Llantwit Gwyddbwydd

The coast around Llantwit Major in South Glamorgan, Wales has a remarkable variety of shoreline geology. I happened to visit at a time when most of the sand had been scoured from the shore by high tides and storms. 

Th patterns of natural stone pavements and eroded boulders reminded me of the mythical game of gwyddbwydd, mentioned in the old Welsh tales. It was played by heroes and gods and often had pieces that moved of their own accord. No one knows what the game exactly looked like, but it seems to have been a ritual or strategy game akin to chess.