Beddgelert is Welsh for Gelert's Grave. The legend is that one day Prince Llywelyn the Great of Snowdonia returned to his castle nearby to find the cradle of his baby son upturned, no sign of the baby and his favourite hunting hound Gelert with blood around his mouth.
A distressed Llywelyn thought that Gelert had killed the baby and stabbed him with his sword. As Gelert lay dying Llywelyn heard a child's cry, lifted the cradle and found his son safe and sound underneath; hidden behind the cradle was a dead wolf, killed by Gelert to save the little prince.
Overcome by remorse Llywelyn carried his hound to the river side and buried him there with a stone marking his head and another marking his feet; it is said that after the incident Llywelyn never smiled again.
He also built a church, dedicated to St Mary, close by to thank God for the life of his son.
Legend also says that although this story is based on ancient tales it was used, towards the end of the 18th century, by David Pritchard the owner of a local inn, The Royal Goat, to bring people to the village to boost his trade. It is said that with the help of the parish clerk he placed the stones near the river and invented the hound's name; apparently the stones are only 200 years old.
In spite of this the tale of Gelert is such a powerful and moving one that the village of Beddgelert and Gelert's grave are visited each year by thousands of people. Everytime we visit I have to go and look at Gelert's grave and the bronze statue gazing up at the nearby hills.