Gwyn Thomas: Gwr Geiriau

Line	From	To
-Subtitles	0:00:00	0:00:00
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:00:00	0:00:02
-Writing poetry, stories...	0:00:03	0:00:08
-..scripting for television, -film and radio...	0:00:08	0:00:12
-..has given me a lot of pleasure.	0:00:12	0:00:15
-Looking back, -one question interests me.	0:00:17	0:00:21
-Where does my inspiration come from?	0:00:22	0:00:25
-Is it the same for every artist?	0:00:26	0:00:28
-In other words, what is the Muse?	0:00:31	0:00:34
-THIS IS WHERE I BELONG	0:00:43	0:00:45
-"The rubble of generations -of rough hands	0:00:48	0:00:52
-"Lie in the shadow -of the raven's nest	0:00:52	0:00:55
-"Moving at night, -like the bones of the dead	0:00:55	0:00:59
-"In the empty trough -between the silent mountains"	0:00:59	0:01:03
-There is something old -about the sound here.	0:01:04	0:01:08
-Generations worked in the quarry.	0:01:08	0:01:11
-There comes a time...	0:01:12	0:01:14
-..in the dark, when I think, -'What are we doing here?'	0:01:14	0:01:18
-What inspired me to compose...	0:01:23	0:01:26
-..was my upbringing...	0:01:26	0:01:30
-..and the community I belonged to.	0:01:30	0:01:33
-It's part of me.	0:01:34	0:01:36
-I started thinking, -'What is the essence of this place?	0:01:37	0:01:41
-'What does it have -that nowhere else has?'	0:01:42	0:01:47
-These are columns of slate.	0:01:54	0:01:57
-They were put in the town centre...	0:01:59	0:02:02
-..where they stand majestically...	0:02:02	0:02:05
-..to celebrate the life -that was here...	0:02:06	0:02:10
-..and to express hope -for the future.	0:02:10	0:02:14
-There are lines of poetry -and quarry sayings here.	0:02:14	0:02:19
-There are also local sayings.	0:02:20	0:02:22
-This is a line...	0:02:24	0:02:27
-..I wrote a few years ago.	0:02:27	0:02:30
-"And you'll see a bracelet of a town -against the bare rock"	0:02:31	0:02:37
-The huge rock looks down -on the town.	0:02:37	0:02:41
-The mountains...	0:02:43	0:02:45
-..close in around us.	0:02:46	0:02:49
-The town is in the middle -of this muscular majesty.	0:02:50	0:02:53
-These things -subconsciously influenced me.	0:02:54	0:02:59
-The place made an imprint on me...	0:02:59	0:03:02
-..and stayed with me for life.	0:03:03	0:03:05
-ARTIST	0:03:09	0:03:13
-Gareth Parry -depicts local landscapes.	0:03:15	0:03:18
-I'm interested...	0:03:19	0:03:22
-..in what inspires him, -what drives him on.	0:03:22	0:03:26
-Is it the same sort of thing -that inspires me?	0:03:27	0:03:31
-The medium is completely different.	0:03:31	0:03:33
-BELL RINGS	0:03:36	0:03:38
-Hello, stranger!	0:03:43	0:03:45
-How are you? This is a big gate.	0:03:45	0:03:48
-To protect my privacy.	0:03:48	0:03:51
-To keep dangerous people out!	0:03:51	0:03:53
-Don't get paint on your clothes.	0:03:54	0:03:57
-I have no time to keep -the place tidy.	0:03:58	0:04:01
-This is your new painting style.	0:04:03	0:04:08
-It's because I'm painting -more indoors than outdoors.	0:04:08	0:04:13
-That gives me more time...	0:04:13	0:04:16
-..to create mood in my paintings.	0:04:17	0:04:19
-Outdoors, -I had an hour to finish a subject.	0:04:20	0:04:24
-There was no time to be fancy.	0:04:25	0:04:27
-I'm able to use more colour.	0:04:28	0:04:30
-Colours are my adjectives...	0:04:30	0:04:32
-..and I have more freedom.	0:04:33	0:04:35
-When it comes to the landscape...	0:04:36	0:04:41
-..you must be proud of the place.	0:04:41	0:04:43
-Is that pride in the paintings?	0:04:44	0:04:47
-I hope I convey pride.	0:04:47	0:04:50
-More than that, I hope I convey -my love for the place.	0:04:50	0:04:55
-Whatever I am, good or bad, -I owe it all to this area.	0:04:56	0:05:00
-The land, nature and the people.	0:05:00	0:05:03
-Like you, I spend a lot of time -on my own, taking it all in.	0:05:04	0:05:08
-It's part of my work.	0:05:09	0:05:11
-Is this a local landscape?	0:05:11	0:05:15
-Cynfal?	0:05:15	0:05:16
-Cynfal? - -Yes.	0:05:16	0:05:17
-How do you go about -starting a painting?	0:05:18	0:05:23
-I go through my sketches.	0:05:24	0:05:26
-They're done quickly in charcoal.	0:05:26	0:05:29
-That one is Tryfan.	0:05:29	0:05:32
-I decide what I want to paint.	0:05:32	0:05:35
-Then I have to choose -what colours to use.	0:05:35	0:05:39
-Once I've started a painting...	0:05:39	0:05:41
-..each brushstroke -reacts to the one before.	0:05:42	0:05:47
-Walter Sickert said, -"If I think, all is lost."	0:05:47	0:05:52
-I understand that.	0:05:53	0:05:55
-We have to allow -our instinct take over.	0:05:56	0:06:00
-After mastering the craft...	0:06:01	0:06:03
-..we must allow our instinct -to take over, and not analyze it.	0:06:03	0:06:08
-I don't like to analyze -how I do things.	0:06:08	0:06:12
