Llanddona Witches on the Anglesey Coastal Path

If you walk the Anglesey Coastal Path, you will no doubt hear about the amazing myth of the Llanddona witches.

Llanddona is a small town on the east coast of Anglesey, located in an Area of ​​Outstanding Natural Beauty.

There have been many legends over the centuries about this mysterious island, but the myth of the Llanddona witches certainly captures the imagination.

Throughout the centuries, people have believed in the awesome power of witches to negatively influence society. So, for example, if a crop failed or farm animals invariably died, the community would blame the witches.

Surprisingly, it was not until 1736 that Parliament repealed the specific law, which until then had allowed witches to be hanged for such questionable transgressions.

Not surprisingly, with legends and tales there is more than one version of events, and the Llanddona witches are no exception.

The first story tells how during a stormy night, a Spanish ship ran aground on the sandy beach of Llanddona. Despite attempts to hold the ship together, eventually the power of the waves caused the ship to break up.

In the chaos, the crew struggled to land in the foaming seas, but unfortunately most of them drowned in their efforts to reach land safely.

By dawn, the survivors had reached the top of the cliff, and when they looked down the beach, they realized they could never get out, seeing the wrecked ship below.

So they decided to make the best of a bad situation and made this piece of land their own. The local people of Llanddona were certainly not happy that a group of shipwrecked survivors decided to camp outside the village.

The myth suggests that the survivors were short in stature, had red hair, and were believed to be from Spain. Despite several attempts by the local population to remove the survivors, they eventually relented and allowed their new guests to stay.

Legend suggests that the survivors had used various circus and magic tricks to confuse the locals.

The Llanddona villagers began to believe the rumor that the survivors were witches, because they kept to themselves.

One of the survivors, a short woman named Sian Bwt or Short Betty, had two thumbs on her left hand. These were apparently sure signs that the individual was a witch.

The second account tells how a fisherman walking along the coast observed one day an open boat carrying drenched and disheveled women who had been washed up on Llandona beach by the strong tide.

The women looked very ill, and it was no wonder they had been at sea without food or water for so long. Apparently, one of the witches hit the beach with her staff. And surprisingly a spring of clear water arose.

After building themselves a shelter of wood and stone, the witches began to beg for food, cursing anyone who refused. When they visited the local markets, they did not pay for any products and, on one occasion, turned into hares so they would not get caught.

Over the years, the witches continued to terrorize the people of Llanddona. There was an incident, when the witches were smuggling certain goods to the island. They arrived at the beach at night and then began to carry the merchandise in barrels to the town.

The Llanddona witches were so confident that they even ignored the Customs officials. When challenged, they released hundreds of black flies which flew up and bit the villagers and officials.

And so the myth continues. Many believe that the descendants of the witches still live in Llandona to this day. So if you come to this island, make a special effort to visit the Anglesey Coastal Path around Llanddona.