Table of Contents

Poets’ Graves / Beddau’r Beirdd
Paul White / Mererid Hopwood / Damian Walford Davies
NAME DATES GRAVE
ap Gwilym, Dafydd c.1320 – c.1370 St Mary’s churchyard, Strata Florida
Blackwell, John (Alun) 1797–1840 St David’s churchyard,Manordeifi, nr Cardigan
Bowen, Euros 1904–1988 Wrexham cemetery, Wrexham
Brereton, Jane 1685–1740 Near the altar, St Giles’s Church, Wrexham
Cadwaladr, Dilys 1902-1979 Llanrug cemetery
Chamberlain, Brenda 1912–1971 Glanadda Cemetery, Bangor
Charles, David 1762-1834 Llangynnwr/Llangunnor Church, Carmarthenshire
Davies, Idris 1905–1953 Rhymney Public Cemetery, C 518
Davies, James (Kitchener Davies) 1902–1952 Llethr Du cemetery, Trealaw, Rhondda
Davies, Robert, (Bardd Nantglyn) 1769–1835 St James’s churchyard, Nantglyn
Davies, Walter (Gwallter Mechain) 1761–1849 St Dogfan’s churchyard Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant
Edwards, Thomas (Twm o’r Nant) 1739–1810 St Marcella’s churchyard, Whitchurch, nr Denbigh
Edwards, William (Gwilym Gallestr) 1790–1855 St Mary’s churchyard, Ysgeifiog, Flintshire
Evans Jones Albert (Cynan) 1895-1970 Llantysilio (Church Island), Bangor
Evans, Daniel (Daniel Ddu o Geredigion) 1792-1846 Pencarreg
Evans, Evan(Ieuan Brydydd Hir / Ieuan Fardd) 1731–1788 St Michael’s churchyard, Lledrod, Ceredigion
Evans, Evan (Ieuan Glan Geirionnydd) 1795–1855 St Mary’s churchyard, Trefriw
Evans, Thomas (Telynog) 1840–1865 Aberdare cemetery
Griffiths, Ann 1776–1805 St Michael’s churchyard, Llanfihangel-yng Ngwynfa
Gruffydd, W. J. 1881–1954 St Deiniolen’s churchyard, Llanddeiniolen
Hughes, Edward (Y Dryw) 1772–1850 St Stephen’s churchyard, Bodfari
Hatton, Ann Julia (Ann of Swansea)(1764–1838)St Matthew’s (formely St John’s) churchyard, Swansea
Hughes, John (Ceiriog) 1832–1887 St Gwynnog’s churchyard, Llanwnnog,nr Caersŵs
Hughes, T. Rowland 1903-1949 Mynwent Cathays
James, Daniel(Gwyrosydd) 1847–1920 Mynydd-bach Chapel, Treboeth, Swansea
James, David Emrys (Dewi Emrys) 1881–1952 Pisgah Chapel Graveyard, Talgarreg
Jones John (Ioan Tegid) 1792–1852 St Brynach’s churchyard, Nevern
Jones, David James (Gwenallt) 1899–1968 Aberystwyth Cemetery
Jones, Dic 1934-2009 Blaenannerch
Jones, Glyn 1905–1995 St Stephen’s churchyard, Llansteffan
Jones, John (Talhaiarn) 1810–1869 St Mary’s churchyard, Llanfair Talhaearn
Jones, T. Gwynn 1871–1949 Aberystwyth Cemetery
Jones, T. Llew 1915-2009 Capel-y-Wig, Llangrannog
Lewis, Howell Elvet (Elfed) 1860-1953 Blaen-y-coed, Carmarthenshire
Lewis, Saunders 1893-1985 Penarth
