Welsh folklore, Wirt Sikes
Castell Coch’s Eagle Guardians
Sikes places a buried chest of gold in a supposed subterranean passage at Castell Coch. It is guarded by two great eagles, while a former proprietor’s troubled ghost disturbs a woman living in the ruin. Treasure seekers try ordinary shots and then blessed silver bullets. Neither defeats the birds; shaking ground, heavy rain and extinguished torches drive the party out.
Also known as Eagles of Castell Coch
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalSikes places a buried chest of gold in a supposed subterranean passage at Castell Coch. It is guarded by two great eagles, while a former proprietor’s troubled ghost disturbs a woman living in the ruin.
Further detail
TraditionalTreasure seekers try ordinary shots and then blessed silver bullets. Neither defeats the birds; shaking ground, heavy rain and extinguished torches drive the party out.
Context & interpretation
The entry concerns the eagle guardians and treasure narrative reported by Sikes. The subterranean connection and buried chest remain traditional claims; the castle’s real architecture is not inferred from the legend.
Original passages
Source 1
British Goblins
guarded by two large eaglesOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Wirt Sikes, British Goblins (1880), active reader leaf 406
Exact passage checked against active scan text and its original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0044-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0044-E001-P0406
- Original scan leaf
- 407
- Recorded leaf number
- 407
- Current Reader position
- 405
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
British Goblins
The bullets rattled harmlessly on the feathersOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Wirt Sikes, British Goblins (1880), active reader leaf 406
Exact passage checked against active scan text and its original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0044-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0044-E001-P0406
- Original scan leaf
- 407
- Recorded leaf number
- 407
- Current Reader position
- 405
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
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