A Fairy Marriage
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Story 4 – A fairy marriage
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A young man who lived at Hafod-y-Garreg in Pentrefoelas was herding sheep on the hills when he came across a lovely young woman, who sat under the shade of some trees. The young woman was crying bitterly.
The young man spoke to her kindly and sat by her to comfort her. She looked up. When her eyes met his, they immediately fell in love.
They had been talking for hours when suddenly her father appeared in front of them and told his daughter to follow him immediately. She did as she was told, and the young man was left alone.
He waited around all evening, wishing and hoping that his love might return. Every day he walked up to the place where he first met her, and waited ... and waited. Every time he would go home love-sick and lonely.
Little did he know that the fairy woman loved him as much as he loved her. She thought about him all the time, and plotted to return to the spot as soon as her father’s back was turned.
One day she took her chance, and returned to the spot where she met her love. He was there waiting for her! They chatted, laughed, dance and sang – until her father appeared. He was not pleased, but could see that the couple loved each other. Eventually he agreed to let his daughter marry the young shepherd. But his permission came with a warning: ‘She can stay with you, until you should strike her with iron.’
The young man knew he would never even think of striking her with iron, and so the marriage took place. They lived happily together and had two children of their own.
The night before the Festival of the Saint of Capel Garmon, the young man and his wife went together to catch a couple of ponies to take to the fair. The ponies were wild, and galloped around the fields for hours with the couple chasing them. In frustration the young man threw a bridle at one of the ponies. By accident, the bridle hit his wife. As the bit was made of iron, they both knew immediately that the marriage contract was broken under fairy law!
The young man was so upset his heart ached, and he hardly had time to speak to his wife before her father appeared with a host of fairies. He grabbed his daughter’s hand and they disappeared, never to be seen again.
Every day the young man thought about his lovely fairy spouse, and was thankful for the children, who were wonderful reminders of the life they had shared together.