Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Sarn Gynfelyn

2012-01-06T11:56:19Z

Wikidwitch: added Category:Cardigan Bay using HotCat

{{Infobox UK feature
|official_name = Sarn Gynfelyn
|shire_county/state = Ceredigion
|country = Wales
|label_position = auto
|nation = UK
|map_name = Wales Ceredigion
|static_image_name = View to Wallog - geograph.org.uk - 845410.jpg
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|static_image_2_name =
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|latitude = 52.4516
|longitude = -4.0819
}}

The '''Sarn Gynfelyn''' shingle [[spit (landform)|spit]] on the coast of [[Cardigan Bay]], in the county of [[Ceredigion]], Mid-[[Wales]], in the [[United Kingdom]]. It is located at [[Wallog]], a few kilometres north of [[Llangorwen]], close to [[Clarach Bay]], south of [[Borth]] and north of the regional capital [[Aberystwyth]].

Similar [[landform]] examples are found at several points along the Cardigan Bay coast, known as ''sarnau''. They are thought to be long [[subtidal]] banks of [[glacial]] [[moraine]]s.

==In legend==
[[File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|thumb|left|The sarn revealed at low tide]]
These protruding banks resemble man-made [[causeways]] and have long been part of the centuries-old legend of [[Cantre'r Gwaelod]], a fabled [[sunken kingdom]] which was lost beneath the waters of Cardigan Bay. According to legend, Sarn Gynfelyn was one of the causeways leading to the lost land. The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

{{clear}}
==Television==
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = center
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited Sarn Gynfelyn to explore the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], some {{convert|5|mi}} north of Sarn Gynfelyn, which is also associated with the legend. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[Hypoxia (environmental)|anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>
{{clear}}
==See also==
* [[Sarn Badrig]]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://www.gtj.org.uk/cy/large/item/GTJ26952/ Photograph of Sarn Gynfelyn, 1999]
*[http://archive.skyworks.co.uk/footage/sarn-gynfelyn-shingle-spit-jutting1.html Video clip: Sarn Gynfelyn Shingle spit jutting out to sea] (Skyworks)
*[http://website.lineone.net/~dyfival1/histcant.htm Cantre'r Gwaelod (The Lowland Hundred) website article]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{wales-geo-stub}}

[[Category:Landforms of Wales]]
[[Category:Cardigan Bay]]

Sarn Gynfelyn

2012-01-06T11:56:05Z

Wikidwitch: overlinked Cardigan Bay

Sarn Gynfelyn

2012-01-06T11:55:14Z

Wikidwitch: /* External links */ more explanatory text in links

{{Infobox UK feature
|official_name = Sarn Gynfelyn
|shire_county/state = Ceredigion
|country = Wales
|label_position = auto
|nation = UK
|map_name = Wales Ceredigion
|static_image_name = View to Wallog - geograph.org.uk - 845410.jpg
|static_image_caption =
|static_image_alt =
|static_image_2_name =
|static_image_2_caption =
|static_image_2_alt =
|os_grid_reference =
|irish_grid_reference =
|latitude = 52.4516
|longitude = -4.0819
}}

The '''Sarn Gynfelyn''' shingle [[spit (landform)|spit]] on the coast of [[Cardigan Bay]], in the county of [[Ceredigion]], Mid-[[Wales]], in the [[United Kingdom]]. It is located at [[Wallog]], a few kilometres north of [[Llangorwen]], close to [[Clarach Bay]], south of [[Borth]] and north of the regional capital [[Aberystwyth]].

Similar [[landform]] examples are found at several points along the [[Cardigan Bay]] coast, known as ''sarnau''. They are thought to be long [[subtidal]] banks of [[glacial]] [[moraine]]s.

==In legend==
[[File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|thumb|left|The sarn revealed at low tide]]
These protruding banks resemble man-made [[causeways]] and have long been part of the centuries-old legend of [[Cantre'r Gwaelod]], a fabled [[sunken kingdom]] which was lost beneath the waters of Cardigan Bay. According to legend, Sarn Gynfelyn was one of the causeways leading to the lost land. The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

{{clear}}
==Television==
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = center
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited Sarn Gynfelyn to explore the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], some {{convert|5|mi}} north of Sarn Gynfelyn, which is also associated with the legend. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[Hypoxia (environmental)|anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>
{{clear}}
==See also==
* [[Sarn Badrig]]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://www.gtj.org.uk/cy/large/item/GTJ26952/ Photograph of Sarn Gynfelyn, 1999]
*[http://archive.skyworks.co.uk/footage/sarn-gynfelyn-shingle-spit-jutting1.html Video clip: Sarn Gynfelyn Shingle spit jutting out to sea] (Skyworks)
*[http://website.lineone.net/~dyfival1/histcant.htm Cantre'r Gwaelod (The Lowland Hundred) website article]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{wales-geo-stub}}

