It was no dream; or say a dream it
was,
Real are the dreams of gods, and
smoothly pass
Their pleasures in a long immortal dream.
John
Keats
A striking tale from the
Mabinogion featuring Llyn y Fan Fach
The nearby village of
Myddfai claims fame as the birth place of modern medicine and the legend of the
Physicians of Myddfai. Myths about The Lady of the Lake persist from ancient
times and some believe that the Arthurian legend of the famous Lady of the Lake
and Excalibur stem from here.
The Fern Law of Faery: The
Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach
Llyn y Fan Fach (Welsh
meaning Lake of the small beacon-hill) is a dammed lake in the eastern border
of the Black Mountain (Brecon Beacons National Park) in Carmarthenshire, south
Wales. Near to it is found Llyn y Fan Fawr.
A folklore legend is
connected with the lake. In the folk tale, a local young man, son of a widow
from Blaen Sawdde (near Llanddeusant) agreed to marry a beautiful girl who
arose from the lake, on the condition that he would not hit her three times. He
complied easily because the girl was so beautiful, and they were happy for
years putting up a house in Esgair Llaethdy near Myddfai, and bringing up a
family there. The girl had very special cattle, traditionally still kept at
Dinefwr, Llandeilo, and other animals. But over time the man did hit his wife
three times, and she had to go back to the lake according to the promise,
taking the cattle with her. But the mother came back to them to help and
instruct her children, and in particular one called Rhiwallon (in some versions
Rhiwallon is the name of the young man who marries the fairy girl). In due
course Rhiwallon and the other sons went to the court of Rhys Gryg from
Deheubarth where they became famous doctors that are known today as the
Physicians of Myddfai[citation needed]. A number of their medical formulas
remain in the Welsh manuscripts.
It is probable that the
"Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach" was originally a Celtic goddess[citation
needed]. Some elements in the story also relate to Welsh traditions of the
fairies (or Tylwyth Teg in Welsh).
The Physicians of Myddfai.
The “Physicians of Myddfai”
were herbalists in the twelfth century, which was a time of influx of new ideas
and learning that inspired and gave momentum to the Gothic era. Contrary to the
prevalent view that the medieval times were a time of darkness, it was in fact
a period of immense cultural importance, with the first universities being
founded and monastic schools established. A range of new knowledge became
available through translation, including medical texts.
Myddfai was one such centre
that flowered as a consequence of this new knowledge. In about 1177 AD the
Welsh prince Lord Rhys (1132 – 1197) ruler of the kingdom known as Deheubarth
in South Wales was instrumental in sponsoring the monasteries of Talley and
Strata Florida. As the name of the latter - meaning the “Layers of Flowers” –
suggests, these abbeys also flourished as schools and hospitals of herbal
medicine.
One of the most remarkable
facts in the history of the physicians was the establishment of exchanges
between Myddfai and the medical school in Salerno. In the Gothic era Salerno
had gained a pre-eminent reputation as a centre of medical excellence. They
wrote medical advice in the form of a document called the ‘Regimens Sanitas’ a
document which was circulated throughout the abbeys and monasteries of medieval
Europe. Such was the reputation of the Myddfai physicians that personnel and
medicine were freely exchange with those of Salerno. Through this link the
physicians would have had direct access to the medical writings of Hippocrates
and Galen, along with Arabic texts such as those by Avicenna.
Evidence of this exchange,
is found in the many exotic herbs and spices were brought to Wales. For example
aloes, nutmeg, cloves, myrrh, cumin, star anise, mastic, frankincense and
saffron are all mentioned in their recipes of the Physicians of Myddfai.
It is significant that the
Physicians of Myddfai traded, co-operated and gave support to and received
support from fellow physicians in Italy and the Arab lands in the search for
truth and the pursuance of the art of good medicine to help one’s fellow man.
The last descendant of the Physicians of Myddfai was John Jones who died in
1743. The Physicians had practised Herbal Medicine in Myddfai for 500 years in
continuous succession.