-How long does it take you -to write a poem?	0:06:12	0:06:16
-The same as you. -Either three hours or three days.	0:06:16	0:06:21
-It's wonderful.	0:06:21	0:06:23
-"This is where I belong, -in the rugged highlands	0:06:27	0:06:31
-"Where the raven, curlew and sheep -are lost souls	0:06:31	0:06:37
-"Ancient, primitive Welsh things	0:06:38	0:06:41
-"That are, and forever will be	0:06:42	0:06:46
-"Etched deeply on my being"	0:06:46	0:06:49
-I was born in the chapel house.	0:06:56	0:06:59
-My father was a baker, -my mother a primary school teacher.	0:06:59	0:07:04
-We lived next door to a chapel.	0:07:05	0:07:07
-My grandfather was a deacon -and my grandmother the organist.	0:07:07	0:07:12
-We attended chapel regularly, -from when I was young boy.	0:07:12	0:07:16
-Being here, after all these years...	0:07:22	0:07:25
-..brings it all back.	0:07:25	0:07:28
-It's almost as if I'm three again.	0:07:29	0:07:31
-I can almost feel Mam's presence...	0:07:32	0:07:35
-..sitting there...	0:07:36	0:07:38
-..and glancing over -to make sure I was behaving.	0:07:38	0:07:42
-The chapel wasn't just -a place of worship.	0:07:44	0:07:48
-There were all sorts -of cultural activities.	0:07:48	0:07:51
-Reading, discussions...	0:07:52	0:07:54
-..plays and so forth.	0:07:54	0:07:58
-It was a creative community.	0:07:58	0:08:01
-They were energetic and creative.	0:08:01	0:08:04
-The religion, -or at least the building...	0:08:04	0:08:07
-..encouraged them -to do those things.	0:08:08	0:08:10
-"The wheel of time -annihilates generations	0:08:12	0:08:16
-"And creates new souls	0:08:17	0:08:20
-"To take over the old Blaenau"	0:08:20	0:08:23
-The community changes, -like all communities in Wales.	0:08:26	0:08:30
-But there is an awareness -of what was once here.	0:08:32	0:08:37
-More importantly, perhaps...	0:08:37	0:08:39
-..people find new ways -to express that awareness.	0:08:40	0:08:44
-Several members -of the younger generation...	0:08:45	0:08:48
-..or the new generation...	0:08:48	0:08:51
-..are doing that -in the Welsh language.	0:08:51	0:08:55
-MUSICIAN	0:08:57	0:09:00
-Gai Toms responds to this area -in his own way...	0:09:04	0:09:07
-..through music and words.	0:09:07	0:09:10
-He has set up a studio -in the old chapel vestry.	0:09:10	0:09:15
-There is a hive of activity here, -as far as I can see.	0:09:17	0:09:22
-He continues to do creative work -here.	0:09:22	0:09:27
-Yes, well.	0:09:30	0:09:32
-How are you?	0:09:34	0:09:36
-Welcome to the studio.	0:09:37	0:09:39
-Sbensh.	0:09:40	0:09:40
-Sbensh. - -Yes.	0:09:40	0:09:41
-It's a big vestry.	0:09:42	0:09:45
-It came on the market.	0:09:45	0:09:48
-As soon as I walked in...	0:09:48	0:09:51
-..I realized it -had a unique feeling.	0:09:51	0:09:55
-There is a silence...	0:09:55	0:09:57
-..and quiet acoustics.	0:09:57	0:09:59
-There isn't much echo.	0:10:00	0:10:02
-It's quiet.	0:10:02	0:10:03
-That was the catalyst -to invest in it.	0:10:04	0:10:06
-Would you like to sit?	0:10:07	0:10:09
-I wanted to talk to you...	0:10:12	0:10:14
-..about the creative energy -that came from the chapels...	0:10:14	0:10:19
-..fifty years ago.	0:10:19	0:10:22
-Has something replaced that -creativity?	0:10:22	0:10:26
-The pub!	0:10:26	0:10:28
-Personally, the pub -has been a big influence on me.	0:10:30	0:10:34
-In Blaenau now...	0:10:35	0:10:38
-..we're repossessing -the old chapels...	0:10:40	0:10:44
-..to create something new.	0:10:44	0:10:47
-Blaenau has a strong sense -of its Welsh identity.	0:10:47	0:10:51
-But we have to be careful -or it will disappear.	0:10:52	0:10:56
-We have to find a way -of using the language...	0:10:56	0:11:00
-..and to continue to create.	0:11:01	0:11:03
-Y Ddinas Gadarn -was the title of my poem.	0:11:04	0:11:09
-Radio Cymru asked us -to write a song.	0:11:09	0:11:14
-I gave you the words.	0:11:15	0:11:17
-What happened next?	0:11:18	0:11:20
-I read the poem over and over...	0:11:20	0:11:24
-..to get the feel of the words.	0:11:25	0:11:28
-The line that struck a chord with me -was the last line of the chorus.	0:11:30	0:11:36
-"Creating bread from stone."	0:11:36	0:11:39
-The quarrymen mined slate...	0:11:40	0:11:46
-..to put food on the table.	0:11:46	0:11:49
-Some people think my songs -come from nothing.	0:11:49	0:11:53
-It's not nothing.	0:11:54	0:11:56
-An idea has come to me, -and I've brought it to life.	0:11:56	0:12:02
-One thing turns into something else.	0:12:02	0:12:05
-That's how the imagination works.	0:12:05	0:12:07
-That's how the imagination works. - -Metamorphosis.	0:12:07	0:12:09
-# In the light	0:12:18	0:12:20
-# That seeps in	0:12:21	0:12:22
-# In the strength -of the old, old stone	0:12:23	0:12:26
