Pennard Citadel is shrouded in thriller and folklore, with little or no identified about its origins and historical past. Situated within the Gower Peninsula in South Wales, this ruined citadel has been the topic of many tales and legends, most notably the story of the “faeries’ curse”.
The ruins we see right this moment are all that’s left of this as soon as a grand citadel, as its historical past data have been misplaced within the mists of time as a result of political turmoil and an uneasy rule of Anglo-Norman barons of its period.
A small settlement grew up close to the Citadel, full with an area church known as St. Mary’s, however there is no such thing as a signal of it now. Solely a portion of the church’s single wall stays standing within the east of the citadel ruins.
The Citadel, which dates from the twelfth century, was a primitive construction. It was presumably constructed by Henry de Beaumont, first Earl of Warwick or Henry de Newburgh, who was awarded the lordship of Gower, and comprised of wooden defenses with a financial institution, ditch, and a primitive stone corridor.
It’s unsure precisely when Pennard Citadel was abandoned, nonetheless, by the 12 months 1400, there was nobody dwelling within the citadel. No one else ever moved in, almost definitely because of its declining state.
What occurred to the citadel and the village? Pennard was by no means attacked, in accordance with historical data, so why was it deserted? The one attainable reply lies within the dunes which have engulfed the entire area and demolished the Citadel’s smooth rock partitions, making dwelling situations insupportable. It’s unsure when Pennard was deserted, though the church was now not in service in 1532.
In response to legend, the Citadel’s lord as soon as refused the native faeries permission to bounce at his wedding ceremony reception. The enraged small folks unleashed a giant storm, demolishing the construction.
The proprietor was a violent and harsh Baron who everybody feared. His preventing energy and gallantry had been legendary throughout Wales. His adversaries would by no means dare to method his Citadel. He spent his time right here ingesting and depravity.
Warfare was raging within the kingdom, and the King of Gwynedd, Lord of Snowdonia, dispatched a message to the Baron, pleading for help. The Baron, longing for a battle and intelligent sufficient to understand a revenue alternative, returned the messenger to the King, demanding a reward.
The King was determined; his opponents had been gathering an unlimited military within the east, and he feared his reign could be misplaced shortly. The messenger returned promptly to the Baron’s Citadel.
“Properly,” bellowed the Baron. “What does your Lord and Grasp provide that I could take his facet on this matter?” “My grasp instructions me to provide you this,” he replied, handing the Baron a scroll with a royal seal.
Beaumont constructed the citadel on a limestone promontory protected by the north and west cliffs. Initially, the construction was an oval ringwork, together with a ditch and ramparts round a courtyard containing a corridor. Right now, solely the corridor’s foundations stay seen from this early fortification.
The Baron triumphed on this essential combat and rode to Caernarfon Citadel, the place there have been enormous celebrations. The King was nonetheless adamant about rewarding his valiant knight. The King assured to reward the Baron with something he desired in the event that they gained the battle.
“What prize shall you may have?” he requested the Baron, able to empty his treasury. “Identify it, and it’s yours.” “You might have a fantastic daughter, Sire. She can be my reward,” answered the Baron.
The King was upset; this was not the settlement he had hoped for, however he had already dedicated. The King’s daughter was lovely however she was additionally easy and impressionable.
Some claimed her mates had been faeries and she or he spent her days conversing with them. The Baron’s demand delighted her, and she or he consented to marry him. The King bade her farewell with a heavy coronary heart.
When the Baron arrived at Pennard Citadel, he ordered a big feast. The festivities rapidly devolved into ingesting amongst each women and men. The Baron, drunk and passionate, seized the princess and introduced her to his flats, decided to have her. There was no dialogue of holding a marriage ceremony beforehand. She submitted, intoxicated and overwhelmed by the Baron’s power.
The guards cried out unexpectedly. “A military has arrived in Pennard.” The Baron dashed to the battlements, the place he noticed a swarm of lamps dashing towards his citadel. He grabbed his sword and dashed out the door to confront the intruders. As he rushed via the intruders, he slashed proper and left, slashing and swinging. As he fought, his sword grew to become heavy, and his arms burned with ache from the exertion, till he might now not combat. The lights surrounded him, and he continued slicing and chopping.
Lastly, drained, he dropped to his knees, staring on the blinking lights dancing round him, and imagined he noticed the faint glint of gossamer wings.
The identical evening a mountain of sand blew in from the ocean. It wasn’t a military, however a swarm of faeries who had come to hitch within the wedding ceremony festivities. As he stood there watching, the wind blew the faeries away, and a violent storm started to batter his Citadel. The Citadel, the Baron, and the Princess vanished.
In response to one other legend, the citadel was constructed by a sorcerer to guard himself from loss of life from the invading Normans. He’s stated to have invoked a winged demon known as Gwrach-y-rhibyn, who is not going to permit mortals to spend the evening within the citadel partitions. Legends inform of her attacking anybody who tries to sleep within the citadel together with her claws and lengthy blackened enamel.
The story of the Baron, the Princess, and the faeries is one which has been handed down for generations and is an interesting legend that captures the creativeness.
The ruins of the Pennard Citadel maintain a particular place in Welsh historical past, and the thriller surrounding the disappearance of the Baron and the Princess solely provides to the intrigue. For those who ever get the prospect to go to the ruins, you will see that your self transported again in time and immersed within the wealthy folklore and historical historical past of Wales.