Hedd Wyn: Canrif o Gofio

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-Hedd Wyn.	0:00:02	0:00:03
-The Trawsfynydd poet who became -one of our country's icons.	0:00:03	0:00:08
-A man who has become a part -of our national consciousness.	0:00:10	0:00:14
-A century after Hedd Wyn's death, -we look anew at this iconic story.	0:00:17	0:00:22
-A talented young man who hadn't -had the benefits of education...	0:00:22	0:00:27
-..winning -the National Eisteddfod Chair...	0:00:27	0:00:30
-..but being killed in the Great War -before claiming his prize.	0:00:30	0:00:35
-It's a story that encapsulates -the sacrifice and waste of war.	0:00:36	0:00:40
-Small wonder that it was the basis -for an Oscar-nominated film.	0:00:41	0:00:45
-The story's appeal continues.	0:00:47	0:00:49
-In 2014, the Welsh football team -visited Hedd Wyn's grave in Belgium.	0:00:51	0:00:56
-But why does Hedd Wyn's story still -grasp our imagination so strongly?	0:00:57	0:01:02
-In this programme, we follow Hedd -Wyn's story during his short life...	0:01:27	0:01:31
-..in England, -and in France and Belgium.	0:01:32	0:01:35
-But at the heart of his story -lies his home.	0:01:36	0:01:39
-Yr Ysgwrn farm in Trawsfynydd.	0:01:39	0:01:42
-You must understand the culture -and landscape of his home turf...	0:01:43	0:01:47
-..in order to understand -his work as a poet.	0:01:48	0:01:50
-For a century, -people have been coming here...	0:01:51	0:01:54
-..to try to get to know -the man behind the story.	0:01:54	0:01:58
-For years, relatives of Hedd Wyn...	0:02:00	0:02:03
-..have guided visitors -around the house.	0:02:03	0:02:07
-This is Gerald Williams, -Hedd Wyn's nephew.	0:02:08	0:02:11
-If you saw the film Hedd Wyn, -the people who made it came here.	0:02:11	0:02:16
-They saw the paper that was here -originally and said it was too new.	0:02:17	0:02:22
-He went to the village -and bought a big pot of coffee...	0:02:22	0:02:26
-..and painted coffee -all over the wallpaper.	0:02:26	0:02:29
-The house -reeked of coffee for weeks.	0:02:30	0:02:32
-You come here and you can see...	0:02:32	0:02:35
-..where Hedd Wyn actually lived.	0:02:36	0:02:39
-But who was Hedd Wyn?	0:02:42	0:02:44
-This is a statue of him -here in Trawsfynydd.	0:02:45	0:02:48
-Statues like this one, -commemorating ordinary men...	0:02:49	0:02:53
-..are very scarce in Wales.	0:02:53	0:02:55
-When the statue -was unveiled in 1923...	0:02:57	0:03:00
-..Hedd Wyn had become a folk hero.	0:03:01	0:03:04
-Indeed, it was paid for -by ordinary people.	0:03:04	0:03:07
-Contributions came -from across Wales...	0:03:07	0:03:10
-..and from expatriate communities -in England and America.	0:03:10	0:03:14
-In a war that saw destruction -and loss of life...	0:03:15	0:03:18
-..on a scale never before seen...	0:03:18	0:03:21
-..Hedd Wyn came to represent -a whole generation of lost talents.	0:03:21	0:03:25
-He's portrayed here -not as a soldier with his gun...	0:03:26	0:03:30
-..or as a poet with pen in hand...	0:03:30	0:03:33
-..but as an ordinary man, -as a shepherd.	0:03:33	0:03:36
-Ellis Evans, or Hedd Wyn -as he would become more familiar...	0:03:41	0:03:45
-..was a farmer's son.	0:03:45	0:03:47
-He was born in 1887, -the eldest of eleven children.	0:03:48	0:03:52
-It may be ironic that he was -portrayed as a shepherd...	0:03:53	0:03:57
-..because in a newspaper -interview after his death...	0:03:57	0:04:00
-..his mother said this.	0:04:01	0:04:02
-He was no shepherd.	0:04:03	0:04:04
-Indeed, I told him, -"What if you marry, my boy?	0:04:05	0:04:09
-"Your wife would starve."	0:04:09	0:04:11
-But although his mother -sounded rather harsh...	0:04:12	0:04:15
-..Hedd Wyn's parents were very -supportive of his talent as a poet.	0:04:16	0:04:20
-It was late at night...	0:04:21	0:04:22
-..between 10.30pm and 3.00am, -that he worked his poems.	0:04:23	0:04:26
-The following day, -he could get up when he wanted.	0:04:26	0:04:30
-Hedd Wyn's father -first taught him to write poetry...	0:04:31	0:04:35
-..when he was eleven years old.	0:04:35	0:04:37
-Soon, he began to compete -at the family chapel.	0:04:38	0:04:41
-Ebenezer chapel -has now been demolished...	0:04:42	0:04:45
-..but it was on this site...	0:04:45	0:04:47
-..at a competitive meeting -organized by the chapel...	0:04:47	0:04:52
-..that Hedd Wyn won his first prize -as a poet, aged just twelve.	0:04:52	0:04:56
-In 1901, when he was 14 years old...	0:05:02	0:05:06
-..he left school -to work at home at Yr Ysgwrn.	0:05:06	0:05:10
-He still won regularly at the chapel -and at small eisteddfodau.	0:05:10	0:05:14
-As a country poet, -he was constantly in demand...	0:05:14	0:05:18
-..to write poems -for weddings and funerals.	0:05:18	0:05:21
-His love for his community -is evident in his work...	0:05:22	0:05:25
-..as is his love -for the forces of nature.	0:05:26	0:05:28
-"For only a purple moon	0:05:32	0:05:34
-"Lights the mountain bare	0:05:35	0:05:37
-"And the song of the river Prysor	0:05:37	0:05:40
-"Singing in the air"	0:05:40	0:05:42
-But despite the beauty -of the Prysor valley...	0:05:45	0:05:49
-..life at Yr Ysgwrn was hard.	0:05:49	0:05:51
-Soon after Christmas 1908, -at the age of 21...	0:05:51	0:05:55