-# Here we are	0:12:27	0:12:30
-# Living our lives	0:12:32	0:12:34
-# Creating	0:12:36	0:12:38
-# Creating	0:12:41	0:12:43
-# Creating	0:12:45	0:12:47
-# Bread	0:12:47	0:12:49
-# From stone #	0:12:50	0:12:53
-.	0:12:57	0:12:57
-Subtitles	0:13:00	0:13:00
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:13:00	0:13:02
-THESE WORDS	0:13:04	0:13:08
-"In the beginning was the Word"	0:13:11	0:13:14
-The Word has been with me...	0:13:14	0:13:17
-..since I was a very young boy.	0:13:18	0:13:20
-When I was about seven years old...	0:13:21	0:13:25
-..I started -to read the Bible in bed.	0:13:25	0:13:30
-Doing that through the years -has left its mark on me.	0:13:30	0:13:35
-It enhances vocabulary, -for one thing.	0:13:36	0:13:40
-There are strong rhythms -in this translation.	0:13:40	0:13:44
-I'd heard the local dialect...	0:13:50	0:13:54
-..when I was growing up.	0:13:54	0:13:57
-There was a variety.	0:13:57	0:13:59
-The two come together in my work.	0:13:59	0:14:03
-I mixed them up.	0:14:04	0:14:07
-"Then I heard -what sounded like a voice saying	0:14:10	0:14:14
-"Where is the Sunday School trip -going?	0:14:14	0:14:17
-"The answer came	0:14:17	0:14:20
-"In a deafening roar	0:14:20	0:14:24
-"Butlins"	0:14:24	0:14:26
-I started to write poems -in Bangor University.	0:14:30	0:14:34
-I was a student here.	0:14:36	0:14:39
-I returned and remained here -until I retired.	0:14:39	0:14:44
-The buildings and library...	0:14:44	0:14:48
-..mean a lot to me.	0:14:48	0:14:50
-This is a commissioned poem.	0:14:57	0:15:00
-I wrote it -for the college centenary.	0:15:00	0:15:03
-I had an idea -of a college on a hill...	0:15:04	0:15:07
-..that was like a lighthouse...	0:15:07	0:15:10
-..spreading knowledge and wisdom -over Wales and the world.	0:15:10	0:15:14
-It's quite pleasing to see it.	0:15:16	0:15:19
-I'm used to it now.	0:15:22	0:15:25
-It was my duty as a lecturer...	0:15:29	0:15:33
-..to make sure the students -mastered the Welsh language.	0:15:33	0:15:39
-If you master the basics...	0:15:40	0:15:43
-..exciting things can happen.	0:15:43	0:15:46
-You can go on from there.	0:15:46	0:15:48
-The department -should safeguard the past...	0:15:50	0:15:54
-..so the students can go out -and do something worthwhile.	0:15:55	0:16:00
-POET AND ACADEMIC	0:16:03	0:16:07
-I've kept my distance -since retiring.	0:16:09	0:16:12
-I don't interfere -because I know it's in safe hands.	0:16:12	0:16:16
-Hello, Gwyn. How are you?	0:16:19	0:16:21
-I'm glad to see you.	0:16:21	0:16:23
-I'm glad to see you. - -Take a seat.	0:16:23	0:16:25
-It's strange to see you -the other side of the desk.	0:16:26	0:16:30
-It's stranger to see you that side!	0:16:30	0:16:34
-I thought of my student days -as I walked down the corridor.	0:16:34	0:16:39
-It was a highly academic course.	0:16:39	0:16:44
-We traced the origin of words, -and so on.	0:16:44	0:16:48
-Does that still happen?	0:16:49	0:16:51
-There are history of language -elements.	0:16:52	0:16:55
-We're flexible. -We tailor to all needs.	0:16:55	0:16:59
-The creative course -has developed greatly...	0:17:00	0:17:04
-..alongside the usual courses.	0:17:05	0:17:08
-The balance is important.	0:17:08	0:17:10
-As one of your former students, -Gwyn...	0:17:11	0:17:14
-..I remember the pioneering -translation courses.	0:17:14	0:17:18
-There were also courses on film.	0:17:18	0:17:20
-You introduced -different disciplines.	0:17:21	0:17:24
-I saw the link between them.	0:17:24	0:17:27
-Do you get a chance to write poetry?	0:17:27	0:17:33
-A friend said there's -no such thing as the Muse, but time.	0:17:33	0:17:37
-I need time to compose.	0:17:38	0:17:41
-It can be hard, with the various -academic demands that are on me.	0:17:41	0:17:47
-It's important to make time.	0:17:48	0:17:51
-The academic courses -can inspire my creativity.	0:17:51	0:17:56
-If I lecture about -a poet in the morning...	0:17:56	0:18:01
-..an idea might come...	0:18:01	0:18:04
-..or the seed is sown.	0:18:04	0:18:07
-Ah, well.	0:18:07	0:18:09
-Isn't that what the Muse is...	0:18:09	0:18:11
-..that the seed has been sown?	0:18:12	0:18:14
-Isn't that the Muse?	0:18:15	0:18:17
-I like the romantic concept -of the Muse.	0:18:17	0:18:20
-I'll stick to the idea -that it's time we need!	0:18:20	0:18:24
-It's not romantic. -It's as old as Ceridwen's cauldron!	0:18:24	0:18:28
-True enough.	0:18:28	0:18:29
-In my time, the study of words were -an important part of the course...	0:18:35	0:18:40
-..their meaning and origin.	0:18:40	0:18:44
-We all come across -the meaning of words.	0:18:47	0:18:51
-Words have associations that -are irrelevant to their meaning.	0:18:51	0:18:56
-Words like Mam, bread, sea...	0:18:56	0:19:00
