the welsh name "ysgyryd" meaning 'split' or 'shattered' and "fawr" meaning 'great' describes the hill's shape. there is a rich mythology attached to the mountain , including a distinctive stone known as the devil's table. according to legend, part of the mountain is said to have been broken off at the moment of the crucifixion of jesus. there was a local tradition that earth from the skirrid was holy and especially fertile, and it was taken away to be scattered on fields elsewhere, on coffins, and in the foundations of churches. pilgrimages were made, especially on michaelmas eve, to the summit.