The Welsh Bard Bryfdir and the forgotten Welsh tradition of the ' Cyfarchiad Priodasol'

In 1936 the Welsh bard and quarryman Bryfdir (Humphrey Jones 1867-1947) from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Meirionydd wrote a poem to celebrate the marriage of my grandparents Mrs. Lily Mornant Jones ( then Miss Lily Evans) from Carmarthen and the Rev. Edward Mornant Jones from Blaenau Ffestiniog. The wedding was held at Lammas Street Congregational Chapel, Carmarthen. One of the officiating ministers was the Rev. Dyfnallt Owen (bardic name Dyfnallt).

CYFARCHIAD PRIODASOL

Cyflwynedig i'r Parch E. Mornant Jones, gweinidog newydd Bethel, Nantymoel ar achlysur ei briodas a Mrs. Lily Evans, Caerfyrddin, Medi 15ed 1936.

Rhoi haul ar fryniau Meirion

Wna'r haul ar encil haf,

Ond heulwen mewn dwy galon

Yw'r heulwen a barha;

Nid oes na de na gogledd

Ar lan ffurfafen serch;

Difesur a difaswedd,

Yw cariad mab a merch.

Llaw ysgawn abl weinyddes,

Llais serch yn arllwys swyn

Luniasant newydd gyffes

Ym mynwes Mornant fwyn;

Baich hawdd ei ddwyn yw gwewyr

Efrydydd ar ei hynt,

A Gwener yn yr awyr

Yn herio brad y gwynt.

Fel Islwyn ac Ann Bowen

Bu'r ddau yn caru'n daer,

A'u cariad mor ddiabsen

A chariad brawd a chwaer;

Bu'r nant yn dyfal redeg

Dan ganu tua'r mor

A'r mor i nant y coleg

Yn tywallt ei ystor.

Cadd Lily wobrau lawer

Am ganu yn ei dydd;

Cadd Mornant clod a phleser

Wrth ddringo bannau'r ffydd;

Cael cartref clud ac eglwys

Yw'r ergyd dery'r hoel;

Rhyw ddarlun o baradwys

I'r ddau fydd Nantymoel.

Ordeinio Mornant serchog

I waith gweinidog wnaed;

Cydsyniad brwd calannog

Y nef a’r ddaear gaed;

Tri ddaeth I’w gwrdd ordeinio

Yn wr i Lily dlos

A Duw trwy’r ser yn selio’r

Cyfamod ryw fin nos

Humphrey Jones used the bardic name Bryfdir . A bardic name (Welsh: enw barddol , Cornish: hanow bardhek) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the Eisteddfod movement. Bryfdir was admitted to the Gorsedd of Bards in 1890 at the age of 23. During his lifetime he won over 60 bardic chairs and many crowns at Eisteddfodau. The Chairing of the Bard ( Cadeirio'r Bardd) is one of the most important events in the Welsh Eisteddfod tradition. Bryfdir also contributed regularly to 'Y Geninen'and 'Cymru' - two Welsh language publications of his era.

On the 4th of August 1902 Bryfdir won the chair at Pwllheli . Bryfdir had by now won 25 chairs. The topic was 'Brwydrau Anweledig' ( Unseen Battles) .There were 8 contestants. The prize was £2 2s and the adjudicator was John Owen Williams ( bardic name Pedrog)

The following report was printed in two local papers

(The Cambrian News and the Meirionethshire Standard , 08.08.1902 )

'A carved oak chair, valued at £4 4s, and £2 2s was offered for the best ode on "Unseen Battles." Eight competed. A large number of bards ascended the platform to take part in the chairing ceremony, which was superintended by Alltud Eivion and Dyfrig. The adjudication was read by Arifog and when it transpired that the winner was Mr H. Jones (Bryfdir), Blaenau Ffestiniog, who has already won twenty-five chairs, hearty cheers were given again and again. He was led to the platform by Gwynfor and Cybi and duly invested by Mrs Lloyd Edwards, Broom Hall. Bardic addresses were delivered by Alltud Eivion. Heilig, Cybi, Iseifion, Deinol Fychan, Gwynfur, Cenin, Bryneglwys, Celynydd and Tom Lloyd, whilst the chairing song was given by Miss Mary Hughes, R.C.M.'