-..Hedd Wyn sought work as a miner -in the South Wales Valleys.	0:05:55	0:05:59
-He came here, to Abercynon.	0:06:00	0:06:02
-He lived in this house -in Glancynon Terrace...	0:06:05	0:06:08
-..lodging, apparently, -with Mr and Mrs Robert Morris.	0:06:08	0:06:11
-Like him, the man of the house -was a native of Meirionnydd.	0:06:11	0:06:15
-He was one of 2,500 men -who worked at this colliery.	0:06:16	0:06:22
-It was a different world -for a lad from Trawsfynydd.	0:06:23	0:06:26
-But he would later attest...	0:06:26	0:06:28
-..that the same community spirit -and willingness to share...	0:06:29	0:06:33
-..was present in Abercynon -as it was at home.	0:06:34	0:06:37
-He often repeated -a favourite miners' quote.	0:06:37	0:06:40
-"While I have six, -you'll have three."	0:06:40	0:06:43
-The collier's generosity -might have pleased him...	0:06:44	0:06:47
-..but working underground didn't.	0:06:48	0:06:50
-After a few weeks -living down here in Abercynon...	0:06:50	0:06:54
-..he sent this message -on a postcard to Jane Williams...	0:06:54	0:06:58
-..who was in the same Sunday school -class as him in Trawsfynydd.	0:06:58	0:07:02
-"Dear Jane.	0:07:03	0:07:04
-"How are you?	0:07:05	0:07:06
-"Have you learnt Samuel's story yet?	0:07:06	0:07:09
-"I'll be coming back there soon.	0:07:10	0:07:12
-"Regards to Trawsfynydd's -rain and wind.	0:07:12	0:07:16
-"Yours, Ellis."	0:07:16	0:07:18
-He kept his word.	0:07:19	0:07:20
-After just three months, -he went home.	0:07:20	0:07:23
-Only one englyn has survived -from his time here in Abercynon.	0:07:24	0:07:28
-The two last lines go like this.	0:07:28	0:07:31
-"My body may be in the south, -but my soul's in Trawsfynydd."	0:07:31	0:07:37
-Gerald Williams was the last of Hedd -Wyn's family to live at Yr Ysgwrn.	0:07:43	0:07:48
-But he has no children...	0:07:48	0:07:51
-..and in 2012, -he had to make a difficult decision.	0:07:51	0:07:56
-I was in a terrible quandary -about what to do with the old place.	0:07:56	0:08:01
-To keep the place on, -as it is, as I have done.	0:08:01	0:08:05
-I was in a fix, then I got the idea -to sell it to the National Park.	0:08:05	0:08:10
-I told the Park -to keep the door open.	0:08:10	0:08:13
-The Snowdonia National Park -now owns Yr Ysgwrn...	0:08:14	0:08:18
-..while Gerald lives -in a bungalow nearby.	0:08:18	0:08:21
-In 2014, the Park secured 2.8m -from the Heritage Lottery Fund...	0:08:22	0:08:28
-..to enable them -to protect the house...	0:08:28	0:08:31
-..and develop the site.	0:08:31	0:08:33
-This was the day work started.	0:08:35	0:08:37
-First, the entire contents -of the house had to be catalogued.	0:08:37	0:08:41
-Naomi Jones and Jess Enston -are part of the team...	0:08:44	0:08:47
-..who look after Yr Ysgwrn -on behalf of the Park.	0:08:47	0:08:51
-That's a poem about Hedd Wyn.	0:08:51	0:08:54
-About Hedd Wyn?	0:08:54	0:08:55
-A survey shows -that 95% of the contents...	0:08:56	0:09:00
-..date back to Hedd Wyn's time.	0:09:01	0:09:04
-One of the UK's leading experts -in restoring old furniture...	0:09:05	0:09:09
-..is Hugh Haley from St Clears.	0:09:09	0:09:11
-The job this week is to remove -the chattels and the furniture...	0:09:12	0:09:16
-..so that the conservation work -can be done to the house itself.	0:09:17	0:09:21
-It's a workshop task, really...	0:09:21	0:09:24
-..to assess how much work -will have to be done.	0:09:24	0:09:27
-Once they get back to my place, -I'll bring them into the workshop...	0:09:27	0:09:31
-..and be able -to see behind things, underneath.	0:09:32	0:09:35
-All the dark and dirty places.	0:09:35	0:09:38
-How are you bearing up, Gerald?	0:09:42	0:09:44
-Yes, good question.	0:09:45	0:09:47
-It's a strange feeling, yes.	0:09:48	0:09:50
-Removing the old place.	0:09:50	0:09:52
-It's as if it's being gutted.	0:09:52	0:09:55
-This is where I was raised.	0:09:56	0:09:58
-This is what I've seen all my life.	0:09:58	0:10:01
-The bed won't go down the stairs, -so we have to dismantle it.	0:10:01	0:10:05
-The six chairs won by Hedd Wyn -at different eisteddfodau...	0:10:12	0:10:16
-..are treated with special care.	0:10:17	0:10:19
-What do you think? Good idea?	0:10:22	0:10:25
-What do you think? Good idea? - -Specialist treatment!	0:10:25	0:10:26
-Thank you very much.	0:10:32	0:10:33
-Are you alright?	0:10:36	0:10:38
-Hedd Wyn was a keen competitor -at local eisteddfodau.	0:10:48	0:10:52
-But the prestige and praise weren't -his only reasons for competing.	0:10:52	0:10:56
-His parents couldn't afford -to pay him a wage...	0:10:57	0:11:00
-..for working on the farm...	0:11:00	0:11:02
-..so eisteddfod prizes -provided an income.	0:11:02	0:11:06
-After a local eisteddfod win...	0:11:06	0:11:09
-..he'd sometimes buy beer -for his friends.	0:11:09	0:11:12
-Once, after winning three shillings -at Llan Ffestiniog eisteddfod...	0:11:12	0:11:17
-..for an englyn -to the Moelwyn mountain...	0:11:17	0:11:20
-..he and his friends -celebrated in a pub.	0:11:20	0:11:22
-Having drunk the prize, -about twelve pints...	0:11:22	0:11:25
-..Hedd Wyn announced thus.	0:11:26	0:11:28
-"Lads, we've achieved quite a feat.	0:11:28	0:11:31
-"We've swallowed the Moelwyn -in 15 minutes!"	0:11:31	0:11:34
-If Hedd Wyn, like any -young man in his twenties...	0:11:40	0:11:44