-..and so on.	0:19:00	0:19:02
-To what extent does our experience -of the world...	0:19:02	0:19:07
-..influence our reaction to words?	0:19:07	0:19:10
-"A combination -of vowels and consonants	0:19:12	0:19:15
-"All the sounds coming together	0:19:15	0:19:19
-"To convey meaning, feelings	0:19:19	0:19:22
-"That is in all -the world's languages"	0:19:22	0:19:26
-PSYCHOLOGIST	0:19:30	0:19:34
-I'm pleased that -the Welsh Department in Bangor...	0:19:36	0:19:39
-..is working with -the Psychology Department...	0:19:40	0:19:43
-..to prove that Welsh speakers...	0:19:43	0:19:47
-..react instinctively to Cynghanedd.	0:19:47	0:19:50
-Hello. Are you alright?	0:19:51	0:19:53
-Manon Jones and Awel Vaughan-Evans -are hard at work.	0:19:54	0:19:58
-We're conducting an experiment...	0:19:59	0:20:02
-..to record electrical activity -in the brain.	0:20:03	0:20:08
-This cap has electrodes.	0:20:08	0:20:11
-We can measure brain activity.	0:20:12	0:20:14
-The data is fed into the computer.	0:20:15	0:20:17
-Thanks for taking part, Ceri.	0:20:18	0:20:22
-I'll ask Ceri to read sentences...	0:20:23	0:20:26
-..and react -as naturally as possible.	0:20:27	0:20:30
-What interests us...	0:20:30	0:20:32
-..is how her brain -reacts to the Cynghanedd.	0:20:32	0:20:36
-We make sure Ceri is comfortable -throughout the experiment.	0:20:39	0:20:44
-We can see the electrical activity.	0:20:44	0:20:47
-The data is collected -on 32 different channels.	0:20:47	0:20:53
-Is that simplified later?	0:20:53	0:20:56
-We can't base our findings -on one person.	0:20:57	0:21:01
-We analyze data using the average.	0:21:01	0:21:04
-We view Cynghanedd and -examples of rules being broken...	0:21:05	0:21:09
-..in a systematic way.	0:21:09	0:21:12
-Here are the results.	0:21:12	0:21:16
-Cynghanedd comes out on top.	0:21:16	0:21:22
-This proves how quickly -Cynghanedd is recognized...	0:21:23	0:21:28
-..before the person is aware of it.	0:21:28	0:21:31
-The brain clocks it.	0:21:32	0:21:35
-That's fascinating.	0:21:35	0:21:37
-How did it feel to know -the theory is true?	0:21:37	0:21:43
-Thrilling, brilliant!	0:21:43	0:21:45
-Eureka!	0:21:46	0:21:46
-Eureka! - -Yes.	0:21:46	0:21:48
-To be honest...	0:21:48	0:21:50
-..as scientists, -we fell to our knees!	0:21:50	0:21:53
-It was thrilling!	0:21:53	0:21:55
-This explains why people -who know nothing about Cynghanedd...	0:21:55	0:22:00
-..use catchy phrases.	0:22:00	0:22:02
-They hear Cynghanedd's -sounds and patterns.	0:22:02	0:22:08
-It's in us instinctively.	0:22:08	0:22:11
-We use these techniques...	0:22:12	0:22:14
-..because people -are more likely to listen to us.	0:22:14	0:22:18
-It proves how special -Welsh speakers are!	0:22:18	0:22:22
-Exactly!	0:22:22	0:22:23
-The basics of rhythm are in us -before we are born.	0:22:25	0:22:31
-A baby in the womb...	0:22:32	0:22:34
-..reacts to its mother's heartbeat.	0:22:34	0:22:38
-As far as I'm concerned...	0:22:39	0:22:42
-..I've subconsciously -used Cynghanedd.	0:22:43	0:22:47
-Perhaps the Cynghanedd -continues for more than one line.	0:22:47	0:22:51
-That happened -without me planning to do it.	0:22:52	0:22:56
-"Between Foel and Godre'r Moelwyn	0:23:00	0:23:03
-"In Tanygrisiau, -there was a bearded, peaty marsh	0:23:04	0:23:07
-"And stagnant water"	0:23:08	0:23:10
-.	0:23:13	0:23:13
-Subtitles	0:23:17	0:23:17
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:23:17	0:23:19
-KEEPING THE LEGENDS ALIVE	0:23:21	0:23:25
-When I first came here...	0:23:30	0:23:32
-..I was captivated...	0:23:33	0:23:35
-..because of its association...	0:23:36	0:23:38
-..with the Blodeuwedd legend.	0:23:39	0:23:41
-This was called River Cynfael -long ago.	0:23:44	0:23:47
-It's easy to imagine Lleu...	0:23:48	0:23:51
-..neither on water or on land, -after he was struck by a spear.	0:23:52	0:23:56
-You'd expect him -to fall into the river.	0:23:56	0:24:00
-But he turns into an eagle...	0:24:00	0:24:03
-..and flies away.	0:24:03	0:24:06
-After hearing -the centuries old myths...	0:24:10	0:24:13
-..and coming to -the very place they happened...	0:24:13	0:24:16
-..it links us to our past.	0:24:17	0:24:19
-You know where you belong...	0:24:20	0:24:22
-..and see that -it's a very old relationship.	0:24:23	0:24:26
-It was exciting to me as a boy.	0:24:29	0:24:31
-It's still exciting now.	0:24:31	0:24:33
-No!	0:24:37	0:24:38
-Aah!	0:24:39	0:24:41
-I was commissioned...	0:24:41	0:24:43
-..to adapt the Four Branches -of the Mabinogion for children.	0:24:43	0:24:47
-The legends have a magical quality. -That's why they still entertain.	0:24:48	0:24:53
-There are elements deep in us all...	0:24:54	0:24:57
-..that have been transmitted -over thousands of years.	0:24:57	0:25:01
