Gelert's Grave, Beddgelert

Gelert’s Grave 

What is it? 

According to legend - Gelert was the faithful dog of Llywelyn the Great (1172-1240), Prince of Gwynedd. He saved Llywelyn’s baby son from a wolf. However, on seeing Gelert covered in blood, Llywelyn killed him in the heat of the moment. He then heard the baby’s cries and saw the dead wolf, and realised his mistake. Gelert was buried outside the castle walls, at a shady spot now marked by a stone monument 

What’s there? 

A stone memorial to commemorate Gelert. The grave is in National Trust owned land and there is a walking trail 

Facts - 

▪ Similar folk tales exist in many other countries, always involving the death of a loyal animal which had protected a child from a fearsome attacker. The basic story may have originated in India, centuries before Llywelyn’s time. 

▪ History and myth became confused in 1793 - David Pritchard, landlord of the Royal Goat Inn, knew the story and adapted it to fit the village, to benefit trade at his inn