Mountains talk of kings and dragons, the Brecon Beacons

Abstract

Th is chapter turns to the Brecon Beacons in Wales and approaches the nature of a 'place' as it draws together the diverse threads of local folklore, sky and star movements, the contemporary use of the place of the Brecon Beacons, and the location's larger cultural themes of the dragon of Wales and its links to kingship. With so many diverse layers of mythology and topography, these two twin peaks present what Belden Lane defi ned as a place that 'talks back' , a place that participates with humanity in its expression. 1 Th e case study slowly reveals that the roof of the Brecon Beacons, rich in its cultural roots, is a place 'singing to itself ' and as such draws sacredness or meaning towards itself independent of human conscious actions.Th e Brecon Beacons is a mountain range comprised of six main peaks shaped into a long winding ridge which geographically defi nes the border between south and mid Wales. At either end of the ridge are mountain ranges: to the west, Black Mountain; and to the east the similarly named, Black Mountains. Th e actual name of the Brecon Beacons is thought to relate to their use of beacon lighting to warn of attacks. Th e beacons were also lit to celebrate the millennium. One of these six peaks is the highest in southern Britain. Named Pen y Fan and standing at 886 metres, it is connected by a ridge to the west to the second highest peak, Corn Du, with a height of 873 metres. Th e two peaks and their joining ridge thus combine to form a 'beam' in the roof of the Brecon Beacons. From this high ridge two U-shaped glacial valleys fl ow, one running down to the south, called the T â f Fechan Valley, and the other to the north, containing a glacial lake, Llyn cwm Llwc ( Figure 7.1 , top).