The legend connected with Llyn-y-Fan Fach, known locally as the Lady of the Lake, begins with a local young man, son of a widow from Blaen Sawdde spent a lot of time gazing wistfully into the lake’s dazzling waters.
One day while sat at the side of the lake, a beautiful woman rose out of the waters and walked over to the young man. She said that if he married her, he would never want for anything again but on two conditions: that he would never reveal to anyone the supernatural nature of their meeting, and that he would not hit her 3 times. Of course the boy agreed, and they married.
They were happy for years putting up a house in Esgair Llaethdy near Myddfai, and bringing up a family there. The lady had very special cattle, traditionally still kept at Dinefwr. But over time the man did hit his wife three times, as gentle admonishments.
He once teasingly flicked his wife with a pair of leather gloves and thus she warned; “This is the first causeless blow”. The man was shocked and apologised profusely but the Lady of the Lake had made up her mind.
Years later, the pair were at a christening and amongst the joyous frivolity of everyone around her, the lady began to cry. Her husband tapped her on the shoulder and asked what was the matter. “This child is small and frail,” she said, “and he will know nothing but sorrow in this world. And husband,” she warned, “you have struck me once more”. The man was beside himself, he had now unwittingly struck his beautiful wife twice.
From then on, the man guarded himself closely to ensure that he did not mistakenly strike his wife again. Then, not long after the christening, the couple attended the funeral of that same babe, and the Lady of the Lake began to laugh. The husband anxiously grabbed his wife shoulder and told her to stop. “Why should I stop?” she asked, “The poor child is finally free of his pain and suffering. And, dear husband, that is the third blow you have dealt me.”
Upon returning home, the Lady of the Lake walked across the farm with every animal following her down into the cool depths of its magical waters, never to be seen again.
Among the cattle was a team of four oxen which were ploughing at the time. They followed too, plough and all, and, “they say, to this very day you may see a well-marked furrow running right across Myddfai mountain to the edge of Llyn-y-Fan-Fach, which proves this story is true.”
But the mother returned sometimes to help and instruct her sons, and in particular one called Rhiwallon. In due course Rhiwallon and the other sons went to the court of Rhys Gryg of Deheubarth, where they became famous doctors who are known today as the Physicians of Myddfai. A number of their medical formulae remain in the Welsh manuscripts.