-Listening to them, maybe we don't -understand what's behind them.	0:25:02	0:25:07
-But I think most of us...	0:25:07	0:25:09
-..respond to these marvellous -tales at a very deep level.	0:25:09	0:25:13
-STORYTELLER	0:25:14	0:25:16
-We still have people -who tell stories.	0:25:20	0:25:24
-In Felin Uchaf Centre -on the Llyn Peninsula...	0:25:24	0:25:28
-..there's a place -specifically to tell these stories.	0:25:28	0:25:32
-I have to stay on the farm.	0:25:34	0:25:36
-"Will you do me a favour?" -asked Gwydion.	0:25:37	0:25:40
-"Tomorrow morning, -before opening the sty gate...	0:25:40	0:25:44
-"..will you wake me -and take me there?"	0:25:44	0:25:47
-Lleu picked up the spear -on the river bank.	0:25:48	0:25:52
-He lifted it up -and said a prayer to the spear.	0:25:52	0:25:56
-And...	0:25:56	0:25:57
-The spear went straight -through the long stone...	0:25:58	0:26:02
-..and to the heart of Gronw Pebr.	0:26:03	0:26:06
-He fell dead in that place.	0:26:06	0:26:08
-The stone still stands there...	0:26:10	0:26:12
-..with a hole in it, since that day.	0:26:13	0:26:15
-We've come to the end -of the Fourth Branch.	0:26:16	0:26:20
-Thank you.	0:26:21	0:26:22
-Thank you.	0:26:26	0:26:27
-Bye. You're welcome.	0:26:30	0:26:32
-Gwyn.	0:26:34	0:26:35
-I'm glad to see you again.	0:26:35	0:26:37
-Thank you.	0:26:38	0:26:39
-This is a remarkable place.	0:26:41	0:26:43
-I'm sure it's a great help -when you tell the story.	0:26:43	0:26:47
-It's a theatre in itself, -with its light and sound.	0:26:47	0:26:52
-This truly is -a central meeting place.	0:26:52	0:26:55
-People come together -and share experiences...	0:26:55	0:26:59
-..especially when you tell stories.	0:26:59	0:27:02
-What makes a good story?	0:27:03	0:27:05
-Strong characters, a strong story?	0:27:05	0:27:08
-I think it's your -response to the story.	0:27:08	0:27:11
-A child sees -the entertainment in it.	0:27:12	0:27:17
-Then when you hear -the different layers again...	0:27:18	0:27:21
-..as you go through life...	0:27:21	0:27:24
-..you see the depth -of the stories' symbolism.	0:27:24	0:27:28
-There are elements -in the stories from Wales...	0:27:29	0:27:32
-..that are very similar -to stories in many countries.	0:27:32	0:27:36
-It's so interesting.	0:27:37	0:27:39
-We can see a root that goes back -very far for us all.	0:27:39	0:27:43
-Maybe the stories originated -a very long way back...	0:27:44	0:27:49
-..perhaps even before -the Bronze Age.	0:27:49	0:27:51
-It's a memory of an age -when we were closer together.	0:27:52	0:27:56
-Very interesting.	0:27:56	0:27:57
-At times, part of the subconscious -comes into the stories.	0:27:57	0:28:02
-This would be an ideal place -to tell ghost stories.	0:28:02	0:28:06
-Yes, especially when it's dark -and the fire is the only light.	0:28:06	0:28:11
-Anything can be made vivid here.	0:28:14	0:28:16
-"It's the night of the full moon	0:28:20	0:28:23
-"He stands on a bank, by a pool	0:28:25	0:28:27
-"Looking into the black water	0:28:28	0:28:31
-"Something, or someone -is down in the water's depths	0:28:33	0:28:37
-"Then it begins to rise, -tenderly, tenderly, from the depths	0:28:39	0:28:44
-"It's a young girl	0:28:45	0:28:47
-"A lovely young girl"	0:28:48	0:28:49
-I had an aunt -who told me ghost stories...	0:28:53	0:28:56
-..some from her own experience.	0:28:56	0:28:59
-That's where my interest -in ghost stories began.	0:28:59	0:29:03
-That is also very ancient, -when you talk about ghosts.	0:29:06	0:29:11
-Many say they don't believe -in that kind of thing.	0:29:11	0:29:14
-But a slight uneasiness remains.	0:29:15	0:29:17
-I once wrote a script -for a ghost, or horror, film.	0:29:19	0:29:24
-It came about after seeing an item -on Tonight, the TV programme.	0:29:27	0:29:32
-A famous archaeologist -told a story...	0:29:33	0:29:36
-..about the discovery -of a Celtic sculpture of a head.	0:29:36	0:29:41
-In that script, an ancient artefact -and a ghost story were combined.	0:29:47	0:29:52
-Both those things created interest.	0:29:53	0:29:56
-RHYTHMIC BEAT	0:29:59	0:30:01
-Some stories are mythological.	0:30:07	0:30:09
-The best definition -of mythology I've heard...	0:30:10	0:30:13
-..is that it's a religion...	0:30:14	0:30:16
-..but people don't believe in it, -as they used to, long ago.	0:30:16	0:30:20
-That is, they're traces -of a strong belief.	0:30:21	0:30:24
-A further interpretation -is that mythology...	0:30:25	0:30:29
-..reveals deep truths -about our lives in a unique way...	0:30:29	0:30:34
-..usually in the form -of a myth or story.	0:30:35	0:30:38
-Oh!	0:30:39	0:30:40
-SCULPTOR	0:30:44	0:30:46
-There are also -mythological pictures.	0:30:51	0:30:54
