Welsh Journals

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A Few Elements of British Folk-culture. R. U. SAYCE. (i) FOLK SIGNALLING Investigators have given little attention in recent years to the methods by which messages were in the past sent over the country. The intention of these notes is to bring the matter forward in the hope that historians and others who know more about the subject may make their information available in this journal. Under normal circumstances news will travel easily from farm to farm, and from village to village, but it may take a good deal of time unless there is some organised means of transmitting it. In cases of emergency it is important that there should be as little delay as possible. When the country was in- vaded, or war broke out between one part and another, how were the fighting men summoned to their places of assembly ? The use of the fiery cross m the Scottish Highlands is historical. When English armies swept through Wales, the Welsh often evaded a direct encounter and employed harassing tactics. To do this, they must have had accurate information of the English movements. not only that they might move their own troops suitably, but that they should be able to keep, as far as possible, their non-combatants and especially their cattle from falling into English hands. Several hills bear the name Disgwyl- fa (look-out), or some related name Was there ever an organised system or observation posts, and, if so, how did the observers send their reports ? In the Middle Ages Wales was predominantly a pastoral country, and the stock were sometimes moved from one pasture to another according to the the seasons. The familiar place-name, Hafod, indicates the summer pastures which were up in the hills, often a considerable distance from the main homestead. The hafod system seems to have survived in parts of Wales to within the memory of the last generation In Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and other parts of Europe it still lives on. The isolated cattle-posts may be lonely places, and the herders feel the need of contacts with other people. They therefore arrange some system by which they can communicate with the neighbouring posts concerning sickness or injury, strayed cattle, or the arrival of visitors, or send an invitation to a meeting. Even a few friendly notes sent out on a horn would break the loneliness.