Pennod 1 Y Cleddyf gyda John Ogwen

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-From Celtic Britain to Hollywood...

-..the sword has represented

-strength, justice...

-..and the constant battle

-against evil.

-It's an enchanting weapon,

-yet lethal.

-It's often turned history

-into one, large, heroic adventure.

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-Here I am, as Twm Sion Cati,

-in the TV series Hawkmoor.

-I often fought to save my life.

-So, I know a lot about weapons.

-A man fastens his coat

-from left to right...

-..leaving his right hand free

-to unsheathe his sword.

-We shake hands to show

-that we're unarmed.

-The length of two swords separate

-the parties in the House of Commons.

-This gentlemen escorts a lady

-on his right...

-..with his sword on the left.

-With the tip of a sword,

-a man becomes a knight.

-By breaking his sword,

-he brings disgrace upon himself.

-Whole armies surrender

-by handing a sword to the enemy.

-In the olden days...

-..swords were sacrificed

-to the goddesses of the deep.

-Compared to an animal,

-man is a weak and fragile creature.

-From the earliest days, we had

-to make weapons for hunting...

-..and defending ourselves

-from our enemies.

-The first weapons

-were made of flint...

-..sharpened by bones

-or a deer's horns.

-Gold was the first metal,

-but only the Royal Family owned it.

-When copper was discovered

-6,000 years ago...

-..it proved to be a great metal

-to make implements and weapons.

-These copper mines,

-in the Great Orme at Llandudno...

-..were one of the largest industrial

-centres of the ancient world.

-Copper mining was part

-of the first industrial revolution.

-Most of the metal was used

-to make helmets, shields and swords.

-The copper sword was the best weapon

-but it had its disadvantages.

-Copper is soft, but mixing copper

-with alcan makes bronze.

-Bronze is three times harder

-than copper.

-You could do some damage with this.

-If you owned bronze, you owned land.

-Neil Burridge

-is a bronze caster from Cornwall.

-I'm working the bellows to keep

-the temperature high in the furnace.

-I'm looking forward

-to seeing my sword.

-This is one of Wales's

-earliest swords...

-..dating back around 3,000 years

-to the Bronze Age.

-The sword is made of bronze...

-..a mixture of copper and tin.

-Originally,

-the sword's blade shone brightly.

-We're looking at some very powerful

-and special weaponry...

-..from a long, long time ago.

-On the sword's blade,

-which is very similar to a leaf...

-..we can see how wide the blade is

-three-quarters of the way down.

-It was used to attack the left

-and right-hand side of the enemy.

-The big moment has arrived

-in Cornwall.

-We're pouring the bronze mixture

-into the stone mould.

-It solidifies in an instant.

-It could be the foundation of

-Arthur's sword in the stone story.

-My sword.

-Part of the secret process

-is allowing the blade to cool...

-..in the lake.

-About 1,000 BC,

-during the Bronze Age...

-..a minority of society wore gold...

-..to decorate their clothes

-and illustrate their importance.

-Some members of society carried

-and wore weapons of a new form.

-The large number of weapons,

-including swords...

-..which have been found

-from this era...

-..illustrate how many battles were

-fought - a warning for us today.

-There were extreme

-weather conditions at the time.

-The landscape was changing.

-The highlands were too wet

-to sow wheat seeds in spring.

-There were floods

-on the valley lowlands.

-People fought for land.

-In contrast

-to an arrow or a spear...

-..the sword is a weapon you use

-close to your body.

-That's what makes it so special,

-so personal...

-..and so dreadful.

-Perseus killed Medusa

-in the famous Greek tale.

-The battle between good and evil...

-..was a popular theme

-in Greek and Celtic tales.

-It's an example of the sword

-in the classics.

-The Celts were farmers

-and craftsmen...

-..but they were also ready

-to pick up their swords...

-..to defend their land.

-The Greeks had a different

-attitude towards fighting.

-Every Greek man was trained and

-registered for military service.

-The sword was part

-of a professional army's...

-..sophisticated military system.

-In Britain,

-the Celts attacked as one troop...

-..but fought as individuals.

-The Celts would overcome their enemy

-by rushing them...

-..as one large, brave, crazed troop.

-But problems persisted.

-Bronze was stronger than copper...

-..but it would lose its shape

-during battle.

-Hurry up, son.

-When iron was discovered

-in Turkey 3,500 years ago...

-..a strong material

-for making swords had been found.

-The information reached these shores

-hundreds of years later.

-Amongst the vast collection

-found at Llyn Fawr, Rhigos...

-..is one piece in particular.

-It's part of a sword

-which dates back to 700 BC...

-..2,700 years ago.

-It reflects a huge change

-in the prehistoric age.