[[Category:Landforms of Wales]]

Sarn Gynfelyn

2012-01-06T11:50:37Z

Wikidwitch: switch infobox template; expand with BBC Coast report, add references

{{Infobox UK feature
|official_name = Sarn Gynfelyn
|shire_county/state = Ceredigion
|country = Wales
|label_position = auto
|nation = UK
|map_name = Wales Ceredigion
|static_image_name = View to Wallog - geograph.org.uk - 845410.jpg
|static_image_caption =
|static_image_alt =
|static_image_2_name =
|static_image_2_caption =
|static_image_2_alt =
|os_grid_reference =
|irish_grid_reference =
|latitude = 52.4516
|longitude = -4.0819
}}

The '''Sarn Gynfelyn''' shingle [[spit (landform)|spit]] on the coast of [[Cardigan Bay]], in the county of [[Ceredigion]], Mid-[[Wales]], in the [[United Kingdom]]. It is located at [[Wallog]], a few kilometres north of [[Llangorwen]], close to [[Clarach Bay]], south of [[Borth]] and north of the regional capital [[Aberystwyth]].

Similar [[landform]] examples are found at several points along the [[Cardigan Bay]] coast, known as ''sarnau''. They are thought to be long [[subtidal]] banks of [[glacial]] [[moraine]]s.

==In legend==
[[File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|thumb|left|The sarn revealed at low tide]]
These protruding banks resemble man-made [[causeways]] and have long been part of the centuries-old legend of [[Cantre'r Gwaelod]], a fabled [[sunken kingdom]] which was lost beneath the waters of Cardigan Bay. According to legend, Sarn Gynfelyn was one of the causeways leading to the lost land. The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

{{clear}}
==Television==
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = center
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited Sarn Gynfelyn to explore the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], some {{convert|5|mi}} north of Sarn Gynfelyn, which is also associated with the legend. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[Hypoxia (environmental)|anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>
{{clear}}
==See also==
* [[Sarn Badrig]]

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://www.gtj.org.uk/cy/large/item/GTJ26952/ picture]
*[http://archive.skyworks.co.uk/footage/sarn-gynfelyn-shingle-spit-jutting1.html video]
*[http://website.lineone.net/~dyfival1/histcant.htm]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{wales-geo-stub}}

[[Category:Landforms of Wales]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-05T12:22:50Z

Wikidwitch: /* Physical evidence */ disamb. anaerobic link

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
[[File:Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg|240px|thumb|Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is a legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. Accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> Legends of the land suggest that it may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the 17th century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qpwJ9Iz3iH8C&lpg=PA96&dq=Haunted%20Spaces%2C%20Sacred%20Places%20Cantre'r%20Gwaelod&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false|page=100}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = right
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
The "causeways" described by Lewis can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[Hypoxia (environmental)|anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Origins of the myth==
[[File:Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea-NASA.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Comparable Celtic myths describe a submerged kingdom near Britanny or Cornwall|alt=Satellite view of the Celtic Sea]]
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===Analogies in other legends===
The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

Several similar legends exist in [[Celtic mythology]] which refer to a lost land beneath the waves. Both the [[Breton mythology|Breton legend]] of [[Ys|Ker-Ys]] and the [[King Arthur|Arthurian]] tale of [[Lyonesse]] refer to a kingdom submerged somewhere in the [[Celtic Sea]], off the coast of [[Brittany]] or [[Cornwall]] respectively.

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Geologist William Ashton's 1920 book, ''The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C'', discusses the legend and takes Ptolemy's map as evidence of the existence of an area of lost land in Cardigan Bay. Ashton also includes a conjectural map of Cantre'r Gwaelod within the bay.<ref name=ashton>{{cite book|last=Ashton|first=William|title=The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C|publisher=Edward Stanford Ltd|location=London|isbn=9781176602649|url=http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7161480M/The_evolution_of_a_coast-line|chapter=31. The Lost Cantref Gwaelod}} ([http://www.archive.org/stream/evolutionofcoast00ashtrich#page/256/mode/2up/search/Cantref-y-Gwaelod map illustration on page 257])</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examined the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
*[[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
*[[Lost lands]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]
[[Category:Cardigan Bay]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-05T01:16:36Z

Wikidwitch: /* Physical evidence */ update reference

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
[[File:Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg|240px|thumb|Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is a legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. Accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> Legends of the land suggest that it may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the 17th century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=qpwJ9Iz3iH8C&lpg=PA96&dq=Haunted%20Spaces%2C%20Sacred%20Places%20Cantre'r%20Gwaelod&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false|page=100}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = right
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
The "causeways" described by Lewis can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Origins of the myth==
[[File:Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea-NASA.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Comparable Celtic myths describe a submerged kingdom near Britanny or Cornwall|alt=Satellite view of the Celtic Sea]]
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===Analogies in other legends===
The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

Several similar legends exist in [[Celtic mythology]] which refer to a lost land beneath the waves. Both the [[Breton mythology|Breton legend]] of [[Ys|Ker-Ys]] and the [[King Arthur|Arthurian]] tale of [[Lyonesse]] refer to a kingdom submerged somewhere in the [[Celtic Sea]], off the coast of [[Brittany]] or [[Cornwall]] respectively.

