Mae’r penodau diwethaf wedi canolbwyntio ar y Diwygiad Methodistiaidd a’r hyn a enillwyd yn sgil y trawsffurfiad crefyddol, cymdeithasol a llenyddol hwnnw, gan edrych yn benodol ar waith William Williams, Pantycelyn. Edrychwn yn y bennod hon ar yr hyn a gollwyd wrth i Ymneilltuaeth Gymreig wthio rhai agweddau traddodiadol ar ddiwylliant a llenyddiaeth Cymru i’r cysgodion.

Awgrymwn y dylid ystyried llwyddiant yr emyn Methodistaidd ochr yn ochr â hen fathau o ganu crefyddol Cymraeg a nychodd oherwydd y llwyddiant hwnnw, gan gynnwys y canu plygain a’r halsing. I’r perwyl hwnnw, darllenwn ychydig o garol Nadolig hir gan Edward Samuel, bardd o Benmorfa, sir Gaernarfon, a fu farw yn 1748. Caiff yr wylmabsant sylw gennym wedyn, sef math o ŵyl gymunedol leol a oedd yn gyd-destun ar gyfer pob math o arferion gwerin a pherfformiadau diwylliannol, traddodiad yr aeth pregethwyr ymneilltuol ati’n egnïol i’w ladd.

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The Other Side of the Coin

Recent episodes have concentrated on the Methodist Revival and the things which Wales won because of that religious, cultural and literary transformation, looking specifically at the work of the William Williams, Pantycelyn. In this episode we look at that which was lost as Welsh Nonconformism pushed some traditional features of the culture and literature of Wales into the shadows.

We suggest that the success of the Methodist hymn should be considered side by side with old types of Welsh religious song which languished because of that success, including the plygain song and the halsing. To that end, we read some of a long Christmas carol by Edward Samuel, a poet from Penmorfa, Caernarfonshire, who died in 1748. The gwylmabsant comes under consideration then, a type of local community festival which was the context for all kinds of folk customs and cultural performances, a tradition which nonconformist preachers attempted energetically to kill.

Cyflwynwyd gan: Yr Athro Jerry Hunter a'r Athro Richard Wyn Jones

Cynhyrchwyd gan: Richard Martin

Cerddoriaeth: 'Might Have Done' gan The Molenes

Darllen Pellach/Further Reading:

- Geraint Jenkins, Hanes Cymru yn y Cyfnod Modern Cynnar 1530-1760 (Caerdydd, 1983).

- E. G. (gol.), Blodeugerdd Barddas o Gerddi Rhydd y Ddeunawfed Ganrif (Llandybïe, 1991).