-..enjoyed his friends' company -in a pub...	0:11:44	0:11:47
-..he also enjoyed -more educated company.	0:11:48	0:11:51
-He was friends -with many older local poets...	0:11:51	0:11:54
-..as well as ministers -including Silyn Roberts...	0:11:54	0:11:58
-..who introduced him -to socialist ideas.	0:11:58	0:12:00
-Another friend at this time -was John Morris, a local teacher.	0:12:01	0:12:06
-I have a vivid memory of an evening -sitting by the fire with him here.	0:12:06	0:12:12
-He took a piece of paper -out of his waistcoat pocket...	0:12:13	0:12:16
-..put it by the fire -and then lit his pipe.	0:12:16	0:12:20
-I realized that there was an englyn -written on it.	0:12:21	0:12:24
-I grabbed the paper, -put out the flame and read it.	0:12:24	0:12:27
-This was that englyn.	0:12:28	0:12:30
-"I strolled near melodious streams	0:12:31	0:12:34
-"As the shy nervous wind -blew through pastures	0:12:34	0:12:38
-"And the sunlight's -white arm embraced	0:12:38	0:12:42
-"The old neck of the mountains."	0:12:42	0:12:45
-He may not -have taken care of his poems...	0:12:49	0:12:52
-..but their standard -improved constantly.	0:12:52	0:12:55
-He won his first chair -at Bala Eisteddfod in 1907.	0:12:56	0:12:59
-Many in Meirionnydd's -poetic circles...	0:13:00	0:13:03
-..had noticed Ellis Evans, -the promising Trawsfynydd poet.	0:13:03	0:13:07
-Of course, -he was Ellis Evans at the time.	0:13:08	0:13:12
-It would be another three years -before he took his bardic name.	0:13:12	0:13:16
-Ffestiniog area poets -would gather from time to time...	0:13:21	0:13:25
-..to accept new members -into their midst...	0:13:25	0:13:28
-..and to give them bardic names.	0:13:29	0:13:31
-Those meetings usually took place -on the shores of Llyn Morwynion.	0:13:31	0:13:36
-But in August 1910, -as the weather was unfavourable...	0:13:36	0:13:40
-..they decided to meet on this hill, -just outside Llan Ffestiniog.	0:13:40	0:13:45
-It was here, with this -fine scenery as a backdrop...	0:13:46	0:13:52
-..that Ellis Evans, Yr Ysgwrn, -was renamed Hedd Wyn.	0:13:52	0:13:58
-His bardic name would become one -of the most famous in Welsh poetry.	0:13:59	0:14:04
-.	0:14:05	0:14:05
-Subtitles	0:14:10	0:14:10
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:14:10	0:14:12
-When fighting started -across Europe in 1914...	0:14:17	0:14:20
-..the people of Trawsfynydd -were already more aware than most...	0:14:21	0:14:26
-..of the war preparations -that had taken place.	0:14:26	0:14:29
-Although Hedd Wyn -had grown up in rural Meirionnydd...	0:14:30	0:14:35
-..he was no stranger -to the sound of artillery.	0:14:35	0:14:39
-Since the start -of the 20th century...	0:14:41	0:14:44
-..soldiers had been coming -to the area to train.	0:14:44	0:14:47
-By 1914, the War Office -controlled over 8,000 acres here...	0:14:47	0:14:52
-..and a permanent camp -had been established at Rhiw Goch.	0:14:52	0:14:57
-Trawsfynydd railway station -was extended...	0:14:58	0:15:01
-..to deal with growing numbers -of soldiers and weaponry.	0:15:01	0:15:05
-It was from this station -that local army volunteers...	0:15:05	0:15:09
-..would depart for the battlefield.	0:15:09	0:15:11
-Hedd Wyn chose not to join.	0:15:13	0:15:16
-He wasn't a staunch pacifist, -but war was against his nature.	0:15:16	0:15:20
-But seeing his contemporaries -leaving one by one...	0:15:21	0:15:24
-..he was inspired to write.	0:15:25	0:15:26
-They weren't poems supporting war.	0:15:28	0:15:30
-Their purpose, simply, was to let -his friends in the army know...	0:15:30	0:15:35
-..how much their families and -their community thought about them.	0:15:35	0:15:40
-"Distance cannot -take away your memory	0:15:40	0:15:43
-"Children of those dear hills	0:15:44	0:15:46
-"Heart and heart remain together	0:15:46	0:15:48
-"Even though you are far away."	0:15:49	0:15:52
-As the losses increased, -Hedd Wyn was in growing demand...	0:15:54	0:15:59
-..to write englynion and verses -in memory of those killed.	0:15:59	0:16:04
-This englyn is one -of the best-known examples.	0:16:04	0:16:08
-It has been used -to commemorate numerous soldiers...	0:16:08	0:16:11
-..including, ultimately, -Hedd Wyn himself.	0:16:12	0:16:15
-"His sacrifice was not in vain	0:16:18	0:16:20
-"His dear face will remain	0:16:21	0:16:24
-"Although he left a bloodstain	0:16:25	0:16:27
-"On Germany's iron fist of pain."	0:16:27	0:16:30
-But he wrote about more than the war -and its effects on the community.	0:16:35	0:16:40
-He still wrote on a variety -of subjects at local eisteddfodau.	0:16:41	0:16:46
-By 1915, -he had five chairs to his name...	0:16:46	0:16:50
-..but his true ambition -was the National Eisteddfod Chair.	0:16:50	0:16:54
-He entered the Chair competition -at the 1915 Bangor Eisteddfod...	0:16:55	0:16:59
-..but the adjudication -was sadly rather scathing.	0:17:00	0:17:03
-In 1916, the National Eisteddfod -was in Aberystwyth.	0:17:03	0:17:07
-This time, Hedd Wyn -came second for the Chair.	0:17:07	0:17:11
-The following year, -the Eisteddfod was in Birkenhead.	0:17:12	0:17:16
-Could Hedd Wyn go one better -and come out on top this time?	0:17:16	0:17:22
-He started to write his ode.	0:17:22	0:17:24
