Bilingual post, English below/Post diwyethek, Sowsnek a-woles.
Yn hwir, an termyn re dheuth. Ytho, alhwedhewgh agas yer ha'gas fleghes, mar pe nebes dhewgh, ha gyllyn kowsel yn-kever... an Best!
Marth yw genev pub prys a gowsav gans nebonan na glowas yn-kever Best Goon Brenn - dell yw usys, hemm a hwer ha my ow kowsel gans pobel na dheu a-dhyworth Kernow hweg awos treweythyow my a ankov yth eksistons (oups). Mes a dro dhe dro, my a vet gans Kernowyon na wor yn y gever, ytho ragdha oll yw an post ma - ha henn yw an acheson y vos diwyethek keffrys nag usi usadow rag ow fostow a-dro dhe Lien Gwerin.
Pobel na wor moy es y hanow a dyb y vos neb eghen a euthvil po fantom, mes kath wyls du bras yw yn hwir a stalk gonow ughel Kernow North hag Est.
Derivasow a enevales bargen tir ledhys ha mutiletyes, avel deves ha bughes, a dhallathas ow tos a-dhyowrth arenebedh Goon Brenn y'n 1960ow (ish). Erbyn 1995, y fia dres 60 gwelans a gath avel pantha esa tri dhe bymp tros-hys hir gans dewlagas melyn. Henn o lowr rag an governans dhe lonchya hwilans sodhogel rag an Best. Ny drovsons an Best po arwodhyow anodho, mes i a wrug derivas nag esa dustuni er y bynn poken.
Y'n keth bledhen, trovyes a veu klopen kath veur war lannow Dowr Fowydh gans flogh. Mes, herwydh an Gwithti Istori Naturel yn Loundres (gowygyon heb dout), ev o klopen lewpard esa ynberthys dhe Vreten avel strel.
Yma meur a dybiethow a-dro dhe'n Best ha pyth yw yn poran. Meur a bobel a akord y vos neb kath veur esa gwithys avel eneval dov po a-dhyworth milva a wrug diank ha hemm a apper dhe vos an gwiryonedh. Yn erthygel yn 2014, an Mirror a leveris y kasas Milva Goon Dart nebes pumas dhe dhiank y'n 1980ow a drigas y'n gwelyow a-derdro dhe'n arenebedh bys dhe 2010 pan wrussons merwel (herwydh oberoryon an vilva). Ytho, possybyl yw y hwrug onan po moy a'n pumas ma viajya a-dhyworth Sparkwell dhe Woon Brenn - nyns yns re bell a-les hag yma leow le may halsens treusi'n Dowr Tamar. Martesen i a wrug matya ha gul henedhow erel a gathes gwyls meur.
Awos an matyans teyluyek, certan yw na dreusvewas an henedhow nowyttha rag hir. Hemm a dhispleg an leheans yn gwelansow an Best a-gynsow.
Mes, yma moy! Drefen my dhe weles an Best ow honan ha my y'n skol kensa yn Trewythelan y'n Nans Logh. (Ha hemm yw onan a'm drollow mogha kerys a-dhyworth o flogholeth)!
Yth esen vy yn bledhen hwegh dhe'n pols na, ytho res o y vos yn 2003/2004 (ny allav perthi kov mars esa y'n hav po y'n kynhav. An unsel dra a govhav yw y vos dydh howlyek ha tomm a-ves). Penndhyskador an skol o dyskador ow klass, awos bos pur vyghan an skol, ha dell o usys, para'n skol a dhothya y'gan stevel-dhyski rag kowsel ganso. Py pynag, unn jorna, koges an skol a dheuth ow ponya hag ow pantya dhe'n stevel-dhyski heb bonkya war an daras ha'n penndhyskador ow kowsel dhyn. Ha hi ow tos a-ji, hi a skrijyas: "AN BEST RE BEU GWELYS Y'N WIG!" Peub a stoppyas ha mires orti, ha'n penndhyskador eth gensi a-ves dhe'n stevel dhe drovya yn-mes pyth o ow hwarvos. Herwydh an goges, nebonan a-dhyworth an wig (usi a-ugh dhe'n skol war benn an vre) re welsa'n Best ow kerdhes a-dro dhe'n gwelyow a-dro dhe'n wig. Ny grysas an penndhyskador drolla'n goges, mes awos hy bos mar ownek, ev a agrias dh'agan gwitha a-ji dre'n powes-li. Nyns o henn da gans an fleghes awos an gewer splann a-ves. Mes ha ni ow kwari yn hel an skol, my a viras dre fenester ha gweles kath dhu meur ow kerdhes a-hys an ke yn gwel y'n nans. Mar vras avel davas o po brassa, nyns en vy 100% sur yn-kever henna, mes certan ov y hwelis an Best. Ny wonn mar y'n gwella nebonan aral, mes yth esa res dhe onan a'n dhyskadoryon erel lewya'n goges dhe's karr y'n wig.
