Llwybr Cadfan - Llanengan
Cafwyd prynhawn bendigedig yn yr wythfed lleoliad ar y bererindod lenyddol, Llwybr Cadfan. Mae’r eglwys hon heb os yn un o’r mwyaf hynod yn Llŷn mewn lleoliad godidog, ac mae Enlli i’w gweld yn glir oddi yno. Cawsom brynhawn hwyliog yn yr haul yn dysgu mwy am hanes y lleoliad unigryw ers y cyfnod pan roddodd Engan Ynys Enlli yn anrheg i Cadfan, a sefydlodd y gymuned Gristnogol gyntaf ar yr ynys yn y chweched ganrif.
Croesawyd pawb gan y bardd preswyl Siôn Aled. Yna cawsom ychydig o hanes y sant a’i eglwys. Yn ddiddorol mae ffynnon gerllaw safle’r Eglwys wedi ei chysegru i Engan ble, yn ôl traddodiad, y daeth llawer o bererinion i gael iachad a gadael rhoddion yng ‘Nghyff’ Engan. Mae’r gist hynnod hon bellach yn sefyll tu mewn i ddrws yr eglwys. Yn ddiddorol iawn hefyd,heb fod yn bell yng Nghastell Cilan, mae twll ar wyneb carreg tebyg i ôl troed ceffyl. ‘Ôl Troed March Engan’ ydi ei enw, ac mae’r dŵr sy’n hel ynddo yn dda at wella afiechyd.Mae’n dybiedig bod eglwys neu gell wedi bod ar y safle hwn ers y 6ed ganrif wedi’i sefydlu gan Engan. Yn ddiddorol, enw arall arno oedd Einion Frenin gan iddo fod yn ‘dywysog’ dros yr ardal. Roedd yn fab i Owain Danwyn ab Einion Yrth ab Cunedda Wledig. Roedd ganddo ddau frawd, sef Meirion (neu Meirian) a Seiriol Wyn, y ddau ohonynt hefyd yn ‘seintiau’.Yn ôl traddodiad roedd Engan yn dywysog dros yr ardal am gyfnod hir ac hefyd gyda rhyw fath o awdurdod ar Ynys Môn, fo sefydlodd y gymuned grefyddol ym Mhenmon cyn trosglwyddo’r achos i’w frawd Seiriol Wyn.Un o’r pethau pwysicaf am Engan ydi mai y fo roddodd wahoddiad i Cadfan i ddod i Ben Llŷn i sefydlu Côr neu gymdeithas grefyddol ar Ynys Enlli – Cadfan oedd yr Abad cyntaf. Wedi ein haddysgu am y cefndir cawsom ddarlleniad o waith Twm Morys, oedd yn ei arddull nodweddiadol unigryw a hwyliog hefyd yn adrodd hanes bywyd Engan.
Wedi’r cyflwyniad difyr o waith Twm aeth Siôn Aled 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, dyma flas o’i cherdd.
O Lanengan
Ydi fan'cw ddigon pell gen ti?
Ystyria'r peth.
Mae hi ar gael i ti.
Cer am dro i lawr i'r traeth
i edrych arni'n iawn
– y lwmp solat 'na
ar y gorwel ddiwedd dydd.
Ystyria'r peth.
Dychmyga fod yno ganol gaeaf,
dy gelwrn blawd bron yn wag
a tho dy gell yn gollwng.
Efallai'i bod hi ddigon pell.
Cerdda dywod Porth Neigwl,
dy fodiau yn creu ogam yn y gronnynau,
ac ystyria'r peth.
Anwybydda'r syrffars swnllyd
ac anwybydda'r ffôn sy'n gytgan yn dy boced.
Ystyria'r peth.
Ydi fan'cw ddigon pell
i ti
a dy Dduw?
Yna cawsom berfformiad cerddorol gan yr unigryw ar amryddawn Cass Meurig.Yn cyfuno alawon cymreig traddodiadol gyda geiriau newydd yn adlewyrchu’r ffydd Gristnogol a’i siwrne personol. Canodd ganeuon i gyfeiliant y crwth a’r gitar oddi ar ei halbwm ‘Taith’, oedd wrth gwrs yn gweddu’n berffaith i brynhawn o bererindod.
Ein bardd gwadd yn y lleoliad hwn oedd Esyllt Maelor a chawsom ddatganiad hyfryd o’i cherdd wreiddiol hithau, eto wedi ei hysbrydoli gan y lleoliad a’i magwraeth yn yr ardal.
Roedd yr awyrgylch yn yr eglwys yn odidog i wrando ar arlwy’r prynhawn.Daeth y cyfan i ben gyda gair byr o fyfyrdod perthnasol ac amserol gan Siôn Aled a gweddi fer. Yna croesawyd pawb i gael gwydr o wîn a chacen gri neu ddwy yn yr Eglwys a chyfle i sgwrsio a chymdeithasu..