-The competition requirement...	0:17:27	0:17:29
-..was a poem of no more than -500 lines on the theme The Hero.	0:17:29	0:17:33
-But before Hedd Wyn -could finish his poem...	0:17:33	0:17:36
-..he was conscripted into the army.	0:17:36	0:17:39
-In early 1916, -the Military Service Act was passed.	0:17:41	0:17:45
-Every man -between the ages of 18 and 41...	0:17:46	0:17:48
-..had to offer themselves up -for military service.	0:17:48	0:17:52
-But according to his girlfriend -at the time, Jini Owen...	0:17:52	0:17:56
-..Hedd Wyn -wasn't a natural soldier.	0:17:56	0:17:59
-We were together for three years.	0:18:00	0:18:03
-It was a crying shame -that he had to join the army at all.	0:18:04	0:18:08
-He wasn't a man for the army.	0:18:10	0:18:12
-He had too gentle a nature.	0:18:13	0:18:15
-It was possible to be exempted -from military service...	0:18:15	0:18:19
-..if you worked -in certain reserved occupations.	0:18:19	0:18:23
-Helping to run a farm, -as in Hedd Wyn's case...	0:18:23	0:18:26
-..could fall into that category.	0:18:27	0:18:29
-But you could only be exempted -for a few months at a time...	0:18:29	0:18:33
-..before having to appeal once more -to the military tribunal...	0:18:33	0:18:38
-..and starting -the whole process again.	0:18:38	0:18:41
-According to Enid, -Hedd Wyn's sister..	0:18:41	0:18:43
-..he got fed up with this process -and ultimately chose to enlist.	0:18:44	0:18:48
-There was so much pressure.	0:18:48	0:18:50
-My father went to one tribunal after -another trying to keep him at home.	0:18:50	0:18:55
-But he had to go.	0:18:55	0:18:56
-Bob, my brother, -was getting to that age too.	0:18:56	0:18:59
-Maybe Ellis thought...	0:18:59	0:19:02
-..that he was better suited -to the task...	0:19:02	0:19:06
-..given that Bob was so young.	0:19:06	0:19:09
-Although the family could keep -one son back to help on the farm...	0:19:11	0:19:16
-..Hedd Wyn knew that the authorities -wouldn't let them both stay at home.	0:19:16	0:19:21
-As his brother, Bob, -was about to turn eighteen...	0:19:21	0:19:25
-..Hedd Wyn made -a heroically selfless decision.	0:19:25	0:19:30
-Despite his own socialist -and pacifist beliefs...	0:19:30	0:19:34
-..he joined the army in the hope -of saving his younger brother.	0:19:34	0:19:39
-After passing his medical -in Wrexham...	0:19:43	0:19:47
-..early in 1917, -Hedd Wyn was sent...	0:19:47	0:19:50
-..to join -the Royal Welsh Fusiliers...	0:19:50	0:19:53
-..at their training camp -in Litherland, Liverpool.	0:19:54	0:19:57
-Conditions were basic, -but as this next englyn shows...	0:19:58	0:20:01
-..he settled in well -to his new life as a soldier.	0:20:02	0:20:05
-"See a cluster of even huts	0:20:06	0:20:09
-"And noisy, -boisterous, red-faced lads	0:20:09	0:20:13
-"And seeing them, everyone will say	0:20:13	0:20:16
-"'This is the home of the soldier'."	0:20:16	0:20:18
-Every now and then, the soldiers -were allowed to leave the camp...	0:20:22	0:20:26
-..to enjoy some free time in town.	0:20:27	0:20:29
-Here, at Bootle's York Hall, -Liverpool's Welsh community...	0:20:30	0:20:35
-..held evenings for Welsh soldiers -every fortnight during the winter.	0:20:35	0:20:40
-A report of one such evening -appeared in the newspaper Y Brython.	0:20:40	0:20:44
-The correspondent referred -to the soldiers' enjoyment...	0:20:44	0:20:49
-..of songs like Hwre I Gymru Fach -and Wil Goes Bren.	0:20:49	0:20:52
-The man charged with expressing -the soldiers' gratitude...	0:20:53	0:20:57
-..on that particular evening -was Hedd Wyn.	0:20:57	0:21:00
-He was clearly highly respected -by his fellow soldiers.	0:21:00	0:21:04
-But although Hedd Wyn seemed to -enjoy the evenings at York Hall...	0:21:06	0:21:11
-..how was his epic poem for the -1917 National Eisteddfod coming on?	0:21:11	0:21:17
-This is a letter that he wrote -from the camp to a friend of his.	0:21:17	0:21:21
-I haven't written a line -for The Hero since coming here...	0:21:21	0:21:25
-..but I might yet get a chance.	0:21:25	0:21:27
-But Hedd Wyn did finish his poem -during the spring of 1917...	0:21:30	0:21:36
-..with the help of a friend at -Litherland, Jack Buckland Thomas...	0:21:36	0:21:41
-..who was -on the camp's administrative staff.	0:21:41	0:21:44
-A request came -via battalion orders...	0:21:45	0:21:48
-..for names of ploughmen -to work on land in Wales.	0:21:48	0:21:51
-Everyone knows -Hedd Wyn was a shepherd...	0:21:51	0:21:55
-..but I placed him at the top -of a list of ploughmen in D Company.	0:21:55	0:22:00
-By 1917, so many men had been -enlisted into the armed forces...	0:22:01	0:22:06
-..that, come harvest or ploughing, -the agriculture industry struggled.	0:22:06	0:22:11
-One answer was to temporarily -release men from the army.	0:22:12	0:22:16
-Not only -did Jack Buckland Thomas...	0:22:16	0:22:18
-..get Hedd Wyn's name onto the list -of soldiers to be released...	0:22:19	0:22:23
-..he also saw that Yr Ysgwrn was one -of the farms down to get help.	0:22:23	0:22:28
-Hedd Wyn was able to go home.	0:22:28	0:22:31
-This was his chance -to finish his ode.	0:22:33	0:22:35
-According to his father, during -the six weeks he was home...	0:22:35	0:22:40
-..Hedd Wyn managed to write -the second half of his poem.	0:22:40	0:22:43