Yn Kernow yn-unnik!
A welsowgh an Best? Gesewgh ni dhe wodhvos ha gasa kampol a-woles!
My a wayt hwi dhe omlowenha'n hwedhel ma. Yma moy ow tos yn skon.
_____________________
The time has come. So lock up your hens and your children, if you've got any, and let's talk about the Beast!
I'm always surpised when I speak to someone who hasn't heard of the Beast of Bodmin Moor - usually this happens whe I'm talking with people who aren't from dearest Cornwall as I do, occasionally, forget that such people exist (oops). But from time to time, I do meet Cornishmen who don't know about it. It is for all of these people that I have written this post bilingually, instead of monolingually like most of my Folklore posts.
People who only know its name think that it's some kind of monster of phantom, but actually it's a large black wild cat that stalks the high moorlands of North and East Cornwall.
Reports of killed and mutilated livestock, such as sheep or cows, began coming up in the area in the Bodmin Moor area in the 1960s (ish). By 1995, there had been more than 60 sightings of a large pantha-like cat which was around three to five feet long with large yellow eyes. This was enough for the government to launch an official search for the Beast. They didn't find any signs of the Beast, but did report that there was no evidence against it either.
In the same year, the skull of a large cat was found on the banks of the River Fowey by a child. But, according to the National History Museum in London (obvious liars), it was the skull of a Leopard which had been brought to Bitain as a rug.
There are many suggestions as to where the Beast came from and what it is exactly. Many people agree that it is some sort of big cat that was kept as a pet or in a zoo which escaped, and this appeasrs to be the truth. In a 2014 article, the Plymouth Metro reported that Darmoor Zoo had let some pumas escape in the 1980's which lived in the fields around the zoo until 2010, when they died (according to zoo staff). So, it is possible that one or more of these pumas did travel from Sparkwell to Bodmin Moor - They aren't too far apart and there are places where they could have crossed the Tamar. Perhaps they mated and made further generations of large wild cats.
Of course, because of inbreeding, it's certain that the newer generations didn't survive for long. This would explain the reduction in sightings of the Beast of late.
But wait, theres more, as I saw the Beast myself when I attened Primary School in Trewidland in the Looe Valley. (And this is one of my favourite stories from my childhood)!
I was in year 6 at the time, so it had to have been in 2003/2004 (I can't remember if it was in the Summer or the Autumn. All I can recall is that it was a warm and sunny day outside). The headteacher of the school was also my class teacher, as it was a very small school, and it was the norm for other members of staff to come into our lessons to talk with him. Anyway, one day the school cook came bursting into the classroom without knocking on the door as the headteacher was talking. As she entered, she exclaimed: "THE BEAST'S BEEN SPOTTED IN THE VILLAGE!" Everyone stopped and stared at her, and the headteacher went out of the room to find out what was going on. According to the cook, someone in the village (which is on top of the hill above the school) had seen the Beast walking around the fields around the village. The headteacher didn't really believe this, but because she was so frightend, he agreed to keep us inside the building suring the lunch-break. The children weren't best pleased by this because of the lovely weather outside. But as we played in the school hall, I looked through a window to see a large black cat walking along a hedgerow in a field in the valley. It was at least as big as a ship, if not bigger, but I'm not 100% about that. I don't know if anyone else saw it, but one of the other teachers had to drive the cook up to her car in the village.
Only in Cornwall!
Have you ever seen the Beast? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
I hope you enjoyed this legend. There's more to come.
Pennfentynnyow:
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