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Geologist William Ashton's 1920 book, ''The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C'', discusses the legend and takes Ptolemy's map as evidence of the existence of an area of lost land in Cardigan Bay. Ashton also includes a conjectural map of Cantre'r Gwaelod within the bay.<ref name=ashton>{{cite book|last=Ashton|first=William|title=The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C|publisher=Edward Stanford Ltd|location=London|isbn=9781176602649|url=http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7161480M/The_evolution_of_a_coast-line|chapter=31. The Lost Cantref Gwaelod}} ([http://www.archive.org/stream/evolutionofcoast00ashtrich#page/256/mode/2up/search/Cantref-y-Gwaelod map illustration on page 257])</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examined the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
*[[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
*[[Lost lands]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]
[[Category:Cardigan Bay]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T21:41:33Z

Wikidwitch: add Welsh mythology navbox - might as well include this as it's relevant

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
[[File:Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg|240px|thumb|Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is a legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. Accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> Legends of the land suggest that it may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the 17th century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = right
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
The "causeways" described by Lewis can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Origins of the myth==
[[File:Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea-NASA.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Comparable Celtic myths describe a submerged kingdom near Britanny or Cornwall|alt=Satellite view of the Celtic Sea]]
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===Analogies in other legends===
The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

Several similar legends exist in [[Celtic mythology]] which refer to a lost land beneath the waves. Both the [[Breton mythology|Breton legend]] of [[Ys|Ker-Ys]] and the [[King Arthur|Arthurian]] tale of [[Lyonesse]] refer to a kingdom submerged somewhere in the [[Celtic Sea]], off the coast of [[Brittany]] or [[Cornwall]] respectively.

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Geologist William Ashton's 1920 book, ''The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C'', discusses the legend and takes Ptolemy's map as evidence of the existence of an area of lost land in Cardigan Bay. Ashton also includes a conjectural map of Cantre'r Gwaelod within the bay.<ref name=ashton>{{cite book|last=Ashton|first=William|title=The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C|publisher=Edward Stanford Ltd|location=London|isbn=9781176602649|url=http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7161480M/The_evolution_of_a_coast-line|chapter=31. The Lost Cantref Gwaelod}} ([http://www.archive.org/stream/evolutionofcoast00ashtrich#page/256/mode/2up/search/Cantref-y-Gwaelod map illustration on page 257])</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examined the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
*[[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
*[[Lost lands]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Celtic mythology (Welsh)}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]
[[Category:Cardigan Bay]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T16:46:18Z

Wikidwitch: /* Physical evidence */ link to BBC Coast clips to give added information

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
[[File:Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg|240px|thumb|Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is a legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. Accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> Legends of the land suggest that it may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the 17th century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.
{{ external media
| width = 300px
| align = right
| video1 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-cantrer-gwaelod_16x9_bb.ram Sarn Gynfelyn and the submerged forest at Borth]
| video2 = [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/media/bb/coast-submerged-forest_16x9_bb.ram Submerged trees in the Dyfi Estuary] Clips from ''Coast'' (BBC, 2006)
}}
The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Origins of the myth==
[[File:Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea-NASA.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Comparable Celtic myths describe a submerged kingdom near Britanny or Cornwall|alt=Satellite view of the Celtic Sea]]
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===Analogies in other legends===
The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

Several similar legends exist in [[Celtic mythology]] which refer to a lost land beneath the waves. Both the [[Breton mythology|Breton legend]] of [[Ys|Ker-Ys]] and the [[King Arthur|Arthurian]] tale of [[Lyonesse]] refer to a kingdom submerged somewhere in the [[Celtic Sea]], off the coast of [[Britanny]] or [[Cornwall]] respectively.