-Back in Litherland, all he had to do -was to polish and perfect his work.	0:22:44	0:22:48
-He left Trawsfynydd -for the last time in June 1917.	0:22:53	0:22:58
-His sister, Enid, -was ten years old at the time.	0:22:58	0:23:03
-Three quarters of a century later, -she still remembered the day.	0:23:04	0:23:09
-I remember he had been home -on his final leave.	0:23:09	0:23:13
-He was off that morning, -and he stood there shouting.	0:23:13	0:23:17
-"I'm going now."	0:23:17	0:23:19
-Through the banister, I could -see him standing in the entry...	0:23:20	0:23:25
-..from the waist down...	0:23:25	0:23:27
-..and he strolled out...	0:23:28	0:23:30
-..as if he hadn't -a care in the world.	0:23:30	0:23:34
-But Mam, obviously, -was very worried.	0:23:34	0:23:38
-.	0:23:39	0:23:39
-Subtitles	0:23:44	0:23:44
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:23:44	0:23:46
-By 9 June 1917, Hedd Wyn and his -battalion had crossed to France.	0:23:57	0:24:03
-He was at the Fifth Infantry -Base Depot in Rouen.	0:24:04	0:24:08
-Well, I've never seen -so many soldiers in my life...	0:24:09	0:24:12
-..or a prettier country...	0:24:13	0:24:15
-..despite the curse that befell it.	0:24:15	0:24:17
-The trees here are as beautiful -as the dreams of old kings...	0:24:18	0:24:22
-..transformed into -quiet and peaceful leaves.	0:24:22	0:24:26
-After all, -it is man who creates strife.	0:24:27	0:24:29
-As that letter shows, -Hedd Wyn couldn't stop himself...	0:24:41	0:24:45
-..seeking new poetic possibilities -in everything new that he saw.	0:24:45	0:24:49
-His battalion -had been sent here, to Flechin...	0:24:50	0:24:53
-..to train for the upcoming battle.	0:24:53	0:24:56
-It was at the camp, -not far from here...	0:24:56	0:24:59
-..that he finally finished -his epic poem to The Hero.	0:24:59	0:25:03
-He posted it to the Eisteddfod -in Birkenhead from here...	0:25:04	0:25:08
-..on 13 July 1917.	0:25:08	0:25:10
-As Hedd Wyn and his battalion -edged closer to the front line...	0:25:18	0:25:22
-..the filthy trenches -became part of daily life...	0:25:22	0:25:26
-..as attested to by fellow soldier -Simon Jones from Llanuwchllyn.	0:25:26	0:25:31
-I remember thinking -that I had the measles.	0:25:31	0:25:35
-In a field near the village...	0:25:36	0:25:39
-..I saw about 80 naked soldiers.	0:25:39	0:25:43
-I looked to see -what they were doing.	0:25:44	0:25:46
-As it turned out, -they were catching lice.	0:25:47	0:25:50
-I joined them.	0:25:52	0:25:53
-I caught 82 in a sheet of newspaper.	0:25:54	0:25:57
-That was my measles!	0:25:58	0:25:59
-Lice were almost a bigger pain -than the Germans.	0:26:02	0:26:05
-When you warmed up to get to sleep, -they started to march upon you.	0:26:06	0:26:12
-On 23 July, Hedd Wyn's battalion...	0:26:16	0:26:18
-..reached the front line -for the first time...	0:26:18	0:26:22
-..not far from here, near Ypres.	0:26:22	0:26:24
-The British trenches at the time -ran parallel with this canal.	0:26:24	0:26:29
-It's a lovely place today...	0:26:29	0:26:31
-..but in 1917, this canal would have -been full of rubble and rubbish...	0:26:31	0:26:36
-..and rats feasting -on the corpses of soldiers.	0:26:36	0:26:40
-At 6.00pm, the battalion -paraded in fighting kit...	0:26:45	0:26:49
-..to march to where the trenches -for the offensive were to be dug.	0:26:50	0:26:54
-Gas shells were sent over -by the enemy during the night.	0:26:54	0:26:57
-No letter from Hedd Wyn -from this period has survived.	0:27:03	0:27:07
-But after a week of coming and going -from the front line near Ypres...	0:27:07	0:27:12
-..the Welsh Fusiliers and the rest -of the British Army were ready...	0:27:12	0:27:17
-..for the big push -against the Germans.	0:27:17	0:27:20
-Zero was timed for 3.50am, -31 July 1917.	0:27:27	0:27:30
-Once having got clear -of canal bank...	0:27:31	0:27:33
-..it was fairly easy going -for the battalion as far as Pilkem.	0:27:34	0:27:38
-When Hedd Wyn's battalion -advanced that morning...	0:27:39	0:27:43
-..the weather was favourable.	0:27:43	0:27:45
-But later heavy rain -made it hard to move the big guns...	0:27:45	0:27:51
-..to support the attack.	0:27:52	0:27:53
-More and more -were wounded and killed.	0:27:54	0:27:57
-Sometime during the morning, -Hedd Wyn was hit.	0:27:57	0:28:01
-I'm sure that I saw him fall.	0:28:03	0:28:06
-He got a shell's nose cap -in his bowels.	0:28:08	0:28:12
-That was the end of him.	0:28:13	0:28:14
-A lot of men fell, you see.	0:28:15	0:28:17
-More fell than moved forward, -in a manner of speaking.	0:28:17	0:28:21
-Thousands of men died that day...	0:28:28	0:28:31
-..as they tried to advance -from Ypres, over there, to here.	0:28:31	0:28:35
-Hedd Wyn did get medical attention -after being wounded, apparently...	0:28:36	0:28:41
-..but it was too late.	0:28:41	0:28:42
-He died a few hours later...	0:28:43	0:28:45
-..probably in the ruins of -a building that stood on this site.	0:28:45	0:28:50
-A trilingual plaque -was placed to mark the spot...	0:28:53	0:28:56
-..three quarters of a century later.	0:28:56	0:28:59
-Hedd Wyn's sister, Enid...	0:29:01	0:29:03
-..vividly remembered the day -that the bad news reached Yr Ysgwrn.	0:29:03	0:29:08
