Cadi

Just over three hundred years ago at Trawsfynydd, a small village nestling beneath the huge rocks of Meirionydd (now part of Gwynedd), lived a witch named Cadi. Local residents were not too scared of her but took no chances of offending her or refusing her requests for food, which was all she ever asked for. Early one morning the witch paid a visit to a small farm at Trawsfynydd, which was run by an old widow, named Gwen. Gwen and her son Ifor were not afraid of witches, so Ifor was not overly worried when he saw Cadi arrive while he was working in the field. His mother could take care of old Cadi. A little later he saw Cadi storming off muttering and stamping with her long black rage flying in the breeze, and her white hair standing out from her head. He grinned to himself, and sauntered over to the farmhouse for his meal. "I refused her some butter" said his mother when he was seated, "then she got nasty when I told her I was not scared of her or her cursing." His mother went on to tell him that Cadi had said something very strange. "No food to take away Gwen? Well I'll take away something more precious than food." Gwen told her son that it was impossible for Cadi to have stolen anything. "I never took my eyes off her. A couple of days later Gwen fell into "a decline" as the old folk used to say. It was tuberculosis. In those days living in damp conditions, no curse was needed to become ill. Gwen became worse and Ifan knew his mother was slipping away. He knew now what Cadi the witch had meant by "something more precious". He tacked up his horse and rode to Porthmadog to fetch Dr. Bunyan who was reputed to be a wizard. They both agreed that Gwen had been cursed by Cadi, and Gwen said with a whisper "Cadi". The Dr. told Ifan that it may be too late to save his mother but he would try. The Dr. said to open both halves of the kitchen door and take his mother in a chair near the door. Gwen didn't know what was happening. Then Dr. Bunyan said he was going to call upon Cadi by magic. He began to chant and before long Cadi could be seen coming towards them looking very angry. The witch glared at Gwen, but she didn't notice her, as she was too ill by then. "Say to Gwen "God's blessing on you", cadi" ordered Dr. Bunyan. The witch stared at him malevolently. Ifan cried out in despair "Hurry, before my mother dies, do as the Dr. says". With hate in her red eyes, and foam coming from her mouth, Cadi spat the words "God's blessing on me so that I do no such thing". Ifor lunged at the witch with an iron poker shouting "say the blessing now and say it properly" Cadi muttered the blessing and ran out of the house. Ifor imagined there was a smell of brimstone in the air. Cadi's magic may have been stronger than the wizard's as the following day, Gwen died. Ifor vowed to kill the witch after the funeral. Cadi left the village and went to live in a cave in Maentwrog. Ifor searched for her all his life, but never met up with her again.

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