The bird flew straight back to Harlech, but finding that King Bran was away at Carnarvon, followed him there, and perched upon his shoulder as he sat at dinner, ruffling its feathers and whistling loudly. Bran put up his hand to seize the bird to discover the cause of its amazing behaviour, and so found Bronwen’s letter.
The King fell into a mighty rage and ordered out his fleet, then sailed across to Ireland to rescue his sister and wreak vengeance upon her cruel husband. A great battle took place and Bran and his forces were eventually driven back, although they managed to rescue Bronwen. But King Bran was fatally wounded by a poisoned dart and died soon after he reached his Welsh home. Before he died, he commanded that his dead body should be taken to London and buried on the White Mount—upon which later the Tower of London was erected. Poor Bronwen, broken-hearted, survived her brother but a short time. She was buried at Ynys Bronwen in Anglesea, where, only a few hundred years ago when the mound tomb was opened, an urn was found containing the ashes of the unhappy princess.
This is a sad little story to centre around so charming a place as Harlech, now dedicated, it seems, only to the happy laughter of contented holiday makers. Harlech stands upon the side of a castle-crowned hill, separated from the sea by those magnificent golf links famous throughout the world.
It is an ideal holiday resort in the midst of a district teeming with objects of natural beauty and antiquarian interest. From it, the railway line, which follows the greater part of the Cardigan Bay coast, gives easy access to such places as Barmouth, Aberystwyth, or northward to Criccieth and Pwllheli, while inland is a district of little lake-studded mountains and moorland, offering endless attractions to the walker, the artist, or the fisherman.
Harlech Castle.
THE SWAN OF GLASFRYN.
That part of Carnarvonshire in North Wales that stretches out into the sea to Braich-y-Pwll, and forms the northern boundary of beautiful Cardigan Bay, is known as Lleyn. Lleyn is a peninsula of splendid scenery, both round the coast and inland by its mountains and moorland lakes; and almost every square mile of the place has its legend, or brave tale of historic times to tell.