-I was tying my shoelaces -when my father came into the house.	0:29:09	0:29:13
-He didn't say straight away.	0:29:15	0:29:17
-He was crying on the doorstep.	0:29:17	0:29:20
-We realized -that something was wrong.	0:29:21	0:29:25
-Out we went, frightened children.	0:29:25	0:29:28
-Then we came back into the house.	0:29:28	0:29:31
-My other sister was by the door, -and we asked her if it was true.	0:29:32	0:29:36
-She said that it was, -that he had been lost.	0:29:37	0:29:40
-As the sad news spread, -letters of condolence...	0:29:52	0:29:55
-..began to arrive -at Yr Ysgwrn by the dozen.	0:29:56	0:29:59
-Here are a few examples.	0:29:59	0:30:00
-"Dear family, with a heavy heart, -I hear of your gifted son.	0:30:01	0:30:06
-"I never saw such a wave of grief -affecting this area."	0:30:07	0:30:11
-"It is a great loss for Wales. -to lose such a talent as Hedd Wyn."	0:30:13	0:30:18
-This was a regular theme -in these letters.	0:30:20	0:30:22
-The talent that was lost...	0:30:23	0:30:25
-..and what he could have achieved -if only he had lived.	0:30:25	0:30:29
-But there was one remaining scene -in Hedd Wyn's dramatic life.	0:30:32	0:30:37
-In 1917, the National Eisteddfod -was held in Birkenhead.	0:30:38	0:30:43
-This was a time when the Eisteddfod -often visited expat communities...	0:30:43	0:30:49
-..on the banks -of the Thames and the Mersey.	0:30:49	0:30:52
-This was the sixth Eisteddfod -to be held in England in 40 years.	0:30:56	0:31:01
-This stone was erected -to mark the occasion.	0:31:01	0:31:04
-The Pavilion -for the stage competitions...	0:31:04	0:31:07
-..was in these fields -in front of me.	0:31:08	0:31:10
-WD Williams -was at the Eisteddfod that year.	0:31:16	0:31:20
-Sixty years later, -he remembered the day well.	0:31:21	0:31:24
-It was a large canvas marquee.	0:31:24	0:31:26
-The sides were opened up -for everyone to see and hear.	0:31:27	0:31:32
-I stuffed in somehow...	0:31:32	0:31:34
-..to see two things, -the Chairing and Lloyd George.	0:31:34	0:31:38
-Thursday was Lloyd George's day.	0:31:38	0:31:41
-After Prime Minister -David Lloyd George's speech...	0:31:44	0:31:47
-..it was time -to move on to the Chairing.	0:31:47	0:31:50
-T Gwynn Jones -delivered the adjudication.	0:31:50	0:31:53
-After announcing that Fleur-De-Lis' -ode was worthy of the Chair...	0:31:53	0:31:58
-..no-one expected -what would happen next...	0:31:58	0:32:01
-..when the Archdruid Dyfed -came to the side of the stage.	0:32:01	0:32:05
-In a quivering voice, -the Archdruid said...	0:32:10	0:32:13
-.."I have very sad news to announce.	0:32:13	0:32:17
-"The winner himself -has fallen in the War...	0:32:17	0:32:21
-"..and lies in a foreign country.	0:32:21	0:32:24
-"We will not chair -his representative.	0:32:24	0:32:27
-"We will merely drape -a black cloak over the empty Chair."	0:32:27	0:32:33
-It was seared in my memory -once and for all.	0:32:37	0:32:41
-That's how the whole audience felt.	0:32:41	0:32:43
-Dyfed recited his famous verses.	0:32:44	0:32:47
-"The fanfare was sounded, -the sword it was waved	0:32:48	0:32:52
-"But the Chair did stand empty -with the poet in his grave."	0:32:53	0:32:57
-That's the saddest, -most solemn moment...	0:32:59	0:33:03
-..I witnessed -at any Eisteddfod or meeting.	0:33:03	0:33:06
-Meirion has seldom seen -a wetter day...	0:33:22	0:33:26
-..than the day Hedd Wyn's -empty chair came to Trawsfynydd.	0:33:27	0:33:31
-Rain fell heavily all day...	0:33:31	0:33:33
-..until rivers overflowed -and cornfields became lakes.	0:33:34	0:33:37
-But despite the storm...	0:33:38	0:33:40
-..the village hall -was packed on Thursday night...	0:33:40	0:33:43
-..when the empty Chair was unveiled.	0:33:43	0:33:46
-The tradition -of holding a meeting...	0:33:47	0:33:50
-..to greet winning poets -when they come home...	0:33:50	0:33:53
-...continues to this day.	0:33:53	0:33:55
-It's a chance for anyone -not there on the big day...	0:33:55	0:33:59
-..to share in the joy.	0:33:59	0:34:01
-It's also a chance to see -the Crown or Chair won by the poet.	0:34:01	0:34:05
-Just think how different -the atmosphere would have been...	0:34:05	0:34:10
-..at the meeting -held here in September 1917...	0:34:10	0:34:13
-..had Hedd Wyn himself been present.	0:34:14	0:34:16
-But mixed with local people's -pride in Hedd Wyn's success...	0:34:18	0:34:23
-..was the desperate sadness -of knowing that the poet...	0:34:23	0:34:28
-..was in his grave before -being able to claim his prize.	0:34:28	0:34:33
-The Black Chair -was placed centre stage...	0:34:33	0:34:37
-..to bear witness to everything.	0:34:37	0:34:40
-.	0:34:52	0:34:52
-Subtitles	0:34:56	0:34:56
-Subtitles - -Subtitles	0:34:56	0:34:58
-This is Artillery Wood -military cemetery near Boezinge...	0:35:08	0:35:13
-..where Hedd Wyn was buried.	0:35:13	0:35:15
-If we look -at the cemetery's visitors' book...	0:35:17	0:35:20
-..we can see -that Welsh names feature regularly.	0:35:21	0:35:25
-In 2014, the Welsh football team -came here after playing Belgium.	0:35:30	0:35:36
-Gareth Bale had specifically asked -to see Hedd Wyn's grave...	0:35:38	0:35:42
-..after hearing the story -from his mother.	0:35:42	0:35:45
-But the tradition -of visiting this cemetery...	0:35:48	0:35:51
