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Gelert is a legendary dog associated with the village of Beddgelert (whose name means "Gelert's Grave") in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The story of Gelert is a variation on the well-worn "Faithful Hound" folk-tale motif, which lives on as an urban legend.

Here, the dog is alleged to have belonged to Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd, a gift from King John of England. In this legend, Llywelyn returns from hunting to find his baby missing, the cradle overturned, and the dog with a blood-smeared mouth. Believing the dog savaged the child, Llywelyn draws his sword and kills it. After the dog's dying yelp Llywelyn hears the cries of the baby, unharmed under the cradle, along with a dead wolf which had attacked the child and been killed by Gelert. Llywelyn is then overcome with remorse and he buries the dog with great ceremony, yet he can still hear the dying yelp. After that day Llywelyn never smiled again.

GELERT'S GRAVE

In the 13th Century, Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without gelert "The Faithful Hound" who was unaccountably absent. On Llewelyn's return, the truant stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The Prince, alarmed, hastened to find his son, and saw the infant's cot empty, tyhe bedclothes nad floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound's side thinking it had killed his heir. The dog's sying yelp was answered by a child's cry. Llewelyn searched and discovered his body unharmed, but near by lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The Prince, filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again.

He buried Gelert here. The spot is called BeddGelert.