Folklore

Twmbarlwm
Hillfort

Perching above Rhisga (Risca) in Gwent, this Iron Age fort crowns the mountain. On the summit, locally known as ‘the pimple’ is an impressive mound – a barrow? Though some people think that it’s part of Norman defences. Whatever, this place has been a favourite spot for a long time, and people still come to look at the view, watch fireworks, dance at the Brecon free festival, and er morris dance.

I was reading Chris Barber’s ‘more mysterious wales’ in which he recounts a story which sounds like a modern version of your classic ‘storm following tampering’ story.

In June 1984 Terry Wilmot was helping to repair the erosion done by walkers and scramble bikes to the mound. He was busy constructing some wooden steps when a long swarm of bees appeared and flew around the heads of him and his team. They were forced to stop work for 20 minutes until the bees had left.
Later, on returning to their van, he found the door half covered with the swarm.

In Wirt Sikes’ book “British Goblins” of 1880, swarms of bees were supposed to be fairies in disguise. There are other stories of people ‘in the distant past’ being disturbed by swarms on Twmbarlum.

Of course, some people (terrible cynics who don’t believe in fairies) would say you’d expect to find bees swarming in June anyway.

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