-I was fortunate to observe -the work of an artist...	0:30:55	0:30:59
-..who creates pictures -and sculptures.	0:31:00	0:31:04
-The only way to describe them -is mythological.	0:31:05	0:31:09
-Well, John, we've arrived. -Nice to see you again.	0:31:13	0:31:16
-Everyone alright?	0:31:16	0:31:17
-Everyone alright? - -Quite well.	0:31:17	0:31:18
-Are you taking me to the studio?	0:31:18	0:31:21
-Thanks.	0:31:21	0:31:22
-Well!	0:31:23	0:31:24
-I'm extremely glad -to see all these again.	0:31:25	0:31:29
-You do your work here.	0:31:34	0:31:36
-But everything doesn't happen here.	0:31:37	0:31:40
-No.	0:31:40	0:31:41
-Usually, I see an image -early in the morning.	0:31:42	0:31:46
-There's something about that image.	0:31:46	0:31:49
-When you're in bed, half asleep?	0:31:49	0:31:51
-Yes, or rather half awake.	0:31:52	0:31:54
-That image has so much presence.	0:31:55	0:31:57
-I don't know -how it can be explained.	0:31:58	0:32:01
-I have to carry on with it, -that very day.	0:32:01	0:32:05
-It's very hazy.	0:32:06	0:32:08
-But there's enough there to inspire -me to keep looking at it...	0:32:09	0:32:14
-..like Lleu here.	0:32:14	0:32:16
-All I could see were -hazy lines going down.	0:32:17	0:32:21
-Then I saw a tree.	0:32:21	0:32:23
-The next thing I saw was a woman.	0:32:25	0:32:27
-As you see, -it's a combination of both.	0:32:28	0:32:31
-Yes.	0:32:31	0:32:32
-Then I saw drops of blood falling.	0:32:32	0:32:35
-In effect, there's -spiritual power up there...	0:32:38	0:32:42
-..and a power pulling downwards.	0:32:42	0:32:45
-It happens in my work endlessly.	0:32:46	0:32:48
-The uplifting and descending.	0:32:48	0:32:50
-This is your image of Bendigeidfran, -the giant in the myth.	0:32:52	0:32:56
-The story says he looks angrily...	0:32:57	0:32:59
-..towards Ireland.	0:33:00	0:33:02
-When I began, I wasn't -conscious of the story.	0:33:02	0:33:07
-But one day, -as the shape came out...	0:33:07	0:33:09
-..I immediately thought of the myth.	0:33:10	0:33:12
-The eyes and the mouth.	0:33:12	0:33:15
-There's a kind of fury there, -enough to frighten me, really.	0:33:15	0:33:20
-It goes down, and once more, -there's a downward pull.	0:33:20	0:33:24
-Yes.	0:33:25	0:33:26
-Things that draw towards death, -the earth, and the elevating too.	0:33:26	0:33:31
-They're both there, as in life.	0:33:31	0:33:34
-Oddly, with this downward power...	0:33:34	0:33:36
-..I relax.	0:33:37	0:33:38
-Aha.	0:33:38	0:33:40
-Then I go back.	0:33:40	0:33:41
-It's as if it was part of a process.	0:33:42	0:33:44
-Powers come out of this, the anger.	0:33:45	0:33:48
-It's true about the head too.	0:33:51	0:33:53
-This one?	0:33:54	0:33:55
-I've just cast this.	0:33:55	0:33:56
-I've just cast this. - -You've just finished this.	0:33:56	0:33:58
-It hasn't been exhibited.	0:33:58	0:34:01
-It's almost like a Red Indian head.	0:34:02	0:34:04
-I find it's almost a religious head.	0:34:04	0:34:07
-It's a metaphor.	0:34:07	0:34:09
-It's a bird and a person.	0:34:10	0:34:12
-The bird rises.	0:34:12	0:34:14
-The eyes....	0:34:14	0:34:15
-I didn't intend it -to be a bird at first.	0:34:16	0:34:19
-It just comes.	0:34:20	0:34:21
-Something in the shape...	0:34:22	0:34:24
-..it's meant to go up like that.	0:34:25	0:34:27
-There's one more image...	0:34:28	0:34:30
-..which I hope you'll tell us about.	0:34:30	0:34:33
-It's this sculpture...	0:34:35	0:34:37
-..which you made -after your son, Dylan, died.	0:34:40	0:34:43
-Yes.	0:34:43	0:34:44
-Naturally, -I'll never forget the time.	0:34:45	0:34:48
-I'd been to see him at one point.	0:34:49	0:34:51
-I had the impression -that nothing could be done for him.	0:34:54	0:34:58
-It was a matter -of waiting for him to die.	0:34:58	0:35:01
-I was back home.	0:35:01	0:35:02
-One morning...	0:35:03	0:35:04
-..I saw an image in my mind.	0:35:04	0:35:07
-A woman's body...	0:35:09	0:35:11
-..as if it was -holding something back.	0:35:11	0:35:13
-It tries to support this heavy body.	0:35:14	0:35:16
-I felt an odd kind of freedom...	0:35:20	0:35:23
-..to cut inwards there.	0:35:24	0:35:26
-It's emptiness.	0:35:27	0:35:29
-It was a profound experience. -I lost my son.	0:35:31	0:35:35
-But this helped me -come to terms with it.	0:35:37	0:35:40
-I was able to draw -something out of it.	0:35:40	0:35:44
-The mother feels the emptiness...	0:35:45	0:35:47
-..but still supports the body.	0:35:48	0:35:50
-Love is extremely powerful there.	0:35:51	0:35:54
-Yes.	0:35:54	0:35:56
-And loss.	0:35:56	0:35:57
-It's unlike most of my work.	0:35:58	0:36:00
-It's an extremely important piece.	0:36:00	0:36:03
-"After the emptiness and anguish	0:36:11	0:36:13
-"What remains is love	0:36:16	0:36:18