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Geologist William Ashton's 1920 book, ''The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C'', discusses the legend and takes Ptolemy's map as evidence of the existence of an area of lost land in Cardigan Bay. Ashton also includes a conjectural map of Cantre'r Gwaelod within the bay.<ref name=ashton>{{cite book|last=Ashton|first=William|title=The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C|publisher=Edward Stanford Ltd|location=London|isbn=9781176602649|url=http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7161480M/The_evolution_of_a_coast-line|chapter=31. The Lost Cantref Gwaelod}} ([http://www.archive.org/stream/evolutionofcoast00ashtrich#page/256/mode/2up/search/Cantref-y-Gwaelod map illustration on page 257])</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examined the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
*[[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
*[[Lost lands]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T16:14:30Z

Wikidwitch: /* Literature */ adding William Ashton's 1920 book

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
[[File:Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg|240px|thumb|Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is a legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. Accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> Legends of the land suggest that it may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the 17th century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Origins of the myth==
[[File:Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea-NASA.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Comparable Celtic myths describe a submerged kingdom near Britanny or Cornwall|alt=Satellite view of the Celtic Sea]]
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===Analogies in other legends===
The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

Several similar legends exist in [[Celtic mythology]] which refer to a lost land beneath the waves. Both the [[Breton mythology|Breton legend]] of [[Ys|Ker-Ys]] and the [[King Arthur|Arthurian]] tale of [[Lyonesse]] refer to a kingdom submerged somewhere in the [[Celtic Sea]], off the coast of [[Britanny]] or [[Cornwall]] respectively.

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Geologist William Ashton's 1920 book, ''The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C'', discusses the legend and takes Ptolemy's map as evidence of the existence of an area of lost land in Cardigan Bay. Ashton also includes a conjectural map of Cantre'r Gwaelod within the bay.<ref name=ashton>{{cite book|last=Ashton|first=William|title=The Evolution of a Coast-Line, Barrow to Aberystwyth and the Isle of Man, with Notes on Lost Towns, Submarine Discoveries, &C|publisher=Edward Stanford Ltd|location=London|isbn=9781176602649|url=http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7161480M/The_evolution_of_a_coast-line|chapter=31. The Lost Cantref Gwaelod}} ([http://www.archive.org/stream/evolutionofcoast00ashtrich#page/256/mode/2up/search/Cantref-y-Gwaelod map illustration on page 257])</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examined the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
*[[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
*[[Lost lands]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T15:48:59Z

Wikidwitch: analogies in mythology

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
[[File:Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg|240px|thumb|Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is a legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. Accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> Legends of the land suggest that it may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the 17th century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Origins of the myth==
[[File:Coccoliths in the Celtic Sea-NASA.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Comparable Celtic myths describe a submerged kingdom near Britanny or Cornwall|alt=Satellite view of the Celtic Sea]]
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===Analogies in other legends===
The legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture, and it has been likened to the story of [[Atlantis]].

Several similar legends exist in [[Celtic mythology]] which refer to a lost land beneath the waves. Both the [[Breton mythology|Breton legend]] of [[Ys|Ker-Ys]] and the [[King Arthur|Arthurian]] tale of [[Lyonesse]] refer to a kingdom submerged somewhere in the [[Celtic Sea]], off the coast of [[Britanny]] or [[Cornwall]] respectively.

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examined the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
*[[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
*[[Lost lands]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T15:25:16Z

Wikidwitch: /* Cultural references */ children's lit; add photos of church

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
{{Infobox UK feature
|official_name = Cantre'r Gwaelod {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}
|shire_county/state = Gwynedd
|country = Wales
|label_position = right
|label = ''Estimated location''
|marksize = 20
|mark = Cercle rouge 100%.svg
|nation = UK
|map_name = Wales
|static_image_name = Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg
|static_image_caption = Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod
|static_image_alt = tree stumps in the sand at sunset
|static_image_width = 240px
|latitude = 52.31442665
|longitude = -5.06202415
}}


'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is the legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The exact extent of Cantre'r Gwaelod is unclear; accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> The land may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the Seventeenth Century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Origins of the myth==
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]; and its structure is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Cultural references==
[[File:St Peter's Church and Terrace Road Aberdyfi - geograph.org.uk - 1005740.jpg|thumb|right|The bells of St Peter's, Aberdyfi can play ''Clychau Aberdyfi'']]
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod is also featured in modern [[children's literature]]. The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]]. Siân Lewis and Jackie Morris's book ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) retells the legend for children,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) features a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visits the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examines the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
* [[Lyonesse]]
* [[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
* [[Ys]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T15:21:18Z

Wikidwitch: add infobox with map

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
{{Infobox UK feature
|official_name = Cantre'r Gwaelod {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}
|shire_county/state = Gwynedd
|country = Wales
|label_position = right
|label = ''Estimated location''
|marksize = 20
|mark = Cercle rouge 100%.svg
|nation = UK
|map_name = Wales
|static_image_name = Submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion.jpg
|static_image_caption = Part of an ancient submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]] thought to be associated with Cantre'r Gwaelod
|static_image_alt = tree stumps in the sand at sunset
|static_image_width = 240px
|latitude = 52.31442665
|longitude = -5.06202415
}}


'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is the legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]]. It has been described as a "Welsh [[Atlantis]]" and has featured in folklore, literature and song.