Llwyd (Lloyd), Martha 1766–1845 Under the yew, Llanpumpsaint church (husband David also on gravestone)
Morgan, Bishop William 1544/5–1604 Cathedral, St Asaph
Morris, Lewis (Llywelyn Ddu o Fôn) 1701- 1765 Chancel, St Padarn’s Church, Llanbadarn, Aberystwyth
Nicholas, Thomas Evan (Niclas y Glais) 1879–1971 Ashes scattered on a slope of the Preselis, above his birthplace, Y Llety, between Mynachlog-ddu and Llanfyrnach
Owen, David (Dewi Wyn o Eifion) 1784–1841 St Cybi’s churchyard, Llangybi,nr Pwllheli
Parry, R. Williams 1994–1956 Coetmor Cemetery, Bethesda
Parry-Williams, T. H. 1887–1975 St Mary’s churchyard, Beddgelert
Prichard, Caradog 1904–1980 Coetmor Cemetery, Bethesda
Prichard, Rhys (Yr Hen Ficer/The Old Vicar) c. 1579–1644/5 Chancel of Llandingad/Llandingat Church, nr Llandovery
Prys, Edmwnd (1542/3–1623) Under the altar, St Twrog’s church, Maentwrog
Rees, Sarah Jane (Cranogwen) 1839-1916 Llangrannog
Rhys, Edward Prosser 1901-1945 Aberystwyth Cemetery
Richards, David (Dafydd Ionawr) 1751–1827 St Mary’s Churchyard, Dolgellau
Roberts, Lynette 1909–1995 Holy Trinity churchyard, Llanybri
Taliesin’s Grave Bronze Age Above Tre Taliesin, Ceredigion
Thomas Jacob Thomas (Sarnicol) 1893-1945 Bwlch-y-Groes, Ffostrasol
Thomas, David (Dafydd Ddu Eryri) 1759–1822 St Michael and All Angels’ churchyard, Llanrug
Thomas, Dylan 1914–1953 St Martin’s churchyard, Laugharne
Thomas, Ebenezer (Eben Fardd) 1802–1863 St Beuno’s churchyard, Clynnog Fawr
Thomas, R. S. 1913–2000 St John's churchyard, Porthmadog
Thomas, William (Gwilym Marles) 1834–1879 Llwynrhydowen (new chapel), Rhydowen, nr Llandysul, Ceredigion
Thomas, William (Islwyn) 1832–1878 Babel Chapel, Cwmfelin-fach(NE of Caerphilly)
Vaughan, Henry 1621–95 St Bridget’s graveyard Llansantffraed, Powys
Watkins, Vernon 1906–1967 St Mary’s churchyard, Pennard
William Crwysfab Williams (Crwys) 1875–1968 Pant-y-Crwys cemetery, Craig-cefn-parc, nr Swansea
William, David (Dafydd Wiliam) (1720-94) Croes-y-Parc Chapel,Peterston-super-Ely
Williams, E. Llwyd 1806–1960 Rhydwilym Chapel cemetery, Rhydwilym
Williams, Eliseus (Eifion Wyn) 1867–1926 Chwilog cemetery
Williams, Edward (Iolo Morganwg) 1747–1826 Inside St Michael’s Church, Flemingston, Vale of Glamorgan
Williams, Robert (Robert ap Gwilym Ddu) 1766–1850 St Cawrdaf’s churchyard Aber-erch, Pwllheli
Williams, Waldo 1904–1971 Blaenconin Chapel Graveyard, Llandysilio
Williams, William (Caledfryn) 1801-1869 Groes-wen chapel cemetery, Caerphilly
Williams, William (Pantycelyn) 1717–1791 St Mary’s churchyard, Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn, nr Llandovery