More great reading :
Myddfai is the setting for
many tales of myth and legend. One such legend is the story of the Lady of the
Lake.
The Lady of the Lake is the
name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend.
These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting
Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father. Different writers
and copyists give her name variously as Nimue, Viviane, Elaine, Niniane,
Nivian, Nyneve, Evienne and other variations.
A number of locations in
Great Britain are traditionally associated with the Lady of the Lake's abode.
They include Dozmary Pool, Llyn Llydaw, Llyn Ogwen, The Loe, Pomparles Bridge,
Loch Arthur, and Aleines. In France, she is associated with the forest of
Brocéliande.
More can be read HERE
and Here
The use of herbs as cures
for human ailments is as old as modern man, but has now been replaced by
synthetic drugs.
Full text of "The
physicians of Myddvai: Meddygon Myddfai is HERE
Excerpt:
Meddyginiaeth, or mediciDe, numbers as
one of
"the nine rural arts, known and
practised by the
ancient Cjmry before they became
possessed of cities
and a sovereignty ; "* that is,
before the thne of
Prydain ab Aedd Mawr, which is
generally dated
about a thousand years anterior to the
Christian era.
In that remote period the priests and
teachers of the
people were the Gwyddoniaid, or men of
knowledge,
obviously so called from their being
looked upon as
the chief sources and channels of
wisdom.in the land.
It is to these men that the art of
healing is attri-
buted, which they seem to have
practised mainly, if
not wholly, by means of herbs. Indeed
Botanology,
or a knowledge of the nature and
properties of plants,
is enumerated as one of the three
sciences, which
primarily engaged their attention — the
other two
being Theology and Astronomy.
''The three pillara of knowledge, with
which the Gwyddoniaid
were acquainted, and which they bore in
memory from the beginning :
the first, a knowledge of Divine
things, and of such matters as apper-
tain to the worship of God, and the homage
due to goodness ; the
second, a knowledge of the course of
the stars, their names and kinds,
and the order of times ; the third, a
knowledge of the names and use
of the herbs of the field, and of their
application in practice, in
medicuie. and in religious worship.
These were preserved' in the
memorials of vocal song, and in the
memorials of times, before there
were Bards of degree and chair."
It has survived long enough
for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain.
Among the Cymry all branches of
knowledge
were centered indiscriminately in the
Gwyddoniaid
until the time of Prydain. These in his
reign were
divided into three orders, Bards,
Druids, and Ovates.
Some people there may be who are
unwilling to
admit the authority of our native
memorials as to the
•Druidic antiquity of the art of
medicine among the
Cymry. But there exists not the
slightest reason
for any incredulity or doubt on the
subject. On the
contrary, the classical writers of
Greece and Borne,
as soon as they are in a position to
address us,
bear witness in a greater or less
degree to the same
fact, and support the general
correctness of our tra^
ditions. The physical researches of the
Bards and
Druids seem to have caught their
especial attention.
"The soothsayers," says
Strabo, "are sacrificers and
Physiologists. The Druids in addition
to
physiology practise ethic
philosophy." Nature both
external and human — causes and
eflfects— diseases
and their antidotes — all came under
their cognizance,
and in their hands underwent a complete
and prac-
tical investigation. Cicero informs us
that he was
personally acquainted with one of the
Gallic Druids,
Divitiacus the ^duan, a man of quality
in his coun-
try, who professed to have a thorough
knowledge of
the laws of nature, including, as we
may well suppose
the science of medicine.
