' is on the land of Trefgwm, in the parish of Myllteyrn; it consists of a great stone resting on three other stones. The tradition states that 'Arthur the Giant' threw this coetan from Carn Fadrun, a mountain several miles from Trefgwm, and his wife took three other stones in her apron and propped them up under the coetan.
Borrowed from Thomas Green, the writer of "A Gazetteer of Arthurian Topographic Folklore" at http://www.arthuriana.co.uk/concepts/folkgazt.htm
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
8th November 2005ce
Edited 5th May 2016ce

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