Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Mound, Llanddaniel Fab, Anglesey, North-West Wales aka Gwynedd, British Isles [Map]

Archaeologia Cambrensis 1908 Supplement 03 December 1802. 3rd December 1802. Accompanied by a young farmer who procured a lanthorn for the purpose we walked nearly a mile to the south east of the church to the spot where in Mr. Rowlands' time there were two carnedds [Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Mound [Map]] remaining having two rude stone pillars placed between them but these stones have been employed for the purpose of building a wall near this place as well as a great part (fol. 45.) of the western carnedd which is nearly destroyed for the same purpose about twenty years ago when the labourers when digging towards the center discovered a flat pan about ten inches over-turned bottom upwards and under it a wedge of gold as they pretend the size of the heater of an iron with a piece of wire passing through the smaller end of it. The father of the young man who was with us happened to be one of the workmen employed at the time, but as what they found was immediately taken by Colonel Peacock the proprietor of the ground the man could give no further account of the circumstance. I should imagine that what they called the wedge of gold was no other than one of the brazen celts or sacrificial instruments used in former times which have been discovered in great numbers in Cornwall and (fol. 46) other parts of the kingdom. Whilst a farmer was removing some of the stones from the north east side of the larger carnedd to employ them in his repairs he came to the mouth of a passage covered with a square stone similar to that at Plas Newydd, anxious to reap the fruits of his discovery he procured a light and crept forward on his hands and knees along the dreary vault, when lo! in a chamber at the further end a figure in white seemed to forbid his approach. The poor man had scarcely power sufficient to crawl backwards out of this den of spirits as he imagined however in the course of a few days instigated by the hopes of riches and the presence of many assistants he made his second entré into the cavern and finding the white gentleman did not offer to stir he boldly went (fol. 46a) forward and discovered the object of his apprehensions was no other than a stone pillar about six feet in height standing in the centre of the chamber. His former consternation could now only be exceeded by his eagerness to see what was contained beneath the stone which he shortly overturned but treasure there was none, some large human bones lying near the pillar sufficiently testifying the purpose for which the structure was intended. This is the substance of the account we received fromn the younger man whose father was one of Colonel Peacock's labourers and on the premises at the time of the discovery. The superstition of the common people still suppose this to be the habitation of spirits.

Tour Through North Wales. The circles of stones, of which many remain in North Wales, were the temples of the druids, in which they performed their religious rites; they were generally surrounded by fine oaks. A Carnedd is a great heap of stones, sometimes encircled by upright ones. Some years since, one was discovered near Lord Uxbridge's seat [Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Mound [Map]], in which a passage was perceived, that led to a room about three feet wide, and seven feet high; in the centre was a rude stone pillar, which helped to support a roof, consisting of one immense stone, which measured ten feet in diameter: on the sides were benches of the same material, with human bones upon them, which, at the touch, dissipated into dust. These edifices were the repositories of the dead. A Cromlech is another species of druidical remains; it consists of three, or sometimes more, upright stones, with one large stone placed upon them; the whole being similar to those rooms found in the Carnedda. It has often been asserted, that the Cromlechs were the altars upon which the druids performed their acts of immolation, or sacrifices of human victims taken in war; but to this opinion there are insurmountable objections. To those who can suppose the sacrifice was performed under them, it is objected, that many of these are too low to admit the officiating priest to go through the ceremony; and if, again, as has been the opinion, it is supposed that this act could have been performed upon the top stone, another potent reason starts up, and says, that the greatest number of these stones, from their sloping and often serrated summits, could never admit either the fire, the priest, or the victim upon them¹. The most rational idea respecting them is, that they were, like the Carnedd just mentioned, the sepulchral monuments of the priests and philosophers of the ancient Britons; and no doubt were the origin of our church - yard tomb - stones.