Pliny enumerates some of the plants
most in
repute among the Britons for their
medicinal proper-
ties. He mentions the mistletoe, and
observes that
in Druidical language it signified * All heal," omnia
sanantem — a name indicative of the
efficacy which it
was supposed to possess; and it is
remarkable, as
corroborative of his assertion, that OU
iach is to this
very day one of the names by which the
plant in
question is known to the Cymry. Nor
does it appear
that its virtues, real or traditionary,
were forgotten
in comparatively recent times. In the
Book of
Howel Veddyg, a descendant of the
celebrated phys-
icians of Myddvai, and which forms the
second part
of the present volume, we are informed
that the
mistletoe was efficacious in cases of
general debility —
nervous complaints — brain fever —
rheumatism — affec-
tion of the heart, liver, bowels,
kidneys, spine-^
epilepsy — ^paralysis — insanity. It
will strengthen the
sight and hearing, and all the bodily
senses — prevent
barreness — and " whosoever takes
a spoonful of the
powder in his ordinary drink once a
day, shall have un-
interrupted health, strength of body,
and manly vigour."
Another plant mentioned by Pliny, is
the selago,*
a kind of club moss, resembling savine,
which^
according to him, the Druids much
admired for its
medicinal qualities, particularly in
diseases of the eyes.
The samolus,f or marshwort, is said
also to have
been greatly used by them to cure their
oxen and swine.
Welsh Botanology comprehends several
plants,
which either by name or tradition, are
associated
with the art of healing, and may be
referred purely
* Lyoopodium Selago, or Upright Fir
Mow.
t Samolus Valerandi, or Water
Pimpernel.
to Druidical times, or at least to
times when the
Bardic College enjoyed the protection
of the state.
Such are the Derwen Vendigaid, or
Vervain, the
symbol of Alban Hevin, as the Mistletoe
was of
Alban Arthan — Arian Cor — Arian Gwion
— Berwr
Taliesin — Bogail Gwener — Boled Olwen
— ^Bronwen —
Cerddinen— Clych Enid— Erbin—Eirin
Gwion— Ffa-
en Taliesin — Golch Enid — Llys y Dryw
— Llys Tal-
iesin — Meillionen Olwen — Pumbys yr
Alban — Ys-
pyddaden, with many others.
‘THE ELEMENTS OF MAN BY TALIESIN."
*'Man consists of eight parts: — the
first is the earthy which is
sluggish and heavy, whence is the
flesh. The second is the stones^
whicn are hard, and these are the
materials of the bones. The third
is watery which^ is moist and cold, and
is the substance of the blood.
Physician, namely Rhiwallon, who was
assisted by
his three sons, Cadwgan, Gruffydd, and
Einion, from a
place called Myddvai, in the present
county of Caer-
marthen, whose rights and privileges,
as enjoined by
law were worthily maintained and upheld
by the prince.
Under his patronage these men made a
collection of
valuable medicinal recipes applicable
to the various
disorders to which the human body was
then subject.
But though this collection bears their
name, we are
not to suppose that all the
prescriptions contained
therein were the result of the studies
and experience
of the Physicians of Myddvai. Some no
doubt had
been in the materia medica of Wales
long before ; a
few indeed may perhaps be traced up to
the time of
Howel the Good, if not to the sixth
century. Such,
however, do not seem to have been
reduced to
writing, until the Physicians of
Myddvai took the
matter in hand, and produced the work,
which is now
for the first time printed.
A knowledge of medicine was preserved
in the
descendants of this femilj, and they
continued to
practice as physicians at Myddvai,
without intermis-
sion, until the middle of the last
century.
The second portion of this volume
purports to
have been compiled by Howel the
Physician, son of
Rhys, son of Llewelyn, son of Philip
the Physician,
a lineal descendant of Einion, the son
of Bhiwallon,
from the Books of the first Physicians
of Myddvai.
The three qualities of water : it will
produce no sickness, no debt,
and no widowhood.
COOLING DRINKS.
§ 14. The three best cooling drinks are
apple water, goafs
whey, and spring water.
WOUND ON THE HEAD.— TREATMENT,
PHYSICIAN^S FK
§ 7. As to a recent blow or fresh wound
on the head, tlie
sooner it is dressed the better, lest
there should be extrava-
sated blood upon the dura mater, and
that it should become
concocted there. When the bone and the
dura mater are
exposed, take the violet and fresh
butter, and pound together.