-We're moving from an era

-of using only bronze...

-..to an era

-where we use bronze and iron.

-Iron is harder.

-Iron creates a sharper edge

-for a blade.

-This was more dangerous

-and effective...

-..than the old-fashioned weapons

-made of bronze.

-One of the greatest questions

-posed by archaeologists is...

-..was this made originally

-in the Rhondda...

-..or was it a gift for someone

-here in south east Wales...

-..from someone who had come

-all the way from the continent...

-..probably from Burgundy in France?

-The maker of the sword

-was also important.

-Under the influence of the stars...

-..the blacksmith could transfer

-nature's power to the sword.

-Since the blacksmith

-could create a deadly weapon...

-..people believed

-he had the powers of a wizard.

-The blacksmith's knowledge

-was kept a secret.

-Like the druid, the blacksmith

-also tried to control nature.

-These weapons,

-from Llyn Cerrig Bach on Anglesey...

-..take us back 2,000 years

-to the Druids.

-In this vast collection...

-..there are over a dozen swords.

-Almost all have been bent.

-Here's a sword

-we've made from scratch.

-Imagine the power and energy

-that was needed...

-..to bend a strong iron blade.

-How did this happen?

-One possible explanation...

-..was that the Romans,

-as they attacked Anglesey...

-..the centre for the Druids

-and holy land...

-..the Celtic natives needed

-as much help as they could muster.

-They needed to call

-upon the energy of the goddess...

-..who lived in the holy lake.

-The Celts of Anglesey sacrificed

-their treasures in the lake.

-In a symbolic gesture,

-they killed the objects...

-..they used in their world

-as weapons...

-..before giving them as gifts

-to the deep water.

-One civilization profited from

-understanding the strength of iron.

-The Romans developed ideas

-and technology to such an extent...

-..it allowed them to control

-the known world for centuries.

-From 500 BC onwards, the Roman

-Empire claimed the upper hand...

-..from the Greeks in the east.

-They would train with wooden swords,

-as the gladiators used to do.

-This is a rare piece of footage...

-..one of Hollywood's stars

-training like a gladiator.

-Spartacus -

-a motion picture unequalled...

-..in the history of film-making,

-unlikely ever to be surpassed...

-..in the magnitude of production

-in the passion of its conflict.

-Starring Kirk Douglas as Spartacus.

-Slave, gladiator,

-invincible fighter.

-The gladiator

-has always attracted an audience.

-They were trained better

-than the common soldier.

-Some of their training methods

-were used by the army.

-They were swordsmen -

-the origin of the world gladiator.

-They fought to satisfy a crowd's

-lust for bloody entertainment.

-Women also fought. Let's have

-a lesson from the experts.

-If she attacks,

-she's going to do a No.1 attack...

-..which you block perfectly...

-..a No.2 attack towards

-your upper shoulder, that's fine...

-..a No.3 attack,

-which you block perfectly...

-..a No.4 attack,

-which is your upper thigh...

-..bring it across

-and block it nicely...

-..and a No.5

-which is to bring it down there.

-There is a No.6

-which is a thrusting blow.

-It can be thrust up

-towards your face.

-OK, Mandy, attack shot one. Two.

-Three. Don't worry, recover it.

-Five. Good reactions.

-Russell Crowe

-was lucky to get that part!

-Aaaargh!

-Join us after the break.

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-Emperor Claudius

-invaded Britain in 43 BC.

-Despite his huge army, the Celts

-would not be defeated for 20 years.

-The evidence in terms

-of how they fought...

-..only comes from the Romans.

-The Romans wrote reports

-from the battles.

-They talk about the wild natives

-who enjoyed fighting.

-The spirit of the Celts

-still inspires us.

-Matthew Rhys has a keen interest

-in ancient history.

-The Celts would always attack

-by running with their arms aloft.

-They weren't scared of dying.

-They knew

-there was life after death.

-Always, when they attacked...

-..the sword was held

-above their heads when they ran.

-They were exposed to the Romans.

-The Celts used a selection

-of different weapons in battle.

-The Romans had one standard sword -

-the gladius.

-The gladius in the hands

-of the disciplined Roman soldiers...

-..was the eventual victor.

-It is said that the native Celts

-were very brave.

-That's very important

-if you attack and defeat someone.

-You want to show

-how brave your enemy was.

-Some of the men battled like heroes.

-It was important for the Romans

-to report on their battles.

-These reports were used

-as propaganda.

-Britain was ruled by the Romans

-for 350 years.

-They were defeated by a simple

-yet revolutionary device...

-..a device that influenced the sword

-as a weapon and its use in battle.

-It was all to do with this animal.

-The Romans didn't use stirrups...

