For the board game, see Skirrid (board game).
Ysgyryd Fawr
Ysgyryd Fawr Geograph.jpg
Ysgyryd Fawr from the north
Elevation 486 m (1,594 ft)
Prominence 344 m (1,129 ft)
Parent peak Sugar Loaf
Listing Marilyn
Translation Great shattered [hill] (Welsh)
Pronunciation Welsh: [ɐsˈɡɐɾɪd ˈvæuɾ]
Location
Location Monmouthshire,  Wales
Range Black Mountains
OS grid SO331182
Topo map OS Landranger 161

Ysgyryd Fawr is the most easterly of the Black Mountains in Wales, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The name is often anglicised to The Skirrid or Skirrid Fawr, and the mountain is also known as Holy Mountain or Sacred Hill. The spelling Skyrrid is also encountered in older literature. The lower hill of Ysgyryd Fach or 'Little Skirrid' (270m) lies about 4.5 km / 2.5 mi to the south.

It is 486 m high and lies just outside Abergavenny [1], Monmouthshire, about 10 miles from the English border. The Beacons Way passes along the ridge .[1]

Contents

Geology [link]

Its distinctive shape comprises a long ridge oriented nearly north–south, with a jagged western side resulting from ice age landslips .[2] The upper slopes of the hill are composed of Devonian age sandstones assigned to the Brownstones Formation. These overlie weaker mudstones of the St Maughans Formation - a situation which has contributed to the instability of the hill's steep flanks.[3]

Cultural associations [link]

Ysgyryd is a word describing the hill's shape, signifying that which has shivered or been shattered [2]. There is a rich mythology attached to the mountain ,[4][5] including a distinctive stone known as the Devil's Table. According to legend, part of the mountain is said to have been broken off at the moment of the crucifixion of Jesus. There was a local tradition that earth from the Skirrid was holy and especially fertile, and it was taken away to be scattered on fields elsewhere, on coffins, and in the foundations of churches.[6] Pilgrimages were made, especially on Michaelmas Eve, to the summit.

History [link]

The ruins of an iron–age hill fort and a mediæval Roman Catholic church, dedicated to St. Michael, lie at the summit. Rudolf Hess used to walk here when he was held prisoner at nearby Maindiff Court during the early 1940s. [4] This mountain site "..a stark barren monolith.." is also mentioned in the recent book by Pete "Snapper" Winner, Soldier 'I' - The Story of an SAS Hero[7] as part of Sickener 2, his Selection for the SAS.

Ownership and access [link]

Ysgyryd Fawr has belonged to the National Trust since 1939. The summit [3] offers views [4] is easily accessed on foot from the car park beside the B4521 Ross Road shown on the Ordnance Survey maps. The ascent is steep initially but gradual thereafter; allow two hours for the completion and return. A rough path follows the perimeter of the hill at a lower level.

External links [link]

References [link]

  1. ^ "Beacons Way". Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. https://www.breconbeacons.org/BeaconsWay/view?searchterm=Ysgyryd. 
  2. ^ Keith Rapado (9 July 2003). "The Skirrid (Ysgyryd Fawr) Holy Mountain". https://www.brecon-beacons.com/The-Skirrid.htm. 
  3. ^ British Geological Survey: memoir to Abergavenny geological map sheet 232
  4. ^ a b Llanddewi Skirrid. "Facts and Fiction of Skirrid Fawr". https://www.btinternet.com/~llantilio/villagesite/lswebpages/folklore.htm. Retrieved November 4, 2006. 
  5. ^ Rhiannon (8 March 2005). "Ysgyryd Fawr". The Modern Antiquarian. https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/35394. 
  6. ^ Roy Palmer, The Folklore of (old) Monmouthshire, 1998, ISBN 1-873827-40-7
  7. ^ ISBN 978-1-84603; pp 39

https://wn.com/Ysgyryd_Fawr

Skirrid (board game)

Skirrid is a board game designed for 2–6 players. It is played on a 19×19 square board which is divided into two areas: a central diamond (coloured white) and the four corner triangles (coloured black) that remain. One player has 18 translucent tiles made of clear plastic, the other of smoked plastic. These tiles come in six different shapes, each with their own name:

  • The Eye (covers 1 square);
  • The Rod (covers 2 squares);
  • The Quoin (covers 3 squares);
  • The Snake (covers 4 squares);
  • The Door (covers 5 squares);
  • The Gun (covers 6 squares).

    • Two-player game

    White begins by placing any of his tiles across the centre square. The players then take turns placing their pieces on the board, which is covered with numbers. Players must play within the white squares until they have achieved a score of 75 or more.The aim is to get as high a score as possible. Of the three pieces of each variety, one has an inscribed '2' above one square, and one has an inscribed '3' (the other is unmarked). When these pieces are played, the square on the board covered by the number written on the tile is multiplied by that number when it is added to the relevant player's score. Pieces may only be placed in positions where they are adjacent to (not just diagonally touching) a piece of either colour that has already been placed. The game ends when all 36 pieces have been placed on the board, and the highest score wins.

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    This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Skirrid_(board_game)

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    1968

    by: Secret

    Marching down the road I look back to see who is lost
    Forget about the past, I will leave my name behind my back, behind me, forsaken
    Head against the walls I will burn every fucking flag in front of everyone, betrayed.
    To hear their screams louder
    Blood all over the ground, fertilizer for the disease
    It grows high, it grows lonely
    Another riot is born right now, another widow cry in front of me betrayed
    Isolated from this tragedy. Fated for a deeper void.
    There's no light to see outside just a dark night filled with all your fears
    Today's ending and there's no light to see anymore, everything is gone




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