It was Bryfdir who gave the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans his bardic name Hedd Wyn at a convention of the Welsh bards at Llyn y Morynion , Blaenau Ffestiniog. Hedd Wyn has been translated as 'blessed peace' which reportedly is a r eference to the sun's rays penetrating the mists in the valleys of Meirionydd. Hedd Wyn was tragically killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele during World War 1. He was one of 9,300 British troops who died in the first 3 days of the Battle.

Hedd Wyn wrote a poem entitled Rhyfel (War)

The opening lines are:

'Gwae fi fy myw mewn oes mor ddreng,

A Duw ar drai ar orwel pell'

' Such misfortune for me to be living in an age that is so bad

With God retreating on a distant horizon'

Bryfdir wrote a poem in memory of Hedd Wyn for which he won the chair at Resolven Eisteddfod in 1918.

Although Bryfdir wrote prolifically not all of his work has been published. The tradition of writing the 'Cyfarchiad Priodasol'also sometimes entitled 'Anerchiad Priodasol' was so widespread that such poems would appear in the papers and would rarely be published again.

The following 'Cyfarchiad Priodasol' was published in The Aberdare Leader on the 12th April 1913

I Mr. Daniel Davies, 72 Jublee Rd. Aberaman, a Miss Emma Hughes, 78 Brook Street Aberaman

Un doniol ydyw Daniel,

I chwilio aeth am wraig,

Heb ddywedyd gair wrth undyd,

Hyd lethrau erch y graig:

Fe'i cafodd hi yn Brook Street,

Ym mherson Emma Hugh,

Ac yno maent mor ddedwydd

A neb sydd heddyw'n fyw.

Yn wir, fe fu yn lwcus,

Nis gallai gael ei gwell,

Pe chwiliau'r byd yn gyfan,

Yn agos ac ym mhell;

Mae hyn yn wir am Emma

Tra'r mor yn garter'r dwr,

Pe chwiliau hithau'r Cread

Nis gallai gael gwell gwr.

Dymunaf holl fendithion

Y ddaear a'r nef yn un

I'r ddeu-ddyn glanwedd yma

Tra byddont yn gyttun;

Eich aelwyd fyddo'n hawddfyd,

Eich llwybr fyddo'n wyn,

A nefoedd yn y diwedd

Ar derfyn teithio'r glyn.

AFANYDD MORGAN

And this is from The Rhondda Leader published on the 30th of November 1901

The following poem written for Bryfdir's marriage was printed in the Welsh language publication 'Y Genedl Gymraeg' ( The Welsh Nation) on the 2nd of January 1894.

Priodas Bryfdir

Gwelodd Bryfdir mai gwirion - oedd aros

Rhwng ei "dderw" preiffion

I chware gyda "choron",

Yn hen lanc - heb feinwen lon!

Dowch, gwaedwch, "Heddwch iddo"- a gwaeddwch

"Oes ddigaddug" eto:

"A'i Geidwad a'i cysgodo

A'i aden fawr!" - dyna fo

TRYFANWY

(John Richard Williams, bardic name Tryfanwy 1867 - 1924 )

Tryfanwy

The writing of such poems was a tradition of Bryfdir's era. Thousands of these commemorative poems were composed, not only by Bryfdir but also by many other Welsh bards and poets.The prevalence of this Welsh language tradition of writing poems to celebrate marriages during the end of the 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century is evidenced by the abundance of such poems to be found in the archived local and national papers of Wales. It is not surprising therefore that there is a distinctive generic element to these poems. They are however something to be treasured.

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RUTH CERI JONES