-..but when they were defeated

-by Eastern European tribes...

-..who used stirrups

-and long swords...

-..they changed their strategy.

-Roman horse riders

-used the same equipment.

-By the fifth century...

-..they left Britain

-to defend the Empire in the east.

-The Saxons and the Vikings followed

-them and attacked the Celts.

-The nodule on top of the handle

-gave you balance.

-You could also use it as a club.

-The Vikings admired the sword

-more than any other weapon.

-They named them -

-the most fierce was called Gramr...

-..Meofainn for the finest

-and Fotbitr for the leg-biter.

-I've asked my friend Magnus

-from Norway to set up a test.

-I want to see how weapons have

-developed since the Bronze Age...

-..by comparing two historic swords.

-First, the bronze sword.

-That made quite a mess.

-Now, we'll look at the Viking sword.

-A clear winner.

-The Viking sword was made

-out of soft iron blended with steel.

-A strong, flexible sword.

-To withstand the early attackers,

-who better than King Arthur?

-He was one of our greatest heroes.

-With his sword, Excalibur,

-he's a powerful symbol...

-..a Christian challenging a pagan.

-By mixing history and legend,

-you create something very special.

-Add some metal to the mixture...

-..to create one of the most

-magical aspects of Arthur's story.

-That particular aspect

-is Excalibur...

-..the most famous sword of all.

-In the Welsh tradition, the first

-record we have of Excalibur...

-..is in the story

-of Culhwch and Olwen.

-Culhwch visits the court

-of King Arthur.

-He asks Arthur for help - a gift.

-Arthur says he can have anything

-except for Prydwen, Arthur's ship...

-..Rhongomynyad, his spear,

-Carnwennan, his knife...

-..Wynebgwrthucher, his shield

-and Excalibur, his sword.

-Oh, and Gwenhwyfar, his wife.

-Excalibur appears

-in more than one tale.

-Rhonabwy returns to the

-Arthurian world and finds Arthur...

-..and we have a description

-of Arthur's magnificent sword.

-Flames are seen on the blade.

-In the 12th century...

-..Geoffrey of Monmouth recorded

-the history of Britain's kings.

-It was a very popular book.

-In the Latin language, Arthur's

-Welsh legend spread across Europe.

-There's a close connection

-between the sword and King Arthur.

-Most of us have heard

-of Excalibur...

-..but two swords

-belong to Arthur's story.

-We hear about

-the sword in the stone.

-Only the true king of these shores

-can remove the sword from the stone.

-In some versions,

-the sword in the stone breaks...

-..during a battle involving

-a Welsh knight called Pellinor.

-Arthur was then led by Merlin

-to a new, magical sword...

-..given to him

-by the Lady of the Lake.

-No-one has made better use of the

-sword in Welsh than T Gwynn Jones.

-His famous ode, Ymadawiad Arthur...

-..concentrates entirely

-on the moment...

-..in his great story when he forces

-Bedwyr, his most trusted follower...

-..to throw the sword into the lake.

-It's heartbreaking for Bedwyr.

-He fears for the repercussions.

-They're about to lose

-Arthur's presence.

-He is heading for Afallon.

-What would happen

-if they lost the sword, too?

-This is the enchanting

-aspect of the poem.

-Bedwyr, who represents us,

-doesn't keep the magical sword.

-The saving grace for us is the

-belief that Arthur will return...

-..with the possibility

-of a new dawn for Wales.

-By throwing the sword

-into the lake...

-..a spiritual sword becomes

-the wilful weapon of a nation.

-We will fight a spiritual

-and cultural battle.

-As a heroic figure...

-..Arthur is similar to nature.

-Fickle, changeable,

-yet he lives on for some people.

-From Caernarfon to California,

-Arthur's story continues to grow...

-..and makes money.

-Welsh film star Ioan Gruffudd

-is part of the legend now.

-As a Welshman, and a Welsh nation...

-..we claim the Arthurian legend

-as part of our heritage.

-It was a great experience playing

-the part of Lancelot in a film.

-I was Arthur's friend and prince.

-I also saw Arthur

-removing Excalibur from the stone.

-The depiction of Lancelot

-in our version of King Arthur...

-..is the man with two swords

-on his back.

-It was a very clear characteristic

-of the character.

-He was very passionate...

-..and a character

-who loved bloodshed.

-For Lancelot and Arthur, the sword

-is an important aspect of the story.

-A hero for all ages.

-A Christ-like figure.

-A symbol representing

-the ideals of chivalry.

-Whatever the meaning...

-..the legend leads us

-to search for higher ideals.

-With Excalibur in our hand...

-..we might be able

-to realize our dreams.

-S4C Subtitles by Simian 04 Cyf.

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