Britons and Celts
Some Medieval Welsh Jokes
“I have only one thing to hold against her,” he said. “She puts too little butter in her salt.” […]
Britons and Celts
Britons and Celts
Poor Men Sorely Swinked
“Wa-la-wa! that any man should be so moody, so to upheave himself, and think himself above all other men! May almighty God have mild-heartedness on his soul, and give him forgiveness of his sins!” […]
Britons and Celts
Passive Aggressive Class Warfare
“After this they hit on a plan which was really very hard on me. They would go into the streets and lanes and say I had sent them to compel travelers to come in. ” […]
Britons and Celts
Dreams of Merlin
“The Fox will devour its mother and then put on an Ass’s head. Once it has assumed this monstrous guide, it will terrify its brothers and drive them away to Normandy. In that country they will in their turn stir up the tusky Boar. Back they will come in a boat and in that way, they will meet the Fox once more.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Ghostly Reminder of Dark Deeds
“Then, sword in hand, with daring front erect,
Mov’d to the gate, where, to his odd surprise,
The frightful Faudon stood before his eyes,
Holding his bloody head in his right hand.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Noble and Ignoble Outlaw
“It is asserted by the credible relation of many persons, the walls of the church which he had seized and of the adjoining cloister exuded real blood, by which, as it afterwards appeared, was signified, as well the heinousness of his crime as its impending punishment.” […]
Britons and Celts
Perverse Prophesies of Merlin
“The Giant will climb on the Dragon, throw off all his clothes and then ride upon it naked.” […]
Britons and Celts
Dangerous at any Time
“Wallace unmov’d, the impetuous shock sustains,
And awful joy his gloomy brow serenes.
Straight rising to the blow, he aim’d a wound,
And brought his enemy stagg’ring to the ground.” […]
Britons and Celts
The Eternal Rider of the Wild Hunt
“Sir, I can hardly understand your speech, for you are a Briton and I a Saxon; but the name of that Queen I have never heard, save that they say that long ago there was a Queen of that name over the very ancient Britons, who was the wife of King Herla; and he, the old story says, disappeared in company with a pigmy at this very cliff, and was never seen on earth again, and it is now two hundred years since the Saxons took possession of this kingdom, and drove out the old inhabitants.” […]
Britons and Celts
A Revenant Haunts Wales
“Peradventure the Lord has given power to the evil angel of that lost soul to move about in the dead corpse. However, let the body be exhumed, cut the neck through with a spade, and sprinkle the body and the grave well with holy water, and replace it.” […]