-..goes back for decades.	0:35:51	0:35:53
-In 1934, Hedd Wyn's brother, -Bob, came on a pilgrimage here...	0:35:58	0:36:02
-..with a large group from Wales.	0:36:02	0:36:04
-A service was held at the cemetery -and Cynan addressed the crowd.	0:36:04	0:36:10
-The thousands of Welshmen who died -near Ypres during the Great War...	0:36:19	0:36:25
-..are still remembered to this day.	0:36:25	0:36:27
-Local businesses are keen...	0:36:29	0:36:31
-..to welcome Welsh visitors -who come to the memorial.	0:36:32	0:36:35
-But there is specific interest -in Hedd Wyn.	0:36:35	0:36:39
-A special path -follows his final journey.	0:36:39	0:36:42
-Recently, a selection of his work...	0:36:43	0:36:45
-..was translated into English, -French and Flemish.	0:36:45	0:36:49
-But a major factor behind the -growth in interest in Hedd Wyn...	0:36:51	0:36:55
-..was the film that brought his tale -to a new audience in the 1990s.	0:36:55	0:37:00
-If the poet who bears the pseudonym -Fleur-de-Lis is present...	0:37:01	0:37:09
-..may he stand.	0:37:10	0:37:12
-The film is studied -as part of the Welsh A level course.	0:37:14	0:37:17
-It was shown internationally...	0:37:18	0:37:20
-..and was the first Welsh-language -film to be nominated for an Oscar.	0:37:21	0:37:25
-If the film -raised Hedd Wyn's profile abroad...	0:37:31	0:37:34
-..it also rekindled the interest -in his home near Trawsfynydd.	0:37:34	0:37:39
-By May, the National Park's project -to safeguard the farmhouse...	0:37:40	0:37:45
-..and transform the outbuildings -into a new visitor centre...	0:37:46	0:37:49
-..was almost ready -to welcome its first visitors.	0:37:50	0:37:54
-The tradition of visiting Yr Ysgwrn -has now lasted a century.	0:37:56	0:38:02
-How many of these pupils -on a visit during the 1970s...	0:38:02	0:38:06
-..have come back here with -their children or grandchildren?	0:38:07	0:38:11
-The main attraction, -of course, is the Black Chair.	0:38:11	0:38:17
-In 2013, it was scanned in 3D -in order to create a replica...	0:38:20	0:38:26
-..just in case something happened -to the original chair...	0:38:26	0:38:31
-..which has suffered some wear -and tear during the passing years.	0:38:31	0:38:36
-I've tried to keep -every bit that fell off...	0:38:36	0:38:39
-..in this little box.	0:38:40	0:38:42
-I've kept them all.	0:38:42	0:38:44
-This is a piece -of the dragon's tail.	0:38:45	0:38:50
-I didn't know it had come off -until the people came the other day.	0:38:50	0:38:55
-I blame them for breaking it!	0:38:55	0:38:58
-The expert -given the responsibility...	0:39:01	0:39:04
-..of restoring this national icon -to its past glory is Hugh Haley.	0:39:04	0:39:09
-I went to meet him -at his workshop in St Clears...	0:39:11	0:39:14
-..to see how the work -is coming along.	0:39:14	0:39:17
-How's it going? Are you on schedule?	0:39:17	0:39:18
-How's it going? Are you on schedule? - -It's going well. I think we are.	0:39:18	0:39:20
-I first asked Hugh's opinion...	0:39:21	0:39:23
-..about the standard -of the carving on the Black Chair?	0:39:23	0:39:29
-It is extraordinary.	0:39:29	0:39:31
-All eisteddfod chairs -tend to be heavily carved.	0:39:31	0:39:35
-They're all pretty impressive...	0:39:35	0:39:38
-..but this one -is definitely a cut above.	0:39:38	0:39:41
-The chair is carved from oak...	0:39:41	0:39:44
-..which makes the detailing -even more remarkable.	0:39:44	0:39:49
-It was carved in about six months...	0:39:49	0:39:51
-..which means that more -than one hand was involved.	0:39:52	0:39:55
-Here, you get the work of the -master, who really knew his stuff.	0:39:55	0:39:59
-Perhaps his best carver -did the back.	0:40:00	0:40:03
-There's the apprentice.	0:40:03	0:40:05
-They're not quite -as confidently executed.	0:40:05	0:40:08
-Carvers all over the country -have studied this.	0:40:08	0:40:11
-Everyone is agreed -that it's bordering on impossible.	0:40:12	0:40:15
-This is clearly the work -of Eugene Vanfleteren.	0:40:16	0:40:19
-Vanfleteren was the chief carver -of the Black Chair.	0:40:19	0:40:23
-He was a Belgian refugee...	0:40:23	0:40:25
-..one of 250,000 Belgians -who fled during the Great War...	0:40:25	0:40:29
-..as the Germans -subjugated their country.	0:40:29	0:40:32
-He settled in Birkenhead, and the -chair is his greatest masterpiece.	0:40:34	0:40:39
-The cruel irony -in Hedd Wyn's story...	0:40:40	0:40:43
-..is that his most famous chair...	0:40:43	0:40:45
-..was carved by a man -who had been forced to flee...	0:40:45	0:40:49
-..from the country -where he himself would die.	0:40:49	0:40:52
-You must be excited.	0:41:00	0:41:01
-I'm looking forward -to seeing the old furniture back.	0:41:01	0:41:05
-A few weeks later, -I was back at Yr Ysgwrn...	0:41:05	0:41:09
-..to see the furniture that Hugh -worked on for a year coming back.	0:41:10	0:41:16
-The return of the Black Chair -was a story in itself...	0:41:16	0:41:20
-..and Gerald was called upon -to pose for a photo or two.	0:41:20	0:41:24
-The work of setting up -the permanent exhibition had begun.	0:41:27	0:41:33
-As well as Hedd Wyn's story, -it'll tell the story of Yr Ysgwrn...	0:41:34	0:41:39
-..and the wider effect of the Great -War on the community of Trawsfynydd.	0:41:40	0:41:45
