Posted on 13/03/2021 by Thom
Nightmarish tales are afoot in a small village in North Wales, as what can only be described as the Welsh verson of the Grim Reaper is said to lie in wait for unsuspecting townsfolk. This dred that looms large in legend takes the form of Angelystor.
It is believed that the inhabitants of Llangernyw, situated halfway between Abergele and Llanrwst, receive their terrible fate from the supernatural being who appears beneath the branches of a 3,000-year-old yew tree, twice a year, on Halloween and July 31st.
The Recording Angel
On those days, the Angelystor appears in the ancient church of Llangernyw in Conwy to announce, in Welsh, the names of those parish members who will perish shortly afterwards. On Halloween one year, a tailor named Shôn ap Rhobert scoffed at the story of the Angelystor while he was drinking in a pub. The pub's patrons challenged him to prove the story false by visiting the church. Taking up the challenge, most likely with some dutch courage to steady the nerves, ap Rhobert made his way to the church. When he arrived at the church door, he heard a deep voice reciting names. The first name he heard was his own.
He cried out:
Hold, hold! I am not ready yet!
Shôn died later that same year.
Llangernyw Yew
(Wales' oldest tree, photo by Nikki Logan)
And what of the Yew Tree itself? Well, that is a legend in its own right.
The tree is located in the grounds of St. Digain's Church in the Llangernyw village. It is difficult to determine the exact age of yew trees, however, a certificate from the Yew Tree Campaign in 2002, endorsed by David Bellamy, suggests that it is between 4,000 and 5,000 years old according to the available data. On the other hand, some have proposed that it is no older than the saint site nearby, putting its age at around 1,500 years.
In any case, it would seem to suggest that it is the oldest tree in Wales. And it is a pretty amazing sight.