Will Huw's video: The Coblynau of Bodfari Underground Spirits of Wales

The Coblynau of Bodfari Underground Spirits of Wales Coblynau were believed to be a species of fairie, a mere one and a half foot in height, that lived within rocks and crevices, but their homes were invisible to mortal eyes. Underground was their domain and they were said to love metal above all else. Mines, especially metal mines, were irresistable to them Coblynau would make noises and knocks to announce their presence to miners, and to alert them to the presence of seams of metal and minerals. Sometimes they would tap to warn of looming danger. These ugly and frequently naughty creatures would steal candles and hide clothes and pickaxes. They could be malevolent and threaten miners during their hard and dangerous work. It was believed that when a mine accident was about to occur they would imitate the sounds of miners at work and whenever a miner’s death was imminent, they would knock three times upon the mine wall. But surely, Coblynau are mere mythical creatures, they dont actually exist..... do they. The Rev. Dr. Edward Williams, born in Glan Clwyd Isa, near Bodfari in North Wales in the year 1750. Bodfari is an area which in the past has been mined for iron, lead and haematite. The Reverend Williams was a Welsh nonconformist minister and writer, much admired by his contemporaries. Later in life he wrote his autobiography which was unremarkable except for one tiny passage. It was a recollection of one day in his childhood when he was playing with friends, what happened next was terrifying. I quote directly from his autobiography 'On a fine summer day (about midsummer) between the hours of 12 at noon and one, my eldest sister and myself, our next neighbour's children Barbara and Ann Evans, both older than myself, were in a field called Cae Caled near their house, all innocently engaged at play by a hedge under a tree, and not far from the stile next to that house, when one of us observed on the middle of the field a company of - what shall I call them? Beings, neither men, women, nor children, dancing with great briskness. They were full in view less than a hundred yards from us, consisting of about seven or eight couples: we could not well reckon them, owing to the briskness of their motions and the consternation with which we were struck at a sight so unusual. They were all clothed in red, a dress not unlike a military uniform, without hats, but their heads tied with handkerchiefs of a reddish colour, sprigged or spotted with yellow, all uniform in this as in habit, all tied behind with the corners hanging down their backs, and white handkerchiefs in their hands held loose by the corners. They appeared of a size somewhat less than our own, but more like dwarfs than children. ​On the first discovery we began, with no small dread, to question one another as to what they could be, as there were no soldiers in the country, nor was it the time for May dancers, and as they differed much from all the human beings we had ever seen. Thus alarmed we dropped our play, left our station, and made for the stile. Still keeping our eyes upon them we observed one of their company starting from the rest and making towards us with a running pace. I being the youngest was the last at the stile, and, though struck with an inexpressible panic, saw the grim elf just at my heels, having a full and clear, though terrific view of him, with his ancient, swarthy, and grim complexion. I screamed out exceedingly; my sister also and our companions set up a roar, and the former dragged me with violence over the stile on which, at the instant I was disengaged from it, this warlike Lilliputian leaned and stretched himself after me, but came not over. ​With palpitating hearts and loud cries we ran towards the house, alarmed the family, and told them our trouble. The men instantly left their dinner, with whom still trembling we went to the place, and made the most solicitous and diligent enquiry in all the neighbourhood, both at that time and after, but never found the least vestige of any circumstance that could contribute to a solution of this remarkable phenomenon.’ ​ The Rev. Dr. Edward Williams writing some years later on the event, attests to it's truth and states that, ‘though I have often in mature age called to my mind the principles of religion and philosophy to account for it, I am forced to class it among my unknowables.’ The field of Cae Caled is now part of a larger field called Cae Ffynnon (Spring Field), near Glan Clwyd Isa off the B5429 Aberwheeler to Llandyrnog road. The Rev. Dr Edward Williams' family had lived at Glan Clwyd Isa from at least the 1550’s. Today, it is possible to rent the house as a holiday cottage. You could if you wish, stay there and investigate Cae Caled for yourself, but be very careful..... you may find what you're looking for! ​