War poet Hedd Wyn to be remembered in unique video installation beamed on to National Library of Wales

WAR POET HEDD WYN TO BE REMEMBERED IN UNIQUE VIDEO INSTALLATION BEAMED ON TO THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES

A unique video project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of Wales’s most famous Great War poet, Ellis Humphrey Evans, is set to be beamed onto the National Library of Wales building in the week of Armistice Day after receiving backing from the ScottishPower Foundation.
Snowdonia shepherd Evans – better known by his bardic name of Hedd Wyn (Welsh for ‘Blessed Peace’) – was killed on the opening day of the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917, days after being sent to the front line as a conscript.
Yr Arwr (The Hero), an epic poem the reluctant soldier had finished just before his death, posthumously won him the Bardic Chair at the National Eisteddfod in 1917.
When the judges of the Chair competition, Welsh literature’s highest honour, proclaimed the winner’s name at the Eisteddfod ceremony, no one stood. Having asked three times for him to identify himself and come forward to take up his seat of honour, they were met with no reply.
The unsuspecting crowd – including Welsh-born Prime Minister and architect of conscription, David Lloyd George – initially had to be told that Hedd Wyn had in fact died in battle on the fields of Flanders weeks beforehand, before being able to fulfil his life’s ambition.
The Bardic Chair was instead veiled under a black sheet and from that moment onwards the 1917 Eisteddfod would become known as the “Eisteddfod y Gadair Ddu” (“The Eisteddfod of the Black Chair”). During the week following the Eisteddfod the chair was sent to Hedd Wyn’s grieving family at their farm, Yr Ysgwrn, in Trawsfynydd, Snowdonia where it is still on display today,
The National Library of Wales and the Snowdonia National Park Authority, which maintains Hedd Wyn’s family farm as a museum, both hold extensive collections and have collaborated in an ambitious and far-reaching year-long education outreach programme throughout 2017 bringing the poet’s story and his work to life for a new generation.
Their work, supported by the ScottishPower Foundation, has included delivering 26 workshops to over 800 schoolchildren and adults, and the distribution of 3000 copies of a specially-created booklet on Hedd Wyn’s legacy to primary and secondary schools across Wales.
The initiative will culminate on November 9 – two days before Remembrance Day – when a video installation involving children from Hedd Wyn’s native village will be beamed on to the imposing facade of The National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth.
Pupils from Ysgol Bro Hedd Wyn, the school which bears the poet’s name, will read his most famous work, Rhyfel (War), for the piece which has been specially commissioned by the ScottishPower Foundation.
Lines from the poem talking of the futility of war have been delicately interwoven with new footage from Hedd Wyn’s home, Yr Ysgwrn, and images relating to the poet and the wider Welsh experience in the Great War provided by both the National Library of Wales and the Snowdonia National Park Authority.
Linda Tomos, Chief Executive and Librarian, The National Library of Wales, said: “The event will be a thrilling conclusion to a wonderful programme of outreach work. We are very grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for generously funding the programme and to Mr Gerald Williams, Hedd Wyn’s nephew, and Yr Ysgwrn for their continuing support.”
A spokesman for the Snowdonia National Park Authority said: “In September 1917, Hedd Wyn became a symbol of a generation of Welshmen killed during the First World War. Since then, his family home at Yr Ysgwrn, Trawsfynydd, has been a quiet memorial to this lost generation, perpetuating timeless messages on peace, war, culture and society.
“During the centenary year of Hedd Wyn’s death, it has been our privilege to work with the National Library of Wales and the ScottishPower Foundation, using our collections to bring the story and legacy of Hedd Wyn to life for a new generation of young people, who will be the future custodians of our heritage and of peace”.
The ScottishPower Foundation was established in May 2013 and this year has given a record £1.8m to good causes throughout the UK.
ScottishPower Foundation trustee Ann McKechin said: “The story of Hedd Wyn, his poetry, and his tragic death before he was able to claim his rightful honour as winner of the Bardic Chair at the 1917 Eisteddfod are an important cultural legacy not only for the people of Wales, but for us all.
“Two of the key aims of the ScottishPower Foundation are to support education in the community and also the advancement of heritage and culture. The Hedd Wyn Outreach project fits both these ambitions perfectly and the ScottishPower Foundation is proud to have supported this initiative in this the 100th anniversary of Hedd Wyn’s death, and to support this video installation which we hope will be a worthy addition to the celebration of his work.”

Y BARDD HEDD WYN I GAEL EI GOFFAU MEWN SIOE FIDEO ARBENNIG WEDI EI DAFLUNIO AR FURIAU LLYFRGELL GENEDLAETHOL CYMRU

Bydd prosiect fideo unigryw sy’n coffáu canmlwyddiant marwolaeth bardd y Rhyfel Mawr Ellis Humphrey Evans, yn cael ei daflunio ar furiau Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru yn ystod wythnos y cofio ar ôl derbyn cefnogaeth gan ScottishPower Foundation.

Bu i’r bugail ifanc a adnabuir wrth ei enw barddol – Hedd Wyn gael ei ladd ar ddiwrnod cyntaf Brwydr Passchendaele yn 1917, ddiwrnodau ar ôl cael ei anfon i’r rheng flaen fel conscript.

