Llwybr Cadfan - Ynys Cynhaearn
Cafwyd prynhawn bendigedig yn y chweched lleoliad ar y bererindod lenyddol, Llwybr Cadfan. Er bod y gwynt yn fain, roedd yr haul yn gwenu a phawb wedi mwynhau pererindod lythrennol wrth gerdded o Neuadd Pentrefelin i lawr at yr Eglwys.
Mae hon mewn lleoliad gwledig hynod, wedi ei nythu ynghanol bryniau Moel y Gest, ac yn ‘ynys’ wirioneddol ynghanol llyn tan 50au’r ganrif ddiwethaf. Arferai fod yn Eglwys Blwyf Porthmadog tan 1908 ond bellach o dan ofal ‘Friends of Friendless Churches’. Mae’r fynwent yn cynnwys bedd yr Affricanwr John Ystumllun (Jack Black) gwas croenddu i’r teulu Wynne. Hefyd gwelir telyn gerfiedig ar fedd cist y cyfansoddwr adnabyddus David Owen, neu Dafydd y Garreg Wen. Digwydd bod, roedd y prynhawn hwn yn nodi can mlynedd union ers y darlledodd y BBC am y tro cyntaf yng Nghymru o orsaf yng Nghaerdydd lle chwaraewyd y darn Dafydd y Garreg Wen fel agoriad.
Digwyddiad gwahanol ei naws oedd hwn eto Yn Eglwys Cynhaearn Sant gyda’r daith gerdded i lawr yno o dan arweiniad y Prifardd Twm Morys yn hwyliog iawn ac yn gyfle bawb gael sgwrs a phrofi hynodrwydd a harddwch yr ardal. Wedi paned i g’nesu a chacen gri neu ddwy, croesawyd pawb gan y bardd preswyl Siôn Aled Owen. Ef hefyd gyflwynodd hanes yr Eglwys gan osod cyd-destun a chefndir Sant Cyhnaearn.Roedd ei dad sef Caranfael ap Cyndrwyn, o deulu brenhinol Powys, yn frawd i Cynddylan ac yn dad i dri o feibion, Llwchaearn, Aelhaearn a Chynhaearn. Wedi’r gyflafan fawr ym Mhowys, cefnodd y tri brawd ar ryfela a mynd yn ddisgyblion i Beuno Sant.Mentrodd Cynhaearn ychydig yn bellach ac i Eifionydd.
Aeth Siôn yna ymlaen i berfformio ei gerdd wreiddiol wedi ei hysbrydoli gan y lleoliad cyn trosglwyddo’r awenau i’r bardd preswyl arall Sian Northey gyda datganiad o’i cherdd hithau. Yna eitem lenyddol, gerddorol unigryw a hwyliog gan yr amryddawn Twm Morys a Gwyneth Glyn. Ar fydr, odl a chân cafwyd cyflwyniad o hanes yr Eglwys ar enwogion sydd wedi eu claddu yno. Roedd yr awyrgylch yn yr Eglwys yn fendigedig i wrando ar y datganiadau cyn gair byr o fyfyrdod perthnasol ac amserol gan y Canon Siôn Rhys Evans am ein taith ni oll fel pererinion y prynhawn arbennig hwnnw, cyn arwain bendith fer i gloi. Roedd canolbwynt y sylw’r prynhawn ar ddathlu’r dreftadaeth leol, a nodi’n arbennig bwysigrwydd Eglwys Cynhaearn Sant i ddatblygiad cristnogaeth yn yr ardal.
Erbyn hyn rydym wedi cyrraedd y seithfed lleoliad ar ein pererindod lenyddol. Dewiswyd 10 o safleoedd i fod yn ganolfannau penodol ac yn ganolbwynt gweithgarwch ysbrydol a llenyddol y prosiect hwn a hynny ar ddyddiadau penodol dros gyfnod o ddeunaw mis. Lleoliadau y tybir i Cadfan ymweld â hwy ar ei bererindod gyntaf i Enlli. Mae’r lleoliadau oll yn amrywiol ac yn cynnig naws a themâu gwahanol ar hyd y daith. Bydd y prosiect yn parhau ei siwrne yn olrhain pererindod gyntaf Sant Cadfan i Ynys Enlli mewn lleoliad unigryw a diddorol arall a hynny ar 30 Ebrill. Bwriedir cynnal y digwyddiad nesaf yn Eglwys Cybi Sant, Llangybi ger Chwilog. Bydd y beirdd preswyl Siôn Aled a Sian Northey yn ymuno â ni ynghyd â'r bardd gwadd Gareth Evans Jones am brynhawn difyr o adloniant llenyddol a cherddorol arall.
Llwybr Cadfan at Saint Cynhaearn's
The sixth event on the literary pilgrimage, Llwybr Cadfan took place last Saturday at Saint Cynhaearn’s Church, Ynys Cynhaearn, Pentrefelin. Although the wind was slightly chilly, the sun shone, and everyone enjoyed a literal pilgrimage walking the mile or so from the village hall down to the Church.
This is in a remarkable rural setting, nestled amidst the Bare hills of Moel y Gest, and a true 'island' in the middle of a lake until the 1950s. It was formerly Porthmadog’s Parish Church until 1908 but is now run by the Friends of Friendless Churches. The cemetery contains the grave of the African John Ystumllun (Jack Black) a black servant of the Wynne family. A carved harp is also seen on the chest grave of the well-known composer David Owen, or Dafydd y Garreg Wen. It happened to be that this particular afternoon marked exactly one hundred years since the BBC first broadcast in Wales from a Cardiff station, where the piece Dafydd y Garreg Wen was played as the opening.
This again was a different celebration to previous events at Saint Cynhaearn's, with the walk to the Church led by Twm Morys giving everyone opportunity to chat and experience the distinctiveness and beauty of the area. After a cuppa and a welsh cake or two, everyone was welcomed by resident poet Siôn Aled Owen. He also presented the history of the Church and set the context and background of St Cyhnaearn. His father Caranfael ap Cyndrwyn, of the royal family of Powys, was the brother of Cynddylan and the father of three sons, Llwchaearn, Aelhaearn and Cynhaearn. After the great massacre in Powys, the three brothers abandoned warfare and became disciples of Saint Beuno. Cynhaearn ventured a little further and into Eifionydd.
Siôn then went on to perform his original poem inspired by the venue before handing over the reins to the other resident poet Sian Northey with a recital of her own work. Then a unique and fun literary, musical item from the talented Twm Morys and Gwyneth Glyn. They had a captive audience, and on rhythm, verse and song they uniquely presented the story and history of the Church and some of the many well-known people buried in the cemetery. The atmosphere in the Church was wonderful to listen to the performances, before a brief word of relevant and timely reflection from the Revd Canon Siôn Rhys Evans about our journey as pilgrims that particular afternoon, before also leading a short closing blessing. The whole focus of the event was on celebrating the local heritage and noting in particular the importance of Saint Cynhaearn’s Church to the development of Christianity in the area.
We have now reached the seventh location on our literary pilgrimage. Eleven sites were selected to be the specific centres and hubs of spiritual and literary activity for this project on specific dates over a period of eighteen months. Locations presumed to have been visited by Cadfan on his first pilgrimage to Bardsey. The locations are all varied and offer different settings and themes along the way. The project will continue its journey tracing Saint Cadfan's first pilgrimage to Bardsey Island in another unique and interesting location on 30 April. The next event is planned at Saint Cybi's Church, Llangybi near Chwilog. Resident poets Siôn Aled and Sian Northey will join us along with guest poet Gareth Evans Jones for an enjoyable afternoon of literary and musical entertainment.