A Pig Witched

: STORIES OF SATAN, GHOSTS, ETC.

A woman sold a pig at Beaumaris to a man called Dick y Green; she could

not that day sell any more, but the following market day she went again

to Beaumaris. Dick was there waiting her appearance, and he told her

that the pig he bought was bewitched and she must come with him to undo

the curse. Away the woman went with Dick, and when they came to the pig

she said, What am I to do now, Dick? Draw thy hand seven times down
<
r /> his back, said Dick, and say every time, 'Rhad Duw arnat ti,' i.e.,

The blessing of God be on thee. The woman did so, and then Dick went

for physic for the pig, which recovered.







Milk that would not churn, and the steps taken to counteract the

malice of the Witch that had cursed the churn and its contents.





Before beginning this tale, it should be said that some witches were able

to make void the curses of other witches. Bella of Denbigh, who lived in

the early part of the present century, was one of these, and her renown

extended over many counties.



I may further add that my informant is the Rev. R. Jones, whom I have

often mentioned, who is a native of Llanfrothen, the scene of the

occurrences I am about to relate, and that he was at one time curate of

Denbigh, so that he would be conversant with the story by hearsay, both

as to its evil effects and its remedy.



About the year 1815 an old woman, supposed to be a witch, lived at Ffridd

Ucha, Llanfrothen, and she got her living by begging. One day she called

at Ty mawr, in the same parish, requesting a charity of milk; but she was

refused. The next time they churned, the milk would not turn to butter,

they continued their labours for many hours, but at last they were

compelled to desist in consequence of the unpleasant odour which

proceeded from the churn. The milk was thrown away, and the farmer, John

Griffiths, divining that the milk had been witched by the woman who had

been begging at their house, went to consult a conjuror, who lived near

Pwllheli. This man told him that he was to put a red hot crowbar into

the milk the next time they churned. This was done, and the milk was

successfully churned. For several weeks the crowbar served as an

antidote, but at last it failed, and again the milk could not be churned,

and the unpleasant smell made it again impossible for anyone to stand

near the churn. Griffiths, as before, consulted the Pwllheli conjuror,

who gave him a charm to place underneath the churn, stating, when he did

so, that if it failed, he could render no further assistance. The charm

did not act, and a gentleman whom he next consulted advised him to go to

Bell, or Bella, the Denbigh witch. Griffiths did so, and to his great

surprise he found that Bell could describe the position of his house, and

she knew the names of his fields. Her instructions were--Gather all the

cattle to Gors Goch field, a meadow in front of the house, and then she

said that the farmer and a friend were to go to a certain holly tree, and

stand out of sight underneath this tree, which to this day stands in the

hedge that surrounds the meadow mentioned by Bell. This was to be done

by night, and the farmer was told that he should then see the person who

had injured him. The instructions were literally carried out. When the

cows came to the field they herded together in a frightened manner, and

commenced bellowing fearfully. In a very short time, who should enter

the field but the suspected woman in evident bodily pain, and Griffiths

and his friend heard her uttering some words unintelligible to them, and

having done so, she disappeared, and the cattle became quiet, and ever

after they had no difficulty in churning the milk of those cows.



The two following tales were told the writer by the Rev. T. Lloyd

Williams, Wrexham. The scene of the stories was Cardiganshire, and

Betty'r Bont was the witch.



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