-"Which is lasting"	0:36:19	0:36:21
-.	0:36:21	0:36:21
-Subtitles	0:36:27	0:36:27
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:36:27	0:36:29
-STRIKE A CHORD	0:36:32	0:36:33
-A TELEVISION POEM By GWYN THOMAS	0:36:35	0:36:38
-In Memory Of -MARTIN LUTHER KING	0:36:40	0:36:43
-"In Tennessee, in Memphis	0:36:46	0:36:49
-"The hour came	0:36:49	0:36:51
-"In Tennessee, on the white walls	0:36:52	0:36:54
-"Death blushed	0:36:55	0:36:57
-"In Tennessee, the end came"	0:36:58	0:37:01
-Poetry, to a great extent, -depends on images.	0:37:06	0:37:09
-That is, seeing that -one thing is similar to another...	0:37:09	0:37:13
-..or seeing something -through another.	0:37:13	0:37:16
-Poetry on television...	0:37:17	0:37:21
-..can sometimes work, when the words -and pictures are fairly similar.	0:37:22	0:37:27
-But I tend to think they work better -when the words say one thing...	0:37:28	0:37:33
-..and the pictures -say something else.	0:37:33	0:37:36
-You create a third thing, -combining both.	0:37:36	0:37:40
-That was why I created -the word "llunyddiaeth"...	0:37:40	0:37:45
-..when words and pictures -come together.	0:37:45	0:37:48
-# Shackles in my mind #	0:37:49	0:37:56
-As regards to music and poetry...	0:37:58	0:38:00
-..rhythm is one of the most -important aspects.	0:38:01	0:38:06
-They belong together, somehow.	0:38:10	0:38:12
-There are musical elements. -That's what rhythm is in poetry.	0:38:13	0:38:18
-COMPOSER	0:38:21	0:38:23
-I was very glad to see that -a young musician, Owain Llwyd...	0:38:27	0:38:32
-..had been inspired -by some of my words.	0:38:32	0:38:36
-I look forward to meeting -Owain Llwyd in Menai Bridge.	0:38:37	0:38:41
-Hello. How are you?	0:38:42	0:38:44
-We've arrived.	0:38:44	0:38:45
-We've arrived. - -Come in.	0:38:45	0:38:46
-Thank you.	0:38:46	0:38:47
-Thank you. - -You're welcome.	0:38:47	0:38:48
-So this is where you work.	0:38:49	0:38:51
-Yes, this is the studio.	0:38:52	0:38:54
-This is the equipment -a modern composer uses.	0:38:54	0:38:57
-Yes, it's quite usual now.	0:38:57	0:39:00
-You've put up the poem -I wrote long ago...	0:39:00	0:39:04
-..about creating the universe.	0:39:05	0:39:07
-You used the poem with a piano.	0:39:08	0:39:10
-Yes. It was originally -for Cor Merched Edeyrnion.	0:39:10	0:39:15
-Why so?	0:39:15	0:39:17
-To put the music in context.	0:39:17	0:39:19
-Composers usually want a kind -of story or narrative, and emotion.	0:39:21	0:39:26
-The poem created all that for me.	0:39:27	0:39:29
-You mention explosions and burning.	0:39:30	0:39:32
-There are many pictures -for the piano.	0:39:32	0:39:36
-I've noted a few things -from the poem on the score.	0:39:36	0:39:40
-"No day, no night."	0:39:41	0:39:43
-The piano begins quietly -on very low notes.	0:39:43	0:39:46
-It starts from almost nothing...	0:39:47	0:39:50
-..in the beginning, of course.	0:39:50	0:39:52
-PIANO PLAYS	0:39:52	0:39:53
-So the piano player...	0:39:54	0:39:56
-..can find inspiration -or some spark in the words.	0:39:57	0:40:02
-Yes. I like to add -small things like this.	0:40:02	0:40:05
-Sometimes, it doesn't have -to be serious, like this.	0:40:06	0:40:09
-It can be light-hearted...	0:40:09	0:40:11
-..to create a bit of fun -in the recording session.	0:40:12	0:40:15
-Do you think music...	0:40:16	0:40:18
-..shows aspects of words...	0:40:19	0:40:21
-..that aren't in the words -on their own...	0:40:21	0:40:25
-..when you read or recite them?	0:40:25	0:40:27
-Definitely.	0:40:27	0:40:29
-Music can add emotion...	0:40:29	0:40:31
-..to any words...	0:40:33	0:40:35
-..or add images.	0:40:36	0:40:38
-Often, it's very interesting...	0:40:39	0:40:42
-..not to repeat -the emotion in the poem.	0:40:42	0:40:46
-The words say what happens.	0:40:47	0:40:50
-The music doesn't have -to represent that directly.	0:40:50	0:40:54
-It can represent -something else all around.	0:40:54	0:40:58
-So the music and words -create a third thing.	0:40:58	0:41:02
-That's it.	0:41:02	0:41:03
-You've worked with my words before.	0:41:03	0:41:06
-What if I composed some words...	0:41:08	0:41:11
-..and see what you make of them?	0:41:12	0:41:15
-I'd love to do that.	0:41:15	0:41:17
-I only have a feeling so far.	0:41:17	0:41:19
-It starts almost -as a physical feeling.	0:41:20	0:41:24
-I'll give you the words -and you can see.	0:41:25	0:41:28
-Don't throw them back at me!	0:41:30	0:41:31
-Don't throw them back at me! - -No problem!	0:41:31	0:41:32
-We'll see how it goes.	0:41:33	0:41:33
-We'll see how it goes. - -Excellent.	0:41:33	0:41:34
-I look forward to working with you.	0:41:35	0:41:37
-I look forward to working with you. - -Right!	0:41:37	0:41:38
-CHILDREN PLAY	0:41:41	0:41:43