==Myth==
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The exact extent of Cantre'r Gwaelod is unclear; accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> The land may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the Seventeenth Century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Origins of the myth==
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]; and its structure is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

==Physical evidence==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Cultural references==
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]].

Cantre'r Gwaelod is featured in modern [[children's literature]]; ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) tells the story of the flood,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) featured a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visits the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examines the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
* [[Lyonesse]]
* [[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
* [[Ys]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]
[[Category:Flood myths]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T15:03:51Z

Wikidwitch: rationalise duplicate ref

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
{{coord|52.31442665|-5.06202415|display=title|scale:1000000}} 
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is the legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]].

==Myth==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The exact extent of Cantre'r Gwaelod is unclear; accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> The land may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the Seventeenth Century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Origins of the myth==
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]; and its structure is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

==Physical evidence==
There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea, although several reports exist of remains being sighted.

In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Cultural references==
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]].

Cantre'r Gwaelod is featured in modern [[children's literature]]; ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) tells the story of the flood,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) featured a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visits the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examines the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged/>

== See also ==
* [[Lyonesse]]
* [[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
* [[Ys]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T14:57:59Z

Wikidwitch: /* Physical evidence */ 2006 dive

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
{{coord|52.31442665|-5.06202415|display=title|scale:1000000}} 
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is the legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]].

==Myth==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The exact extent of Cantre'r Gwaelod is unclear; accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> The land may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the Seventeenth Century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Origins of the myth==
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]; and its structure is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|title=Coast - Submerged Forest|publisher = BBC|date=April 2006|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref> There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea.

==Physical evidence==
In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

In 2006, a scientific [[Oceanography|underwater exploration]] was undertaken by the conservation group Friends of Cardigan Bay to examine the submerged forest and search for evidence of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name="watery kingdom">{{cite news|title=Experts look for 'watery kingdom'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/mid/5016240.stm|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 May 2006}}</ref>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Cultural references==
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]].

Cantre'r Gwaelod is featured in modern [[children's literature]]; ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) tells the story of the flood,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) featured a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visits the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examines the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Lyonesse]]
* [[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
* [[Ys]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T14:18:28Z

Wikidwitch: /* Physical evidence */ new section to include sightings, scientific enquiry

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
{{coord|52.31442665|-5.06202415|display=title|scale:1000000}} 
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is the legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]].

==Myth==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The exact extent of Cantre'r Gwaelod is unclear; accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> The land may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the Seventeenth Century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Origins of the myth==
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]; and its structure is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|title=Coast - Submerged Forest|publisher = BBC|date=April 2006|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref> There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea.

==Physical evidence==
In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].<ref name=haughton>{{cite book|last=Haughton|first=Brian|title=Haunted spaces, sacred places : a field guide to stone circles, crop circles, ancient tombs, and supernatural landscapes|year=2008|publisher=New Page Books|location=Franklin Lakes, NJ|isbn=160163000X}}</ref>

In the 1846 edition of ''The Topographical Dictionary of Wales'', [[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]] described a feature of stone walls and causeways beneath the shallow waters of Cardigan Bay:

{{Quotation|In the sea, about seven miles west of Aberystwyth in Cardiganshire, is a collection of loose stones, termed Caer Wyddno, "the fort or palace of Gwyddno;" and adjoining it are vestiges of one of more of the more southern causeways or embankments of Catrev Gwaelod. The depth of water over the whole extent of the bay of Cardigan is not great; and on the recess of the tide, stones bearing Latin inscriptions, and Roman coins of various emperors, have been found below high-water mark: in different places in the water, also, are observed prostrate trees."|[[Samuel Lewis (publisher)|Samuel Lewis]]|The Topographical Dictionary of Wales.<ref name=haughton/>}}

Lewis takes the view that maps by the [[Cartography|cartographer]] [[Ptolemy]] marked the coastline of Cardigan Bay in the same location as it appears in modern times, suggesting that the date of the flood occurred before the second century AD.