Erbyn hyn rydym wedi cyrraedd yr nawfed lleoliad ar ein pererindod lenyddol. Dewiswyd 11 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 wedi 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. Byddwn yn crwydro ychydig oddi ar y llwybr pererindod gwreiddiol y tro hwn ac yn ymweld â'r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ym Moduan. Bydd gan prosiect ‘Pererin’ yr Esgobaeth stondin ar faes yr Eisteddfod.
Yn ystod yr wythnos bydd perfformiadau dyddiol am 3.00pm o’r ddrama ‘Mewn Cymeriad Cadfan’, pererindod ‘Llwybr Cadfan ‘ o amgylch y maes ar y dydd Mawrth, ac ar brynhawn dydd Mercher am 1.00pm ym mhabell Y Cymdeithasau bydd digwyddiad yn seiliedig ar y prosiect yn cael ei gynnal. Bydd mwy o wybodaeth i ddilyn am ein arlwy yn yr Eistedfod. Hefyd o 26-29 Awst yn ben-llanw’r prosiect hwn mae Encil tridiau wedi ei threfnu ar Ynys Enlli. Am fwy o wybodaeth cliciwch yma
Llwybr Cadfan at Llanengan
The eighth event on Llwybr Cadfan's literary pilgrimage took place last Saturday at Saint Engan’s Church, Llangengan. The sun shone on our afternoon of pilgrimage with this church being, undoubtedly, one of the most remarkable in Llŷn in a magnificent setting, with Bardsey Island clearly visible from the cemetery. We had a lovely afternoon learning more about the history of this unique location and the story that he gave Bardsey to Cadfan, who established the first Christian community on the island in the sixth century.
We were welcomed by resident poet Siôn Aled followed by the history of the saint and his church. Interestingly there is a fountain adjacent to the site of the Church dedicated to Engan where, according to tradition, many pilgrims came for healing and left gifts at Engan's 'Cyff' (chest). This chest now stands inside the door of the church. Interestingly too in Cilan Castle, not too far away, there is a hole on a stone face similar to the footprint of a horse. It's called 'Engan's Horse’s Footprint', and the water that pools in it is believed to have healing powers. It’s assumed that there’s been a church or cell on this site since the 6th century founded by Engan. He was also known as Einion Frenin (King) as he was a 'prince' over the area. He was the son of Owain Danwyn ab Einion Yrth ab Cunedda Wledig. He had two brothers, Meirion (or Meirian) and Seiriol Wyn, both of whom were also 'saints'. According to tradition, Engan was a prince of the area for a long time and, with some sort of authority on Anglesey, he established the religious community in Penmon before passing it on to his brother Seiriol Wyn. One of the most important things about Engan is that he invited Cadfan to come to the Llŷn Peninsula to establish a Choir or religious society on Bardsey Island – Cadfan was the first Abbot. After being educated about the background we then had a reading of Twm Morys's work which, in his characteristically unique and fun style, also told the story of Engan's life.
Following the entertaining presentation of Twm's poem, Siôn Aled went on to perform his original poem inspired by the location before handing over the reins to the other poet in residence Sian Northey with a reading of her work:
From Llanengan
Is it remote enough for you?
Think about it.
It's yours, if you want it.
Why don't you go down to the beach
to look at it again
– that solid mass
on the evening horizon.
Think about it.
Visualise being there midwinter,
your sack of flour almost empty
and water seeping into your cell.
Walk the sands of Porth Neigwl,
your toes inscribing ogam in the grains,
and think about it.
Ignore the noisy surfers
and ignore the refrain
of your mobile in your pocket.
Think about it.
Is it remote enough
for you
and your god?
After Sian’s reading we were treated to a musical performance by the talented Cass Meurig. Combining traditional Welsh melodies with new lyrics reflecting the Christian faith and her personal journey Cass sang songs to the accompaniment of the crwth and guitar from her album 'Taith', which of course suited an afternoon of pilgrimage perfectly.
Our guest poet at this venue was Esyllt Maelor and we had a lovely reading of her original poem, again inspired by the setting and her upbringing in the area.
The atmosphere in the church was glorious to listen to the afternoon’s offering. It all ended with a short word of relevant and timely reflection from Siôn Aled and a short prayer. Everyone was then welcomed for a glass of wine and a Welsh cake or two and a chance to chat and socialise.
We have now reached the ninth 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 venues are all varied and have offered different themes along the way. The project will continue its journey tracing St Cadfan's first pilgrimage to Bardsey Island in another unique and interesting location. We will stray a little off the original pilgrimage route this time and visit the National Eisteddfod in Boduan. The Diocese's 'Pererin' project will have a stand at the Eisteddfod ground.
During the week there will be daily performances at 3.00pm of the play 'In Character Cadfan', a 'Llwybr Cadfan' pilgrimage around the ‘maes’ on Tuesday, and on Wednesday afternoon at 1.00 pm in the Societies tent an event based on the project will be held. More information will follow about our events at the Eistedfod. Also from 26-29 August, as the official ending of this project, there is a three-day retreat organised on Bardsey Island.
For more information about the retreat please click here