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Cryd Tudno

Rocking Stone

<b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by thesweetcheatImage © A. Brookes (25.4.2018)
Also known as:
  • Maen Sigl
  • St Tudno's Cradle

Nearest Town:Llandudno (0km NE)
OS Ref (GB):   SH779829 / Sheet: 115
Latitude:53° 19' 42.8" N
Longitude:   3° 50' 0.98" W

Added by baza


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<b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by thesweetcheat <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by postman <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by postman <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by postman <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by postman <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by postman <b>Cryd Tudno</b>Posted by baza

Fieldnotes

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Just like the town in which it resides, this stone don't rock no more. Well it's either that or i'm not as innocent as I'd hoped. The rockless rocking stone is situated on the western side of Pen y Dinas hillfort, it's about six feet long by two feet high. It has a worn metal plaque proclaiming in English and Welsh only it's name, like a boy after school whose friends parents came and went long ago, the stone sits by the edge, lost and forgotten, poor thing. A poor thing it might be , but it still sits and watches over the north end of Llandudno and after my close encounter with two young foxes, I sit upon the rockless rocking stone and forget for a while about everything even the fact that i'm sitting in a hillfort. A good place to sit and watch, bring your binoculars. postman Posted by postman
21st June 2012ce
Edited 21st June 2012ce

Folklore

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On the Southern slopes of the Orme, overlooking the town of Llandudno, there is an area known as Pen Dinas, where are the remains of a prehistoric settlement. Close by, on the edge of a precipice, lies a large rectangular stone. It is known as the Rocking Stone and a metal plaque may be seen attached to the stone, to this effect. Legend tells us that the Druids used the Rocking Stone as a means of proving the guilt or innocence of criminals. The poor, trembling creature was made to stand on the stone. If the accused was able to make it rock, they were deemed to be innocent, but if the stone stood firm, the guilty wretch was thrown over the cliff to be broken on the rocks below. There are many sources for this story, some saying that the stone still rocks and others insisting that it will not move. Could it be that the stone still possesses the power to judge guilt or innocence?
From Eve Parry's 'Mysterious Mountain' article
http://www.ldsts.co.uk/id145.htm
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
3rd October 2005ce
Edited 3rd October 2005ce

[A] stone on Orme's Head is known as Cryd Tudno, or Tudno's Cradle. It is supposed to have been a rocking-stone, but has long since been dismounted. People said two centuries ago that if any mothers wanted their children to learn to walk quickly, they should put their babes to crawl three times in succession once a week around the cradle of Tudno.
From Marie Trevelyan's "Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales", published in 1909 and online at V Wales:
http://www.red4.co.uk/Folklore/trevelyan.htm

She mentions another stone linked to the saint, otherwise known as 'Hogalen Tudno':
The whetstone of St. Tudno, near the ancient oratory on Great Orme's Head, was included among the thirteen curiosities of the Isle of Britain. It was said that if the sword of a brave man were sharpened on it, anybody wounded thereby would surely die; but if the sword of a coward were sharpened on it, the blade would hurt, and not kill.

Is this a handy confusion with the whetstone of Tudwal Tudclud? which is mentioned as being one of the thirteen precious things in the basket of Gwyddneu Garanhir (see Lady's Guest's Mabinogion notes at http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/mab17.htm)
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
11th May 2005ce
Edited 11th May 2005ce

Miscellaneous

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The Youth of Today. They're always to blame. If only there'd been a notice to request they didn't climb on the stone.
On visiting Llandudno about a year ago, after ten years' absence, I was disgusted to find that the rocking-stone, which I often moved with one finger*, had been thrown off its balance, of course by some of the fast young "gents," many of whom I saw exhibiting their graces on the Esplanade. It is no credit to the "Llandudno Improvement Company " that such a wanton piece of mischief should have occurred, or, having occurred, that means were not taken to replace the stone, as in the case of the famous Cornish Logan.
CYWBH.
Taken from a letter to Notes and Queries, December 18, 1869.

*It was all right for him to touch it of course, because he was doing it in a careful and appreciative way. Ah how the discussion continues 130 years+ down the line...
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
19th August 2006ce
Edited 19th August 2006ce