The "causeways" described by Smith can be seen today at beaches around Cardigan Bay. Known as ''Sarnau'', these ridges stretch several miles into the sea at right angles to the coast, and are located between each of the four river mouths in the north of Cardigan Bay. Modern geologists surmise that these formations of clay, gravel and rocks are [[moraine]]s formed by the action of [[Glacial landform|melting glaciers]] end of the last [[Ice Age]]. In a 2006 episode of the [[BBC]] television documentary ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]'', presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visited ''[[Sarn Gynfelyn]]'' at [[Wallog]]. The programme also featured the remains of the submerged forest at [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]] which is associated with the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod. The vista of dead oak, pine, birch, willow and hazel tree stumps preserved by the acid [[anaerobic]] conditions in the soil is revealed at [[low tide]] and is estimated to be about 5000 years old.<ref name="coast"/><ref name=submerged/>

===Images===
<gallery>
File:Badgernet BorthBeach1.JPG|Submerged forest remains, March 2008
File:Badgernet BorthBeach2.JPG|Submerged forest remains, details, March 2008
File:Petrified tree stump at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales.jpg|Petrified tree stump on Borth sands near Ynyslas
File:Low tide at Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845252.jpg|Sarn Gynfelyn revealed by low tide
File:The end of Sarn Gynfelyn - geograph.org.uk - 845257.jpg|The end of Sarn Gynfelyn
File:Ptolemy Cosmographia 1467 - Great Britain and Ireland.jpg|Ptolemy's map of Great Britain and Ireland (1467 copy)
</gallery>

==Cultural references==
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]].

Cantre'r Gwaelod is featured in modern [[children's literature]]; ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) tells the story of the flood,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) featured a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("[[The Bells of Aberdovey]]"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdyfi, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdovey''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visits the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examines the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Lyonesse]]
* [[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
* [[Ys]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T12:10:11Z

Wikidwitch: /* Television */ add refs

{{redirect|The Lowland Hundred|the band|The Lowland Hundred (band)}}
{{coord|52.31442665|-5.06202415|display=title|scale:1000000}} 
'''Cantre'r Gwaelod''' (also known as Cantref Gwaelod or Cantref y Gwaelod; {{lang-en|The Lowland Hundred}}) is the legendary ancient [[sunken kingdom]] said to have occupied a tract of fertile land lying between [[Ramsey Island]] and [[Bardsey Island]] in what is now [[Cardigan Bay]] to the west of [[Wales]].

==Myth==
[[File:Wales-NASA-250.jpg|thumb|right|Cardigan Bay, supposed location of Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
Cantre'r Gwaelod was an area of land which, according to legend, was located in an area west of present-day Wales which is now under the waters of Cardigan Bay. The exact extent of Cantre'r Gwaelod is unclear; accounts variously suggest the tract of land extended from [[Bardsey Island]] to [[Cardigan, Ceredigion|Cardigan]] or as far south as [[Ramsey Island]].<ref name="Gwyndaf">{{cite book|last=Gwyndaf |first=Robin|title=Welsh folk tales/Chwedlau gwerin Cymru |year=1989|publisher=National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Cymru|location=Cardiff|isbn=9780720003260|edition=2|chapter=34. Cantre'r Gwaelod, Dyfed}}</ref> The land may have extended 20 miles west of the present coast.<ref name=bbc-legacies>{{cite web|title=Cantre’r Gwaelod – The Lost Land of Wales|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml|work=Legacies - UK History Local to You|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

There are several versions of the myth. The earliest known form of the legend appears in the [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] (''Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin''), in which the land is referred to as ''Maes Gwyddno''. In this version, the land was lost to floods when a well-maiden named Mererid neglected her duties and allowed the well to overflow.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

The popular version known today is thought to have been formed from the Seventeenth Century onwards. Cantre'r Gwaelod is described as a low-lying land fortified against the sea by a [[Levee|dyke]], [[Sarn Badrig]] ([[Saint Patrick]]'s causeway), with a series of [[sluice gate]]s which were opened at low tide to drain the land.<ref name=bbc-legacies/>

Cantre'r Gwaelod's capital was Caer Wyddno, seat of the ruler [[Gwyddno Garanhir]]. Two princes of the realm held charge over the dyke. One of these princes, called [[Seithenyn]], is described in one version as a notorious drunkard and carouser, and it was through his negligence that the sea swept through the open floodgates, ruining the land.

The church bells of Cantre'r Gwaelod are said to ring out in times of danger.

==Origins of the myth==
The myth, like so many others, may be a folk memory of gradually rising sea levels at the end of the [[ice age]]; and its structure is comparable to the [[Deluge (mythology)|deluge myth]] found in nearly every ancient culture. The physical remains of the preserved sunken forest at [[Borth#Geography|Borth]], and of Sarn Badrig nearby, could have suggested that some great tragedy had overcome a community there long ago, and so the myth may have grown from that. There is no reliable physical evidence of the substantial community that legend promises lies under the sea.

== Reported sighting ==
In 1770, Welsh antiquarian scholar [[William Owen Pughe]] reported seeing sunken human habitations about four miles (6.4 km) off the [[Ceredigion]] coast, between the rivers [[River Ystwyth|Ystwyth]] and [[River Teifi|Teifi]].

