Bridgend Suicides and The Red Dragon

A mysterious wave of suicides is occurring among the youth of Wales with a 17th reported today according to an article from the TimesOnline: "Experts are to be sent into every school in Bridgend as part of an urgent strategy drawn up to halt the spate of suicides in a small area of South Wales that claimed a 17th young victim yesterday." For months officials have been arguing that the suicides are connected, even looking at the now infamous social networking sites as the source of some suicide club where suicide has been "romanticized" as an acceptable way of opting out of the problems of everyday life. Officials have yet to pin down a common cause. An ongoing suicide event such as this only supports our claim that something is happening to people these days. We don't claim to know what that something is; but the oddity and the seeming palpable evil of this ongoing suicide event, the recent spate of massacre/suicides in the U.S. and other strange events recurring around the globe have us convinced that some unknown or unrecognized force is the unifying cause.

Coincidentally, or not, it has been much publicized in recent weeks that the Vatican is launching a global attack on demons, i.e. Satan. While no official pronouncement was made according to reports: "The Vaticans chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, has revealed that Pope Benedict XVI is setting up exorcism squads to deal with the rampant growth of Satanism." The Vatican may feel it is best to sneak up on evil without making a big deal about it. Numerous reports are cropping up in media around the world regarding exorcism centers being set up, especially in Poland, where it is estimated that no less than 70 priests are proficient in the ancient art.

Satan is referred to in the Christian Bible's Book of Revelation as the "red dragon". We refer you back to an article we posted months ago in which we referred to an unusual homily delivered by Pope Benedict on the day of the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. In that homily he focused on the evil of the red dragon, and its growing power in today's society. Oddly synchronistic, on that very same day a massive earthquake occurred in Peru during which many of the dead were killed in a single church celebrating mass on the holy occasion of the Assumption. Also, on that same day, NASA released information that the red giant star Mira had been discovered as having a long tail.

The flag of Wales features the red dragon; it's origins are lost to history. The mysterious spate of suicides are occurring under this flag in Bridgend Wales and they might well be a sign to those who are observant that perhaps the red dragon is making its power known to the world.

Bridgend Wales has a long history. According to Wikipedia.org: "Several burial mounds have been found in the vicinity of Bridgend suggesting that the area was settled before Roman times. The A48 between Bridgend and Cowbridge has a portion, known locally as "Crack Hill", a Roman road. The Vale of Glamorgan would have been a natural low-level route west to the Roman fort/harbour at Neath (Nidum) from settlements in the east like Cardiff and Caerleon"

Crack Hill, has a storied history of association with folklore and among that is that we find stories of the "devil on the Crack." We have quoted two stories from a book that is available for your perusal online. Or, if you would like to purchase the book it is available here: Folk Lore and Folk Stories of Wales By Marie Trevelyan

The following comes from page 163-64 of the book:

"Crack Hill, on the high-road leading from Bridgend to Cowbridge, Glamorgan is credited with peculiar and uncanny associations. An aged Welshman related his personal experiences, and he was a native of the district. The second narrative was proffered by an Englishman, as stranger to the neighbourhood, and he did not now anything about the story told by the Welshman. The former told me he went to Bridgend for some goods which could not be obtained on that day, and he had come home without them. He assured me that he did not indulge in "pipe or pot," and was perfectly cheerful when leaving Bridgend in the late autumn twilight. He walked briskly until he reached the foot of the Crack, and then began the ascent. As he went upward he found walking unusually heavy work. Yet the road was dry and hard, and particularly agreeable for walking. He therefore thought that either he was more tired than usual or lazy; so he tried to adopt a better pace, but he could not. To make matters worse, night was approaching. When half-way up the hill something, he knew not what, seemed to spring upon his back, and afterwards pressed heavily between his shoulders. In the starlight he looked over his right shoulder, and saw a shape clinging closely to him. Being a strong man, he promptly endeavoured to shake it off, but it pressed heavier than ever. He felt great difficulty in proceeding on his journey, and the effort brought a "heavy sweat" to his forehead and face. When just at the top of the hill he groaned with agony, and so great was his distress that he cried aloud: "O Lord, I pray Thee, deliver me of this burden!" While uttering these words he crossed his arms upon his breast. Instantly he was relieved of his load. Turning round to see if anybody had been playing a practical joke on him, he saw in the starlight a huge shape, which looked like a "great bundle," or a "fat, short man" enveloped in a dark wrap. The shape rolled rapidly down, and fell into a disused quarry at the foot of the hill. Immediately afterwards the sound of a loud explosion was heard, and from the depths of the quarry sparks of fire shot up and were scattered across the road. He hastened home, and when he related his experiences to an aged neighbour, the latter said he remembered his father telling a similar story of the "devil on the Crack." [C.D.]

The second version of this story was told by a civil engineer, who had never heard the above narrative. He said he had engaged a horse and a trap at Bridgend hotel to convey him to Cowbridge, when the Taff Vale Railway extension was being made to the last-named town. Unaccompanied, he started rather late in the evening, and it was quite dark when he reached the foot of the Crack Hill. The sky was obscured, but occasionally the moon shone through the cloud-rifts. The carriage-lamps were lighted, and he was in a very cheerful state of mind. Soon after beginning the ascent the horse became very restless, and snorted vigourously from time to time. By-and-by somebody or something appeared to be thrown into the back of the trap. Thinking it to be an intrusive traveller, he called out, but there was no response. He whipped his horse, but the animal was hardly able to struggle upward and toiled as if under a very heavy weight. Nearing the top of the hill, the horse made a desperate effort, and then stood still. The civil engineer descended from his seat, and, to his amazement, he found the horse quivering, as if panic-stricken. Looking down the hill, he saw in the fitful moonlight a monstrous bundle rolling downhill, where it fell into the quarry. It was followed by a loud explosion and sparks that were scattered across the road. The civil engineer had never heard the old story, and was much interested when, in 1896, I related the Welshman's account of of his experiences with the "devil on the Crack."

Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales, Introduction by E.Sidney Hartland

Of course all of this might well all be coincidence....after all it is The Apocalypse Times.

Links:

• Flag of Wales
• Disturbing Child Suicide Rate
• Red Dragon and Revelation