Excerpt

Excerpt from Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery, by George Borrow

“Good,” said I. “Now can you tell me the way to the bridge of the evil
man?” But the features became blank, the finger was put to the mouth,
and the head was hung down. That question was evidently beyond the
child’s capacity. “Thank you!” said I, and turning round I regained the
path on the top of the bank. The fellow and his donkey were still there.
“I had no difficulty,” said I, “in obtaining information; the place’s
name is Waen y Bwlch. But oes genoch dim Cumraeg—you have no Welsh.”
Thereupon I proceeded along the path in the direction of the east.
Forthwith the fellow said something to his animal, and both came
following fast behind. I quickened my pace, but the fellow and his beast
were close in my rear. Presently I came to a place where another path
branched off to the south. I stopped, looked at it, and then went on,
but scarcely had done so when I heard another exulting “humph” behind.
“I am going wrong,” said I to myself; “that other path is the way to the
Devil’s Bridge, and the scamp knows it or he would not have grunted.”
Forthwith I faced round, and brushing past the fellow without a word
turned into the other path and hurried along it. By a side glance which
I cast I could see him staring after me; presently, however, he uttered a
sound very much like a Welsh curse, and, kicking his beast, proceeded on
his way, and I saw no more of him. In a little time I came to a slough
which crossed the path. I did not like the look of it at all, and to
avoid it ventured upon some green mossy-looking ground to the left, and
had scarcely done so when I found myself immersed to the knees in a bog.
I, however, pushed forward, and with some difficulty got to the path on
the other side of the slough. I followed the path, and in about
half-an-hour saw what appeared to be houses at a distance. “God grant
that I maybe drawing near some inhabited place!” said I. The path now
grew very miry, and there were pools of water on either side. I moved
along slowly. At length I came to a place where some men were busy in
erecting a kind of building. I went up to the nearest and asked him the
name of the place. He had a crowbar in his hand, was half naked, had a
wry mouth and only one eye. He made me no answer, but mowed and gibbered
at me.

“For God’s sake,” said I, “don’t do so, but tell me where I am!” He
still uttered no word, but mowed and gibbered yet more frightfully than
before. As I stood staring at him another man came to me and said in
broken English: “It is of no use speaking to him, sir, he is deaf and
dumb.”

“I am glad he is no worse,” said I, “for I really thought he was
possessed with the evil one. My good person, can you tell me the name of
this place?”

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Explanation

George Borrow’s Wild Wales: Its People, Language and Scenery (1862) is a travelogue documenting his journeys through Wales in the mid-19th century. Borrow, a linguist, writer, and Romantic-era wanderer, blends observation, folklore, and personal anecdote to paint a vivid picture of Wales—its rugged landscapes, its people, and its rapidly declining Welsh language. The excerpt provided captures a moment of disorientation, cultural misunderstanding, and eerie isolation, reflecting broader themes in Borrow’s work: the tension between outsider and insider, the mystique of the Welsh landscape, and the challenges of communication in a land where language and custom are foreign to the traveler.

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Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt

1. Context and Setting

The passage describes Borrow’s attempt to reach Devil’s Bridge (Pontarfynach), a famous landmark in mid-Wales known for its dramatic waterfalls and legendary associations with the devil. The name itself—"the bridge of the evil man"—hints at folklore (the devil is said to have built it in exchange for a soul). Borrow, ever the intrepid traveler, seeks directions but encounters obstacles that underscore his status as an outsider: linguistic barriers, ambiguous gestures, and an almost supernatural resistance from the locals.

2. Themes

• Isolation and Alienation: Borrow is a stranger in a land where even children and laborers are uncommunicative or hostile. The landscape mirrors his psychological state—boggy, treacherous, and unwelcoming.
• Language as a Barrier (and Power): Borrow’s question in Welsh ("oes genoch dim Cumraeg—you have no Welsh") is ironic; he speaks the language, but the locals either don’t or won’t engage. The deaf-mute laborer’s silence becomes a metaphor for the broader cultural gulf.
• Folklore and the Supernatural: The "evil man" (the devil) looms over the scene, from the bridge’s name to Borrow’s suspicion that the laborer is "possessed." Wales, in Borrow’s eyes, is a land where myth and reality blur.
• Perseverance vs. Hostility: Borrow’s determination contrasts with the locals’ indifference or antagonism. His physical struggles (the bog, the slough) parallel his social struggles.