About the Author

As was the case in Ancestral Houses: the Lost Mansions of Wales/Tai Mawr a Mieri: Plastai Coll Cymru (Gomer, 2012), Paul White's stunning black-and-white photography claims territory somewhere between documentary and artistic. To complement the images, the prose poems of Damian Walford Davies (in English) and Mererid Hopwood (in Welsh) conduct creative, sometimes playful, dialogues with the poets and their graves, often evoking and echoing the voices of those whom they memorialize and mourn.

Reviews

Cyfrol o ddelweddau yw hon, delweddau ffotograffig a delweddau geiriol sy’n rhoi sylw i orweddfan olaf 71 o feirdd. Mae’r esboniad dros lunio’r fath gyfrol yn un cwbl synhwyrol. Fel y dywed y broliant, mae eu man claddu yn rhan o fywgraffiad pob bardd. Yr hyn sy’n taro rhywun gyntaf yw ceinder y gyfrol ddwyieithog hon. Mae ffotograffau Paul White yn gampweithiau. Nid darlunio’r gwahanol feddau a mynwentydd a wna ond yn hytrach creu awyrgylch. Yr un mor argraffiadol yw'r pytiau barddonol gan Damian Walford Davies yn Saesneg a Mererid Hopwood yn Gymraeg. Ac mae’n bwysig nodi nad cyfieithiadau geir yma o un iaith i’r llall. Na, mae’r darnau barddonol yn sefyll ar eu pen eu hunain. Yn ei ragarweiniad cawn ein hatgoffa gan Damian Walford Davies o’r modd y mapiwyd barddoniaeth dopograffeg feddrodol Cymru yn gynnar. Cyfeiria at Englynion y Beddau o’r nawfed neu’r ddegfed ganrif. A dywed mai beddargraffiadau ac iddynt rym marwnadau cywasgedig yw’r cerddi a briodir â’r lluniau du a gwyn. Gellir adnabod rhai o’r beddau ar unwaith, o’r bedd dan yr ywen yn Ystrad-fflur (mewn llun wedi'i dynnu o ongl wahanol i’r arfer), i’r groes fach wen ddi-nod ym mynwent Sant Martin yn Nhalacharn. Mae ambell lun yn neidio o’r dudalen. Mae’r maen garw cyntefig a elwir yn Fedd Taliesin yn gwrthgyferbynnu’n llwyr â’r rhesi o fyrnau yn eu sachau plastig mewn cae cyfagos. Ar fedd R. S. Thomas ni welwn ond llechen syml gyda’i enw a blynyddoedd ei eni a’i farw a phlanhigyn grugog yr olwg mewn potyn. Ond yn goleuo’r darlun fel dwy seren ceir dau flodyn gwyn. Dros orweddfan T. Llew Jones a’i briod Margaret Enidwen mae’r potyn wedi dymchwel a’r blodau o’i fewn yn gorwedd dros ymyl y bedd. Daniel Ddu o Geredigion, wedyn – eglwys ac ywen a berfa ar ei hochr. Ymhlith rhai o’r beddau diweddaraf ceir carreg syml Dic yr Hendre gydag arwydd cyfrin yr Orsedd uwch y beddargraff. Ac mae’r llun sy’n gysylltiedig â gorweddfan y Ficer Prichard yn ddarn o gelfyddyd fodern gyda geiriau Mererid Hopwood arni: ‘Ni cheir mwy ond drws caeedig lle bu gynt y gân garedig, dim ond patrwm cain hen wreiddiau yn dal ôl ein cof mewn clymau.’ Dyma drysor o gyfrol y gellir ei mwynhau drosodd a thro. Agorwch hi ar hap, a pha dudalen bynnag a ddadorchuddir, cewch wefr mewn llun a geiriau. This volume of images, both photographic and verbal, deals with the final resting places of 71 poets. Such an idea may seem unusually morbid, but, afer all, a poet's burial place is a vital part of his or her biography. The first element that strikes the reader is the elegance of this bilingual volume. White's photographs are masterpieces, and are not only images of various graves and graveyards, but are means of creating a particular atmosphere. The same is true of the poetic contributions provided by Damian Walford Davies and Mererid Hopwood, which aren't literal translations, but are individual pieces of literature in their own right. In his introduction, Damian Walford Davies reminds us of the significance of Welsh funereal poetry and the way it has been recorded since earliest times, refering to the Englynion y Beddau dating from the 9th or 10th century. He also notes that many of the poems, coupled with the black-and-white images, are elegiac in their quality. Some of the graves are instantly recognisable and familiar, such as the one in the shade of the yew tree at Ystrad-fflur (though the image is taken from an unusual angle), and the simple white cross in a Laugharne graveyard. Other memorable images include the rugged standing stone known as Bedd Taliesin, which contrasts sharply with the bales in their modern plastic wrappers in a nearby field, and R. S. Thomas's grave comprising a simple slate headstone and a potted heather, though the two white flowers in the image transform the scene completely. The flower vase on the grave of T. Llew Jones and his wife is on its side, with the flowers spilling out, while the photograph of the resting place of Daniel Ddu shows a church, a yew tree, and an upturned wheelbarrow. We're shown an image of Dic Jones's grave with its simple Gorsedd symbol above the epitaph, while Ficer Prichard's grave is linked to a piece of moder art coupled with a striking Welsh-language verse by Mererid Hopwood. Put simply, this volume is a treasury of word and image.
*Lyn Ebenezer @ www.gwales.com*