-I've been thinking for some time...	0:41:45	0:41:48
-..about a poem about -the Muse and how it works.	0:41:48	0:41:52
-How does inspiration come about?	0:41:53	0:41:55
-Come on! I have a rake -if you want to gather leaves.	0:41:57	0:42:01
-Having children -was a marvellous experience.	0:42:01	0:42:05
-Children bring their -own originality to the world.	0:42:05	0:42:09
-There's an innocence -and seeing things afresh.	0:42:10	0:42:14
-The things they do or say...	0:42:16	0:42:19
-..are amazing.	0:42:20	0:42:22
-Do you want to play?	0:42:22	0:42:24
-It was the same -with my grandchildren.	0:42:25	0:42:28
-They have their own way -of looking at things.	0:42:28	0:42:31
-They're not full -of preconceptions or experiences...	0:42:32	0:42:36
-..and set in their ways, -like someone my age.	0:42:36	0:42:40
-They're much more fluid.	0:42:41	0:42:43
-They're much more -open to experiences.	0:42:43	0:42:47
-One tries to capture a little -of that wonder and innocence...	0:42:48	0:42:53
-..and that enjoyment -I had in their company.	0:42:56	0:43:00
-That's what I tried to do -in the poems about them.	0:43:01	0:43:05
-"At six weeks old, as is well known	0:43:08	0:43:11
-"It's not easy -to find anything in the world	0:43:11	0:43:15
-"Half as glorious as curtains	0:43:15	0:43:18
-"Stare at their stability	0:43:19	0:43:21
-"Their shapely perfection	0:43:21	0:43:24
-"Respond to their draped forms	0:43:24	0:43:26
-"And wide, contemplative hovering"	0:43:26	0:43:29
-Most of us fortunate enough to -have children and grandchildren...	0:43:32	0:43:37
-..have this experience.	0:43:37	0:43:39
-There's a new wave, -a renewal, with your children...	0:43:39	0:43:43
-..then again -with your grandchildren.	0:43:44	0:43:47
-After that, you turn -your sights towards the exit...	0:43:47	0:43:51
-..to another existence.	0:43:51	0:43:53
-I go back to Blaenau because -I like the places I'm familiar with.	0:43:59	0:44:04
-As you grow older...	0:44:07	0:44:08
-..inevitably, interest -in the past increases.	0:44:08	0:44:13
-Some of us remember the past -better than events last week.	0:44:13	0:44:18
-But life must always carry on.	0:44:20	0:44:23
-Even if you're old, -you have to look forward.	0:44:23	0:44:26
-I think there are -two types of remembering.	0:44:27	0:44:30
-One is when you're certain -of the details about the past.	0:44:31	0:44:36
-The second kind...	0:44:36	0:44:37
-..is when the feeling -you had as a child comes back.	0:44:37	0:44:42
-That is the most rewarding -type of remembering.	0:44:43	0:44:47
-Once every two years, there was -a reunion of former pupils.	0:44:50	0:44:55
-But usually, we lose someone.	0:44:55	0:44:58
-We lost Meredydd Evans this time -and one or two other friends.	0:44:59	0:45:04
-I'm at that state -of existence now...	0:45:06	0:45:09
-..where we lose friends, one by one.	0:45:10	0:45:13
-"Let us, as spiritually as we can	0:45:19	0:45:23
-"And while we can	0:45:23	0:45:24
-"Challenge death	0:45:24	0:45:26
-"And say, say	0:45:26	0:45:28
-"Shabby or not	0:45:29	0:45:30
-"In this old age	0:45:31	0:45:32
-"I, I still exist	0:45:33	0:45:35
-"And so far	0:45:37	0:45:38
-"I still remember	0:45:38	0:45:40
-"Life hasn't passed by"	0:45:40	0:45:43
-As I get older, the impetus to -create with words is still there...	0:45:50	0:45:55
-..as strong as ever.	0:45:55	0:45:57
-After writing for decades...	0:45:59	0:46:02
-..I think there is -such a thing as the Muse.	0:46:03	0:46:06
-There's a yearning -to try and create something.	0:46:07	0:46:11
-As far as I'm concerned...	0:46:13	0:46:15
-..even if no-one read the stuff, -I'd still create.	0:46:15	0:46:20
-The essence of the Muse -is in an old story...	0:46:26	0:46:30
-..about Ceridwen, who was -a kind of witch or sorceress.	0:46:30	0:46:34
-She had a cauldron.	0:46:34	0:46:36
-In it, there was an infusion -that created things.	0:46:36	0:46:40
-Something gives one an impetus -and inspiration to do something.	0:46:44	0:46:49
-That's the Muse, in essence.	0:46:51	0:46:53
-MUSIC PLAYS	0:47:10	0:47:11
-"Ceridwen's cauldron	0:47:18	0:47:20
-"There is a sorceress -through the ages	0:47:20	0:47:24
-"Who owns the Muse's cauldron	0:47:24	0:47:26
-"And boiling in the cauldron are	0:47:28	0:47:30
-"Vowels and consonants	0:47:31	0:47:33
-"Syllables and accents	0:47:34	0:47:36
-"And rhythms that colour -the meanings of words	0:47:36	0:47:40
-"Creating a myriad worlds	0:47:42	0:47:44
-"A myriad beings	0:47:44	0:47:46
-"This sorceress - whose name was	0:47:47	0:47:50
-"Whose name is Ceridwen"	0:47:50	0:47:53
-MUSIC PLAYS	0:47:54	0:47:56
-S4C Subtitles by Gwead	0:48:27	0:48:29
-.	0:48:29	0:48:29

Gwyn Thomas: Gwr Geiriau

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