If the violet cannot be gotten, take the
white of eggs and
linseed, pounding tliein together ; or
fresh butter and lin-
seed, and apply thereto till (the pain
is) assuaged. Then
an ointment should be prepared of
herbs, butter and tallow.
INTERMITTENT FEVERS.
§ 15. Another treatment for an
intermittent fever. Take
the mugwort, dwarf elder, tutsan,
amphibious persicaria,
pimpernel, butcher^s broom, elder bark,
and the mallow,
and boiling them together as well as
possible in a pot, or
cauldron. Then take the water and
herbs, and add them to
the bath. The following is a good
medicine for this class of
diseases : take moss, ground ivy, or
elder, if obtainable,
(if not obtainable, caraway,) and boil
these two vegetable
substances well together. Then take the
mallow, fennel,
pimpernel, butcher^s broom, borage, and
the young leaves
of the earth nut, and bruise them as
well as possible, put-
ting them on the fire with the two
herbs before mentioned,
and boiling them well. This being done,
let elder bark be
taken from that portion of the tree
which is in the ground,
let it be scraped and washed
thoroughly, and bruised well in
a mortar. Then take the liquor prepared
from the fore-
mentioned herbs, and mix the said bark
therein assiduously
between both hands, and set it to drain
into a vessel to
acidify, fermenting it with goa^s whey,
or cow'^s whey. Let
a good cupful thereof be drank every
morning as long as it
lasts, a portion of raw honey, apple or
wood sorrel, being
taken subsequently in order to remove
the taste from the
mouth, after the draught. This liquor
is beneficial to every
man who requires to purge his body.
STERILITY.— TREATMENT.
S 20. A sterile woman may have a potion
prepared for
her by means of the following herbs,
viz : — St. Johns's wort,
yew, agrimony, amphibious persicaria,
creeping cinque foil,
mountain club moss, orpine and
pimpernel, taking an emetic
in addition.
§ 25. The roots of the mugwort boiled
in wine, will form
an issue also ; the leaves treated in
like manner will destroy
worms.
TOOTHACHE.— TREATMENT.
S 30. For the toothache. Take the inner
bark of the
ivy, and the leaves of the honeysuckle,
bruising them well
together in a mortar, expressing them
through a linen cloth
into both nostrils, the patient lying
on his back, and it
will relieve him.
CRUSTED SCALL, OR IMPETIGO CAPITIS.
§ 33. For a crusted scall. Take goat^s
dung, barley meal
and red wine^ boil together into a
poultice, and apply to the
part. This is the remedy, when the sore
is not opened (by
the forcible removal of the crust.)
HEADACHE, AND PAIN OF JOINTS. TREATMENT
BY COUNTER
IRRITATION.
§ 34. For headache or pain in the
joints. Take cakes of
pounded wheat, and grind into fine
meal. Then take wood
sorrel, dandelion, betony, and red
wine, bruising them
together in a mortar well, then mixing
them throughly
together on the fire, adding ox tallow
and salt thereto freely.
Let this plaster, spread on thick
cloth, be then applied to
the shaven scalp* This will induce the
breaking forth of
boils, thereby extracting the venom,
and relieving the
patient.
WORMS. TREATMENT. PASTING.
§ 36. For worms. Take elder bark,
wallnut bark,
white thorn bark, bitter sweet, and
boil them together in
water. Let a cupful be drank thereof
daily fasting, and let
the patient abstain from food till it
is almost evening. This
should be repeated nine times.
TOOTHACHE. SEVERAL REMEDIES.
i 42. For the toothache. Take betony
and lay it under
the head, in an unbleached linen cloth,
and it will cure it.
Another method is to take self heal,
put it in a dock
leaf under the tooth, or on a hot
stone, and place it hot in a
cloth under the painful tooth. Another
is to take the round
birthwort, bruise it well, and apply it
to the patient^s
tooth for a night. Another is to take
the thorn apple
and apply it well.
TO INDUCE SLEEP.
S 49. Poppy heads bruised in wine, will
induce a man to
sleep soundly.*
IM POTENCY.