-These are the local men -who died during the Great War.	0:41:50	0:41:54
-Every community in Wales -experienced similar losses.	0:41:55	0:41:59
-Losing thousands of men in one day -is very difficult to comprehend.	0:42:00	0:42:05
-But the story of Hedd Wyn...	0:42:05	0:42:07
-..does make it somewhat easier -to understand the wider tragedy.	0:42:08	0:42:13
-But is there a danger -that Hedd Wyn's story...	0:42:14	0:42:18
-..affects our ability -to appreciate him as a poet?	0:42:18	0:42:21
-In that respect, -there's an unexpected similarity...	0:42:22	0:42:26
-..between him and another -Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas.	0:42:26	0:42:30
-Poles apart -in language and lifestyle...	0:42:30	0:42:33
-..they do have -this much in common.	0:42:33	0:42:36
-That their colourful -and ultimately tragic history...	0:42:36	0:42:40
-..can cast a shadow -over their work as poets.	0:42:41	0:42:44
-How good a poet was Hedd Wyn?	0:42:53	0:42:56
-The ode to The Hero -may have been his biggest success...	0:42:57	0:43:01
-..but was it his most lasting poem?	0:43:01	0:43:05
-It's certainly one of the last great -odes in the Romantic tradition...	0:43:05	0:43:10
-..but that style would soon become -extremely old-fashioned.	0:43:11	0:43:15
-But Hedd Wyn had already -begun to experiment...	0:43:16	0:43:20
-..with a sharper, more contemporary -style in his shorter poems.	0:43:20	0:43:25
-One of those, Rhyfel...	0:43:25	0:43:27
-..is the most familiar -of his poems by today.	0:43:27	0:43:31
-"Why must I live in this grim age	0:43:42	0:43:47
-"When, to a far horizon, God	0:43:47	0:43:50
-"Has ebbed away, and man, with rage	0:43:51	0:43:54
-"Now wields the sceptre and the rod.	0:43:54	0:43:57
-"Man raised his sword, -once God has gone	0:44:00	0:44:04
-"To slay his brother -and the roar	0:44:04	0:44:06
-"Of battlefields now casts upon	0:44:07	0:44:10
-"Our homes the shadow of the war.	0:44:11	0:44:14
-"The harps to which we sang are hung	0:44:17	0:44:20
-"On willow boughs, and their refrain	0:44:20	0:44:24
-"Drowned by the anguish of the young	0:44:24	0:44:27
-"Whose blood is mingled -with the rain."	0:44:28	0:44:31
-At the beginning of June...	0:44:41	0:44:43
-..the first school trip was welcomed -to Yr Ysgwrn in its new guise.	0:44:44	0:44:48
-This is how they boiled a kettle.	0:44:49	0:44:52
-No cookers, no electric sockets.	0:44:52	0:44:55
-Do you see these hooks -on the ceiling?	0:44:55	0:44:58
-They used to hang meat from those.	0:44:58	0:45:01
-After they left, I was keen -to have another word with Gerald.	0:45:04	0:45:08
-An important part -of Hedd Wyn's story...	0:45:09	0:45:12
-..is his family's readiness -to welcome visitors.	0:45:12	0:45:15
-Gerald was raised by his -grandmother, Hedd Wyn's mother.	0:45:16	0:45:20
-She taught him the importance -of always keeping the door open.	0:45:20	0:45:24
-How did he feel -about the changes at Yr Ysgwrn...	0:45:24	0:45:27
-..as the old place embarked -on a new period in its history?	0:45:28	0:45:32
-Things have changed -altogether here, in a way.	0:45:32	0:45:36
-On the whole, -it's starting to get back to normal.	0:45:36	0:45:40
-The wallpaper's new.	0:45:41	0:45:43
-When I saw it on the roll -before it went up, I didn't like it.	0:45:43	0:45:48
-But once it's up, -the whole place seems warmer.	0:45:48	0:45:54
-A fire in the grate -is a welcoming sign.	0:45:55	0:46:00
-If you come in and see a fire, -it brightens up the whole place.	0:46:00	0:46:05
-When they took the furniture away, -they took the old place's heart.	0:46:07	0:46:13
-When they started to come back...	0:46:13	0:46:15
-..every day I came here, -I warmed to the place a bit more.	0:46:16	0:46:21
-But it'll take a year or two -for things to settle down...	0:46:21	0:46:26
-..and to get used to them again.	0:46:26	0:46:29
-We remember Hedd Wyn -not only as a poet...	0:46:33	0:46:36
-..but also as a symbol -of Welsh losses in the Great War.	0:46:36	0:46:40
-Ironically, as it was -a shell that killed him...	0:46:41	0:46:45
-..in one of his last letters home...	0:46:45	0:46:48
-..he talks of how the creative -instinct can overcome everything...	0:46:48	0:46:52
-..even a shell.	0:46:53	0:46:54
-The prettiest thing -I have seen so far...	0:46:59	0:47:01
-..was an old shell case -being used to grow flowers.	0:47:01	0:47:06
-Isn't that proof -that beauty is stronger than war?	0:47:06	0:47:10
-That beauty can overcome anger?	0:47:10	0:47:13
-But French flowers -will be sad flowers in the future...	0:47:14	0:47:18
-..and it'll be a melancholy wind -that gusts over its acres...	0:47:18	0:47:22
-..the hue of blood in one, -the sound of sorrow in the other.	0:47:23	0:47:27
-Hedd Wyn's words there -combined sadness and optimism.	0:47:36	0:47:41
-Maybe that's how -we should also remember him.	0:47:41	0:47:44
-With sadness for the way he died...	0:47:45	0:47:47
-..along with millions -of his contemporaries...	0:47:47	0:47:51
-..but also with optimism...	0:47:51	0:47:54
-..because his poems, -and his home, are still alive.	0:47:54	0:47:59
-S4C Subtitles by Testun Cyf.	0:48:27	0:48:29
-.	0:48:29	0:48:29

Hedd Wyn: Canrif o Gofio

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