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Land of the Giants

12/7/2013

4 Comments

 
In his out of print and difficult to obtain book, The Story of Baglan, Les Evans quotes from Edward Lhwyd's Parochialia (c.1697) that describes a grave in Baglan marked by two huge stones over a distance of 30 feet in length... he must be rather a monster than a man. In other records he finds references to The Grave of Dilic the Giant and later, in the 18th and 19th centuries, field names that carry the same echo: Cae Bedd Dilic, Cae Pentilic.

But it is highly probable that the stones were the remains of prehistoric monuments, similar in nature to Stonehenge and Avebury Circle, rather than proof of a giant's existence. 

But what about the Baglan giantesses? In The Story of Taibach Evans, again, refers to Lhwyd's collection of MSS and the story of three sister giantesses who owned three castles, two in Baglan parish and the other in Margam parish. From east to west, Pen Castell in Margam Park, a Castell near Cwm Clais and Castell y Wiriones (Witch's Castle) on a westerly spur of Mynydd y Gaer. I guess giantesses need more space than most people and one parish just wasn't big enough for them all! 

Dilic's supposed grave stones were located in lower Baglan, near the seaside, not far from the Old Road, an area that was covered by the high tide in centuries past. Today, some of the biggest stones in Baglan can be found in the park, opposite the library, the site of old Baglan Hall, built c.1600 and demolished in 1958.
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Old trees and stones in Baglan Park
Not the graves of mythical giants but the Gorsedd stones from the 1931 ceremony that took place in Taibach at the foot of Craig y Constant, the year before the National Eisteddfod was held in the Talbot Memorial Park there. 

Sources
The Story of Baglan (Port Talbot), A. Leslie Evans, privately published 1970
The Story of Taibach & District, A. Leslie Evans, first published privately 1963, reprinted 1982 by Alun Books, Port Talbot
4 Comments

    Lynne Rees

    Picture
    Lynne Rees was born and grew up in Port Talbot and blogs as 'the hungry writer' at www.lynnerees.com. Her book, Real Port Talbot, an upbeat and offbeat account of the town and surrounding area, from Bryn to Sandfields, from Margam to Baglan Bay, and everything in between, is published by Seren Books.

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