 Er gwaethaf glawogydd trwm a gwyntoedd nerthol daeth torf o dros 150 i ben Bwlchgwynt ar fore Sadwrn, Mai’r 16, i weld Jennie Howells yn dadorchuddio maen coffa i ‘Frwydr y Preselau’.
THE BRAVE THIRTEEN
Despite torrential rain and strong winds a crowd of over 150 congregated at Bwlchgwynt on Saturday morning, May 16, 2009, to witness Jennie Howells unveiling the stone memorial to the ‘Battle of the Preselau’. Bu rhaid i’w chyd-fugeilied o ochrau Brynberian gadw llygad arni rhag iddi gael ei chodi gan y gwynt wrth iddi gyflawni ei dyletswydd gydag afiaith.
Cyn iddi dynnu’r gorchudd oddi ar y garreg offrymwyd gweddi gan y Parchg Ddr Cerwyn Davies a chafwyd darlleniad o’r Hen Destament gan Ken Thomas yn ogystal â datganiad gan Gôr Iau Newyddion Da, o gefn bocs cludo ceffylau, a darlleniad o gerdd Waldo, ‘Preselau’, gan Angharad Edwards, yng nghysgod fan wen ei thad.
Er nad oedd y tywydd yn caniatáu i’r rhelyw o’r dorf gerdded ar draws y mynydd fe fentrodd tri ar ddeg dewr i gyflawni’r daith ryddid symbolaidd i gofio am fuddugoliaeth yr ardalwyr dros y Swyddfa Ryfel. Am fod y gwynt o’u cefnau fe gwblhawyd y dasg o fewn byr amser serch eu bod yn wlyb sopen.
Y tri ar ddeg dewr oedd Eileen Curry, Dafydd a Judith Dafis, Dyfed Davies, Janet Jones, William Bevan Jones, Eurfyl Lewis, David Llewelyn, Rhythwyn Nicholas, Alun Parry, Clive Phillips, Suzanne Walters a John Williams. Da iawn chi.
Am dri o’r gloch cynhaliwyd cyfarfod yn Festri Bethel yn yr union fan y cynhaliwyd nifer o’r cyfarfodydd tanllyd hynny pan oedd yr ymgyrch ar ei hanterth yn ystod gaeaf 1946-47.
Cymrwyd at y rhannau arweiniol gan y Parchg Huw George ac Eric John ac yna perfformiwyd dwy gân gan Bois y Frenni a oedd yn gwbl addas am fod y ‘Bois’ gwreiddiol ar eu hanterth adeg cyfnod y frwydr.
Rhoddwyd ychydig o gefndir y gerdd ‘Preseli’ gan y prifardd Eirwyn George cyn i Angharad ei llefaru eto, a chanwyd baledi o waith y Parchg E. Llwyd Williams a Lloyd Davies gan Huw George. Roedd gan Wyn Owens a Cerwyn Davies englynion addas hefyd.
Aed draw i Groes Mihangel o dan Fwęl Drygarn wedyn i weld Dyfed Davies, beili’r mini, yn dadorchuddio’r gofeb yno ar ran bugeiliaid ochr Mynachlog-ddu o’r mynydd.
Cymaint oedd y diddordeb a’r brwdfrydedd nes bod yna benderfyniad wedi’i wneud i sefydlu Taith Rhyddid y Preselau’n ddigwyddiad blynyddol, - waeth beth am y tywydd.
THE BRAVE THIRTEEN
Despite torrential rain and strong winds a crowd of over 150 congregated at Bwlchgwynt on Saturday morning, May 16, 2009, to witness Jennie Howells unveiling the stone memorial to the ‘Battle of the Preselau’.
Her fellow shepherds from the Brynberian side had to keep an eye on her lest she be swept away by the wind as she performed her duty with panache.
Before she pulled the cover from the stone the Rev Dr Cerwyn Davies offered a prayer and Ken Thomas read from the Old Testament. Newyddion Da Junior Choir also sang, from the back of a horsebox, and Angharad Edwards’ read Waldo Williams’ poem, ‘Preselau’, while sheltered by her father’s white van.
Although the foul weather did not allow the majority of the crowd to walk across the mountain, thirteen brave people were determined to complete the symbolic freedom walk in memory of the victory over the War Office. As the wind was behind them they completed the journey in no time although they were wet to the skin.
The brave thirteen were Eileen Curry, Dafydd and Judith Dafis, Dyfed Davies, Janet Jones, William Bevan Jones, Eurfyl Lewis, David Llewelyn, Rhythwyn Nicholas, Alun Parry, Clive Phillips, Suzanne Walters and John Williams. Well done indeed!
At three o’clock in the afternoon a meeting was held at Bethel Chapel Vestry, which was the venue of several of those fiery meetings when the campaign was at its zenith during the winter of 1946-47.
The Rev Huw George offered a prayer and Eric John gave a reading from the Psalms before Bois y Frenni sang two songs. The original Bois y Frenni were at their pinnacle during the time of the battle.
Twice crowned bard, Eirwyn George explained the background of the poem ‘Preseli’ before it was once again recited by Angharad. Huw George sang ballads written by the Rev E. Llwyd Williams and Lloyd Davies. Wyn Owens and Cerwyn Davies read especially composed englynion.
The memorial stone at Croes Mihangel, beneath Foel Drygarn, was then unveiled by Dyfed Davies, the mountain bailiff, on behalf of the shepherds on the Mynachlog-ddu side of the mountain.
Such was the interest and exuberance that a decision was made to establish the Preseli Freedom March as an annual event, - whatever the vagaries of the weather. |