§ 50. For impotency. Take some birch,
digest in water,
and drink.*
DRUNKENNESS. TO REMOVE.
§57. If you would remove a man^s
drunkenness, let him
eat bruised saffron with spring water.
HOW TO BE MERRY.
§ 58. If you would be at all times
merry^ eat saffron in
meat or drink, and you will never be
sad : but beware of
eating over much, lest you should die
of excessive joy.
TO CURE ENVY.
§ 69. If you would never be in an
envious mood, drink as
much as would fill an egg shell of the
juice of the herb called
wild clary, and you will not after fall
into an evil temper.
If you would be always in good health,
drink a spoonful of
the juice of the herb mallows, and you
will always be so.
TO PRESERVE CHASTITY.
S 60. If you would always be chaste,
eat daily some of
the herb called hart'^s tongue, and you
will never assent to
the suggestions of impurity.
§ 66. To destroy flies, let the mugwort
be put in the
place where they frequent, and such of
them as shall come
in contact with the herb will die.
BITE OF A VIPER.
S 67. For the bite of a snake. Let the
juice of the elder
be drank, and it will disperse all the
poison.
^ Or as it may be also read, simply
" the yolks of eggs."
MENT.
§ 99. A medicine for nettle rash, (when
indicating a bad
constitution,) so that it may disappear
in three days. Take
good cheese and pound it briskly in a
mortar. Mix honey
with it till it is transparent. Anoint
the part therewith
frequently, laying a cabbage leaf
thereon, and it will have
disappeared in three days.
BITE OF A MAD DOG. TREATMENT.
§ 100. For the bite of a mad dog. Pound
ground ivy
well in a mortar with lard, or pound
leeks and vinegar, or
fennel seed, and honey together, and
apply thereto.
A BURN OR SCALD.— A FOMENTATION FOR.
§ 118. For a burm or scald. Put the
leaves of the lily, in
boiling milk, and apply to the part
till it is well.
POISON.— ANTIDOTE.
S 131. If a man has taken poison let
him take of the juice
of the dittany, and wine.
ANTIDOTE TO POISON.
§ 137. As an antidote for poison, mix
two nuts, three
dry figs, and a handful of rue, and
thirty grains of salt,
giving it to the patient, fasting.
VIRTUES OF MUSTARD.
§ 139. Mustard. It is useful to expel
cold humors. It
is good with vinegar for the bite of an
adder or toad. It is
good for the toothache. It will purify
the brain. It will
restrain profuse menstruation. It will
provoke the appetite,
and strengthen digestion« It is good
for colic, loss of hair,
noise in the ears, and dimness of
sight, cutaneous eruptions,
palsy, and many other things.
INTOXICATION.
§ 146. In order to be delivered from
intoxication, drink
saffron digested in spring water.
BOILS.
§ 163. For boils. Take the juice of the
morella (mush-
room,) plantain, barley meal, and the
white of an egg.
WARTS.
§ 165. To remove warts. Take the inner
bark of the
willow, make into a plaster with
vinegar, and apply it.
TO MAKE VINEGAR.
§ 168. To make vinegar. Take clean
barley, and put in
wine over night till the eve of next
day.
TO PROMOTE THE UNION OF BONE.
§ 169. To promote the union of bone.
Take comfrey,
and bruise with wine, pepper and honey,
drinking it daily
for nine days, and they will unite
compactly.
EYE SALVE.
S 170. To make an eye salve. Take the
juice * * ♦
and the juice of fennel root,
celandine, lesser celandine^ sow'^s
lard, honey, a little vinegar, an eeFs
blood, and a cock's
gall, letting them stand in a brass
vessel till an efflorescence
takes place. This has restored sight to
those who had quite
lost it.
Enjoy!
Love and light,
Trace
xoxo
Precious post kind Tracy!... Katherine Briggs is one my most beloves suitable researches of Faerie...Let the silent butterfly wings bring Bright Blessings to you ☼
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