Welsh Journals

The Leper Stone at Llanrhidian by PHOEBE SIMONS This STONE FORMERLY STOOD in the churchyard, and was moved into the porch by Mr. Charles Glascodine. As it is unutterably evil that is the best place for it. I sent photos of it to the curator of Egyptian antiquities, a Mr. Smith, in the early 1920's, and he said it is exceedingly old, certainly before Oghams, a stone of the fanged beast tribe, wolfish, of strong Egyptian influence, a horned, turned-down nose, meaning a tearing or rending animal. It might have been made as a protection against were- wolves, as primitive peoples made images of the things they were afraid of, as a totem to ward off danger. The carving on the shoulder is the boat of the dead that carried the souls to the next world, the two figures of later date (Celtic) suggest it was mada harmless by dedication to two saints, possibly St. Bridget and St. Patrick. The two dedication crosses indicate two saints. On the left shoulder back there is the indication of a basin which would just come under the heart of a sacrifice lying face down. Also, early Christian places of worship were often put where the heathen idol was, or stood. The old people always called it the Leper Stone, and said that in the old days lepers used to rub against it and get cured, and to sit on it was a perfect cure for headaches. To me a most interesting fact is that in Yucatan in Mexico, at an old Mayan ruin, the exact double of this stone was found the drawing of it might have been made from the Llanrhidian stone. The Llanrhidian Stone in 1908 A. Moffat