3. Literary Devices

• Dramatic Irony: Borrow asks a child for directions to "the bridge of the evil man," unaware that the name (Waen y Bwlch) is unfamiliar to locals. His later realization that the "scamp" (the donkey driver) knew the correct path all along adds tension.
• Sensory Imagery:
  • Visual: The "blank" child’s face, the "wry mouth" and "one eye" of the laborer, the "green mossy-looking ground" that hides a bog.
  • Auditory: The "exulting ‘humph’" of the donkey driver, the "Welsh curse," the laborer’s "mowing and gibbering."
  • Tactile: Borrow’s immersion in the bog ("to the knees"), the "miry" path, the "pools of water." These details create a visceral, almost claustrophobic atmosphere.
• Symbolism:
  • The bog represents Borrow’s entrapment in a foreign, resistant land.
  • The deaf-mute laborer symbolizes the incomprehensibility of Wales to outsiders—its language, customs, and even its people are "unreadable."
  • The donkey driver’s curse hints at a latent hostility toward English travelers (Borrow, though a Welsh speaker, is still an outsider).
• Foreshadowing: The laborer’s "frightful" gibbering and Borrow’s thought that he is "possessed" foreshadow the eerie, almost gothic tone of later encounters in Wild Wales.

4. Narrative Structure and Tone

• First-Person Immediacy: Borrow’s use of direct speech ("‘Good,’ said I") and internal monologue ("I am going wrong") pulls the reader into his perspective, making his frustration and confusion palpable.
• Pacing: The scene moves from comic frustration (the child’s blankness, the donkey driver’s persistence) to growing unease (the bog, the laborer’s silence) to relief (the broken-English speaker’s intervention). This shift mirrors Borrow’s emotional journey.
• Tone: A mix of wry humor (e.g., "I am glad he is no worse") and gothic dread (the laborer’s appearance, the "evil" bridge). Borrow’s Romantic sensibilities color the landscape as both beautiful and menacing.

5. Significance in Wild Wales

• Cultural Commentary: The excerpt reflects Borrow’s ambivalence about Wales. He admires its language and scenery but is often baffled or alienated by its people. The deaf-mute laborer, in particular, embodies the breakdown of communication between England and Wales—a central concern of the book.
• Travel as Trial: For Borrow, travel is not just sightseeing but a test of endurance. The physical and social obstacles he faces reinforce the idea of Wales as a "wild," untamed place.
• Folklore and Reality: The devil’s bridge is both a real location and a mythic symbol. Borrow’s journey to it becomes a microcosm of his broader quest to penetrate Wales’ mysteries—some of which remain impenetrable.

6. Broader Literary Connections

• Romantic Travel Writing: Like Wordsworth or Coleridge, Borrow seeks the sublime in nature, but his encounters are more grounded (and often humorous). The excerpt blends the Romantic awe of landscapes with the picaresque adventures of a wanderer.
• Gothic Elements: The laborer’s grotesque appearance and the "evil" bridge evoke Gothic tropes, suggesting that Wales, in Borrow’s eyes, is a land of hidden, possibly sinister depths.
• Postcolonial Undertones: Though Borrow is sympathetic to Wales, his position as an English observer (even a Welsh-speaking one) highlights the power dynamics of 19th-century Britain. The locals’ silence can be read as resistance.

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Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a masterclass in travel writing as psychological and cultural exploration. Borrow doesn’t just describe a walk gone wrong; he captures the disorientation of the outsider, the weight of language and legend, and the unpredictability of human (and inhuman) encounters. The scene is both funny (the donkey driver’s "humph," the child’s blankness) and unsettling (the bog, the laborer’s silence), reflecting Borrow’s own mixed feelings about Wales—a place of beauty, mystery, and resistance.

In the broader context of Wild Wales, this moment underscores the book’s central tension: Borrow is a lover of Wales but also a stranger in it, forever navigating the gap between his idealized vision and the harsh, often incomprehensible reality. The excerpt’s power lies in its raw, immediate storytelling—a snapshot of a journey that is as much internal as it is physical.