Bu i gerdd Yr Arwr yr oedd y milwr wedi ei gorffen ychydig cyn ei farwolaeth, ennill y Gadair yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn 1917.

Pan gyhoeddodd beirniaid cystadleuaeth Y Gadair, yr anrhydedd pennaf i fardd yng Nghymru, enw’r enillydd, safodd neb. Bu’n rhaid gofyn dair gwaith iddo ddod ymlaen i gymryd ei sedd anrhydeddus, ond ni chawsant ateb.

Yn y diwedd, bu’n rhaid dweud wrth y gynulleidfa a oedd yn cynnwys Prif Weinidog a phensaer y consesiwn, David Lloyd George, fod Hedd Wyn wedi marw yn y frwydr ar feysydd Flanders cyn gallu cyflawni uchelgais ei fywyd.

Gorchuddiwyd y gadair a lliain du, ac o’r adeg honno ymlaen byddai’r Eisteddfod yn cael ei galw yn “Eisteddfod y Gadair Ddu”. Yn ystod yr wythnos yn dilyn yr Eisteddfod, anfonwyd y gadair at deulu Hedd Wyn ar eu fferm, Yr Ysgwrn, yn Nhrawsfynydd, Eryri lle mae’n dal i gael ei harddangos heddiw,

Mae Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru ac Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, sy’n cynnal fferm teulu Hedd Wyn fel amgueddfa, yn geidwaid i gasgliadau helaeth ac wedi cydweithio mewn rhaglen estyn allan uchelgeisiol a phellgyrhaeddol drwy gydol 2017 gan ddod â stori y bardd a’i waith yn fyw i genhedlaeth newydd.

Mae eu gwaith, gyda chymorth ScottishPower Foundation, wedi cynnwys cyflwyno 26 o weithdai i dros 800 o blant ac oedolion ysgol, a dosbarthu 3000 o gopïau o lyfryn a grëwyd yn arbennig ar etifeddiaeth Hedd Wyn i ysgolion cynradd ac uwchradd ledled Cymru.

Bydd y fenter yn dod i ben ar 9 Tachwedd – dau ddiwrnod cyn Dydd y Cofio – pan fydd gosodiad fideo yn cynnwys plant o bentref brodorol Hedd Wyn yn cael ei daflunio ar flaen adeilad eiconig Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru yn Aberystwyth.

Bydd disgyblion Ysgol Bro Hedd Wyn yn darllen ei waith enwocaf, Rhyfel, ar gyfer y prosiect sydd wedi’i gomisiynu’n arbennig gan ScottishPower Foundation.

Mae llinellau o’r gerdd sy’n sôn am ddyfodol rhyfel wedi cael eu cydblethu gyda ffilm o gartref Hedd Wyn, Yr Ysgwrn, a delweddau yn ymwneud â’r bardd a’r profiad Cymreig ehangach yn y Rhyfel Mawr a ddarparwyd gan Lyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru ac Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri.

Dywedodd Linda Tomos, Prif Weithredwr a Llyfrgellydd, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru: “Bydd y digwyddiad yn benllanw ar raglen wych o waith estyn allan. Rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn i ScottishPower Foundation am ariannu’r rhaglen yn hael ac i Mr Gerald Williams, nai Hedd Wyn ac Yr Ysgwrn am eu cefnogaeth barhaus.”

Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri:
“Ym mis Medi 1917, daeth Hedd Wyn yn symbol o genhedlaeth o Gymry a laddwyd yn ystod y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf. Ers hynny, mae ei gartref teuluol yn Yr Ysgwrn, Trawsfynydd, wedi bod yn gofeb tawel i’r genhedlaeth hon, gan barhau i arwain ar negeseuon heddwch, rhyfel, diwylliant a chymdeithas.

“Yn ystod blwyddyn canmlwyddiant marwolaeth Hedd Wyn, bu’n fraint i ni weithio gyda Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru a ScottishPower Foundation, gan ddefnyddio ein casgliadau i ddod â stori a etifeddiaeth Hedd Wyn yn fyw i genhedlaeth newydd o bobl ifanc, a fydd yn warchodwyr ein treftadaeth a’n heddwch yn y dyfodol “.

Sefydlwyd Sefydliad ScottishPower ym mis Mai 2013 ac eleni mae wedi rhoi record o £1.8m i achosion da ledled y DU.

Meddai Ann McKechin, Ymddiriedolwr ScottishPower Foundation: “Mae hanes Hedd Wyn, ei farddoniaeth, a’i farwolaeth drasig cyn iddo allu hawlio ei anrhydedd fel enillydd y Gadair Farddol yn Eisteddfod 1917 yn etifeddiaeth ddiwylliannol bwysig, nid yn unig i bobl o Gymru, ond i ni i gyd.

“Dau o amcanion allweddol Sefydliad ScottishPower yw cefnogi addysg yn y gymuned a hefyd hyrwyddo treftadaeth a diwylliant. Mae prosiect estyn allan Hedd Wyn yn cyd-fynd â’r ddau uchelgais hwn yn berffaith ac mae ScottishPower Foundation yn falch o gefnogi’r fenter hon 100 mlynedd ers marwolaeth Hedd Wyn, ac i gefnogi’r gosodiad fideo hwn,gan obeithio y bydd ychwanegiad teilwng i ddathlu ei waith. ”