==Cultural references==
The legend of the lost land of Cantre'r Gwaelod has featured in numerous literary and artistic works.

===Literature===
The legend has inspired many poems and songs throughout the ages. The earliest mention of Cantre'r Gwaelod is thought to be in the thirteenth-century [[Black Book of Carmarthen]] in a poem called ''"Boddi Maes Gwyddno"'' ("The Drowning of the Land of Gwyddno") which relates the tale of Mererid and the well.

The story inspired a [[Victorian era]]-novel, ''[[The Misfortunes of Elphin]]'' (1829), by [[Thomas Love Peacock]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas Love Peacock|first=Thomas Love|title=The Misfortunes of Elphin|year=1829|publisher=Thomas Hookham|pages=240|chapter=1. The Prosperity of Gwaelod}}</ref>

The kingdom also plays a major role in ''Silver on the Tree'', the last book of ''[[The Dark Is Rising]]'' by [[Susan Cooper]], parts of which are set in [[Aberdyfi]].

Cantre'r Gwaelod is featured in modern [[children's literature]]; ''Cities in the Sea'' (2002) tells the story of the flood,<ref name=lewis>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Siân Lewis & Jackie|title=Cities in the sea|year=2002|publisher=Pont|location=Llandysul|isbn=1843231727}}</ref> and Welsh musician [[Cerys Matthews]]'s first children's book ''Tales from the Deep'' (2011) featured a story, ''The Ghost Bells of the Lowlands'', which was adapted from the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.<ref name=matthews>{{cite news|title=Cerys Matthews writes children's book of Welsh legends|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-13271364|accessdate=4 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 May 2011}}</ref>

===Music and art===
The [[folk song]] "Clychau Aberdyfi" ("The Bells of Aberdyfi"), popularised in the 18th Century, relates to the part of the legend about the bells being heard ringing beneath the waves in the town of [[Aberdyfi]]. This song inspired cultural projects in the town involving bells; a new [[Chime (bell instrument)|chime of bells]] was installed in September 1936 in the tower St Peter's Church, Aberdovey, specifically designed to allow the playing of ''The Bells of Aberdyfi''.<ref name=stpeters>{{cite web|title=About us|url=http://ten-wolde.net/stpeters/page2.html|work=St Peter's Church website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref> An [[Installation art|art installation]] by the sculptor [[Marcus Vergette]], a bronze "Time and Tide Bell", was mounted beneath the jetty in Aberdyfi Harbour in July 2011 as a homage to the folk song. The bell is rung by the action of water at high tide.<ref name=bbc-bells>{{cite news|title=New bell rings as the tide rises in Aberdyfi, Gwynedd|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14131599|accessdate=3 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref name=vergette>{{cite web|title=Time and Tide Bell|url=http://www.marcusvergette.co.uk/bell.htm|work=Marcus Vergette official website|accessdate=3 January 2012}}</ref>

===Television===
An episode of the [[BBC]] [[Cbeebies]] programme ''[[Telly Tales]]'', first broadcast in 2009, featured a children's re-enactment of the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod through a mixture of animation and live action.<ref name="tellytales">
{{Cite episode |title=Cantre'r Gwaelod |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ndwpq |accessdate=4 January 2012 |series=Telly Tales |credits= Director: Elen Rhys, Producer; Dylan Adams, Writer |network=BBC |station=BBC Two Wales, Cbeebies |airdate=15 October 2009}}
</ref>

Cantre'r Gwaelod featured in the BBC documentary series ''[[Coast (TV series)|Coast]]''. Presenter [[Neil Oliver]] visits the sands of Aberdyfi and [[Ynyslas]], near [[Borth]], and examines the remains of the submerged forest and Sarn Badrig which are revealed at low tide, assisted by local historians and [[Dendrochronology|dendrochronologists]].<ref name="coast">{{Cite episode |title=Cardigan Bay to the Dee |series=Coast |network=BBC |airdate=2005 |seriesno=1 |number=4}}</ref><ref name=submerged>{{cite web|title=5. Submerged Forest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml|work=Mid Wales Coast - Ynyslas Walk|publisher=BBC|accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Lyonesse]]
* [[Welsh mythology in popular culture]]
* [[Ys]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_mid/article_1.shtml Cantre'r Gwaelod - The Lost Land of Wales]
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/coast/pages/5.shtml The submerged forest of Borth]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/mid_/5016240.stm Experts look for 'watery kingdom']
*[http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/gwyddgmd.html An exploration of the 'walled realm' version of the myth, and the semi-legendary King Gwyddno]
*[http://www.llangynfelyn.org/dogfennau/disgrifiadau_topog.html local history page looking at possible documentary evidence]
*[http://www.lowlandhundred.com British band - The Lowland Hundred] named for the English translation of Cantre'r Gwaelod