Note 1. See also the opinion of Dr. Borlace. Antiq. Cornwall, pa. 210, $

Archaeologia Cambrensis 1869 Page 118-147 Cromlechs in North Wales. None of the cromlechs that have been briefly mentioned seem to have traces of galleries leading to the chamber. This, as is well known, is one of the marked distinctive features of sepulchral chambers in Britany, as contrasted with those of this country. In the former country they are by no means uncommon; in the latter, particularly as regards Wales, they are extremely rare. Allusion has been already made to the gallery connected with the three chambers near Capel Garmon [Map]. Through the courteous kindness of Capt. Lukis we are enabled to present a copy of the plan made by that gentleman, accompanied with careful and accurate measurements of details (cut 12), of the chamber of Bryn-celli Ddu [Map], or, as it is called in the Ordnance Map Yr Ogof, or the hole or cave. It still retains some portion of the original carn, but is more remarkable from its having the greater portion of the original gallery leading to the chamber, in a tolerably perfect state. A view of the exterior of the chamber, showing the remains of the cairn and gallery together with an accurate description of the whole monument will be found in the Archæologia Cambrensis of 1847 (p. 3). Rowlands, in his Mona Antiqua, merely describes the remains of two carns near each other, one of which had been almost in his time entirely removed, and the other had been broken and pitted into on one side. "Two standing columns" are also said to exist between the two carns. (Mona Antiqua, pp. 93, 100.) An extremely rude representation is also given, which represents the carns as composed of nothing but stones, without any admixture of earth, which was not the case. As Rowlands says nothing about the gallery, it is more than probable that although the carn had been "pitted into" on one side, the gallery had not been discovered,— much less the chamber. While Pennant described it, one of the carns had vanished. At least he writes as if only one existed at the time. The upright stones are also passed over without notice, and were also probably no longer in existence. On the other hand, the late Miss Lloyd, in her account of the parish of Llanddeiniol Vab, in which the monument stands (see History of the island of Mona, p. 221), says, "At Bryncelli are some traces of large carneddau, where two upright stones are still standing."

But her not mentioning the chamber and gallery, the account of which by Pennant must have been known to her, would tend to show that she merely obtained her information from Rowlands, and had forgotten Pennant's description. Her History of Mona was printed in 1832. Pugh, in his Cambria Depicta, published in 1816, appears to have visited the chamber, but does little more than repeat what Pennant had previously stated.

Archaeological Journal Volume 28 1871 Pages 97-108. 3. Bryncelli-ddu [Map], Llanddeiniel par. (s).

This highly curious sepulchral monument is situated on the farm of Bryncelli-ddu, near Plas Gwyn, now called Plas-llwynon. It is marked "Yr Ogof" in the Ordnance Survey. Rowlands, in 1766, states that there are "in Llanddeiniel parish, at a place called Plas Gwyn, formerly Llwyn Llwyd, now Bryn Kelli, the remains of two Carnedds, within a few paces of one another." Of these carnedds he has given representations, pl. vii. p. 100. He observes that the stones, of which these vast accumulations were composed, had been carried away to form walls and enclosures. In the progress doubtless of this destruction, the discovery occurred, described by Pennant, Tour in Wales, vol. ii. p. 262. A few years previous to his visit, about 1780, a passage 3 ft. wide was found, and about 19|- ft. high, leading into a chamber of irregularly hexagonal form, 3 ft. in diameter, 7 ft. in height, the sides formed of six rude slabs. In the middle was a pillar supporting the roof, a large stone nearly 10 ft. in diameter. Along the sides of this chamber was a bench, on which lay human bones, that fell to dust at a touch. The diameter of the carnedd was about 100 ft.3 Of the denuded cromlechlike structure, all traces of the carnedd having now disappeared, Mr. Longueville Jones gave a view, taken from the S. E., in 1846, and accompanying more full particulars. Arch. Cambr. vol. ii. p. 3. The most complete description, however, of these remarkable remains is to be found in the Memoir on Cromlechs in North Wales, by the liev. E. L. Barnwell, Arch. Cambr., third series, vol. xv. p. 140; with a ground plan, section, and interior view, shewing the gallery. These illustrations are from actual survey by Capt. Lukis, whose intimate knowledge of subjects of this nature, especially through his researches in the Channel Islands, is well known to all students of prehistoric remains. His account of Bryncelli-ddu claims careful consideration, as compared with the extraordinary statement given by Pennant. The complete denudation of the structure at Bryncelli-ddu, in the course of a century, is a fact of considerable interest, as connected with the belief that all cromlechs had originally been enveloped in a mound of earth, a carnedd of stones and the like. It is gratifying to state that the remains have been fenced in and preserved from future injury by the care of Mr. C. Evans, of Pliis Gwyn, acting on behalf of the Marquis of Anglesey. Arch. Camb., N. S., vol. v. p. 205. They were visited during the meeting of the Cambrian Archaeological Association at Bangor, in 1860: Arch. Cambr., third series, vol. vi. pp. 364—368. They are noticed by Angh. Llwyd, under Llanddeiniel Vab, Hist. Anglesey, p. 221; Pughe, Cambria Depicta, p. 71.