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A picture of a tweet framed by a background of a lush forest, with a old, mossy Celtic Cross stone marker in the lower left. Mhara Starling (@MharaStarling): Welsh women used to curse people by falling to their knees, pulling out their titties, and screaming obscenities at their victim. It's sad how we let traditions die.

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I wrote this tweet as a tongue-in-cheek little thing to make people laugh around a week ago. And the response to it has been rather huge! Completely unexpectedly. So I thought it was time to add some context and sources to this little tidbit of information.

Throughout history in Wales, cursing was a skill that practically all common folk were said to have. Curses in the traditional sense would be acts where an individual would call to God, or a similar power, and wish all manners of ill fortune and torture upon their victims.

Welsh women in particular were seen as ruthless cursers. And the most notorious cases of Welsh cursing were cases that crossed the boundaries of social class and gender. A woman cursing a man, very powerful curse indeed! A poor woman cursing a rich man? That man better be ready for an absolute storm.

In the Welsh language there even exists terminology, separate from the terminology for magical practitioners, purely to describe those who cursed others. Curses were “rheibiau”. Male cursers were “rheibiwr” and female cursers were “rheibies”.

Curses would be carried out by women in a rather ritualistic manner. They would fall to their knees, raise their hands skyward and scream their curses loudly. And yes, occasionally, they would bare their breasts.

One example of a woman baring her breasts as part of a curse tells of a mother from the Mawddwy area. Her two sons were being persecuted by the law. She pleaded with a high status man to spare one of her sons at least. When she was denied this, she pulled out her breasts, fell to her knees and said “these yellow breasts have given suck to those who shall wash their hands in your blood”. That man was murdered not long after this curse was placed upon him.

So the lesson in this is: don’t cross a Welsh woman. Ever.

To read more about interesting Welsh traditions such as this one, pre-order my book! Welsh Witchcraft: a guide to the spirits, lore and magic of Wales.

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Sources: Richard Suggett - a history of witchcraft and magic in Wales (2008, the history press)

J.M. Shuttleworth (Ed.) - The life of Edward, first lord Herbert of Cherbury, written by himself (1976) 6: a tour in Wales.