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fictional sunken cities]]
[[Category:Welsh mythology]]
[[Category:Mythological places]]
[[Category:Locations in Celtic mythology]]

[[cy:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[es:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[fr:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]
[[it:Cantre'r Gwaelod]]

Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T11:59:11Z

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Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T02:18:51Z

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Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T02:15:07Z

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Cantre’r Gwaelod

2012-01-04T02:14:24Z

Wikidwitch: /* Myth */ expand section with refs

Francesco Rovigo

2009-05-16T13:12:54Z

Wikidwitch: /* Notes */re-categorisation per project discussion using AWB

'''Francesco Rovigo''' (1540/1541 – October 7, 1597) was an [[Italy|Italian]] composer and [[organ (music)|organist]] of the late [[Renaissance music|Renaissance]], active in [[Mantua]] and [[Graz]].

==Life==
Nothing is known of his life prior to 1570, when he went to [[Venice]], already 29 or 30 years old, to receive a musical education with the renowned organist and composer [[Claudio Merulo]] of the [[Venetian School]]. By 1573 he was in Mantua, where he composed hymns which were used in the church of Santa Barbara, which was the ducal chapel of the [[House of Gonzaga|Gonzaga]] family. He served that aristocratic family until 1582, when he went to Graz to work for Archduke [[Charles II of Austria]] both as court organist and music tutor to the Archduke's children. When the Archduke died in 1590 he returned to Mantua and resumed his former service of the Gonzaga family, specifically as organist at the chapel. While in Mantua, and under the patronage of the artistically-inclined Gonzaga family, he was part of an illustrious group of composers that included some of the most famous in Italy, such as [[Alessandro Striggio]], [[Giaches de Wert]], [[Benedetto Pallavicino]], [[Francesco Soriano]], [[Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi]], and of course [[Claudio Monteverdi]].<ref name="Tagmann/Fink, Grove online">Tagmann/Fink, Grove online</ref><ref>Gallico, Grove online</ref>

Monteverdi mentioned Rovigo him favorably in his letters, with none of the animosity reserved for [[Benedetto Pallavicino]], another composer at the Mantuan court. Rovigo died at Mantua at the age of 56; he is buried in the crypt of the cathedral of Santa Barbara, near to the tomb of [[Giaches de Wert]], who died the previous year.<ref name="Tagmann/Fink, Grove online"/>

==Music==
Rovigo wrote a large quantity of sacred music, as well as [[madrigal (music)|madrigals]] and some instrumental music. Much of his music, including some [[canzonetta|canzonette]] both for voices and instruments, and his early hymns, has been lost. His sacred music was mostly intended for liturgical use, and includes settings of the [[mass (music)|mass]], for up to 12 voices, in the Venetian style; litanies, three settings of the [[Magnificat]], for six voices; a setting of the St. Luke Passion; and other works. He published one book of madrigals for five voices in Venice in 1581, and many of them were sufficiently popular to be reprinted in some well-known anthologies. His instrumental pieces included [[canzona]]s, and many were published in Milan.<ref>Tagmann/Fink, Grove online</ref>

Rovigo, along with [[Giaches de Wert]], was one of the composers assigned the task of composing music for a performance of [[Giovanni Battista Guarini|Guarini's]] ''[[Il pastor fido]]'' in 1591 or 1592. One of the singers of the court at Mantua, Evangelista Campagnolo, was to play the part of Silvio. The work was never performed: in 1596, the Gonzagas issued a separate commission for composition of the work, to [[Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi]], and some of his choruses have survived in his madrigal books. It is not known if any of Rovigo's music for the earlier dramatic musical production has survived, or indeed if he ever wrote any. This production was not an opera, though it would have had some characteristics in common with one; the earliest opera, ''[[Dafne]]'', was still several years away.<ref>Einstein, Vol. II p. 602-603</ref>

==References==
* Pierre M. Tagmann, Michael Fink: "Rovigo, Francesco", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed June 23, 2008), [http://www.grovemusic.com (subscription access)]
* Claudio Gallico, "Mantua", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed June 23, 2008), [http://www.grovemusic.com (subscription access)]
* Allan W. Atlas, ''Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400–1600.'' New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1998. ISBN 0-393-97169-4
* [[Gustave Reese]], ''Music in the Renaissance''. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
* Alfred Einstein, ''The Italian Madrigal.'' Three volumes. Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1949. ISBN 0-691-09112-9

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rovigo, Francesco}}
[[Category:1540s births]]
[[Category:1597 deaths]]
[[Category:Renaissance composers]]
[[Category:Italian composers]]
[[Category:Madrigal composers]]
[[Category:Music in Mantua]]

Francesco Rovigo

2009-04-06T23:29:30Z

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