THE SCENE: Gerald of Wales reminds us that sometime our dreams lead us to great treasure, and sometimes our dreams lead us to… snakes.
THE TEXT: In Dyfed, a rich man dreamed three nights in succession that, if he put his hand in a stone which stuck out above the gushing water of a near-by spring called the Fountain of Saint Bernacus, he would find there a gold torque. On the third day he did what he had been told to do in his dreams. He was bitten in the finger by a viper and died from the wound. It is true that many treasures have been discovered as a result of dreams, and in all sorts of circumstances. It seems to me that dreams are like rumours: you must use your common sense, and then accept some but refuse to believe others.
– A Journey Through Wales, Gerald of Wales, 12th Century AD
