Twm Morys a'r Fenni Pethe

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-I'm in Abergavenny,

-in the Gorsedd stone circle.

-They've been here since 1913...

-..the last time the Eisteddfod

-came to Abergavenny.

-I have a link to the area.

-My father had family in Abergavenny.

-In the 1970s, I lived nearby

-in the Black Mountains.

-I'll take you on a journey through

-the mountains to Abergavenny.

-It won't take long,

-but it will be full of its people...

-..some from the past,

-some from the present...

-..poets, musicians and a historian.

-And before we finish the journey,

-we'll go for a walk to the future.

-We start fifteen miles

-north of Abergavenny...

-..in Capel-y-ffin,

-in the Vale Of Ewyas.

-This is Capel-y-ffin.

-There's a peculiar little church,

-like an owl with a hat...

-..a house and a phone kiosk.

-England is on the other

-side of the mountain.

-TH Parry-Williams came here

-on a pilgrimage in the early 1950s.

-This is what he wrote

-about the experience.

-"I travelled to the border

-between Wales and England.

-"There was an element

-of sadness to it all.

-"Here, like in many other places...

-"..Wales and the Welsh

-language is in decline.

-"A blight on what we hold

-to be our inheritance...

-"..has worked its way

-into our constitution.

-"To all purposes, the language

-and people here are English.

-"For me, there is a smell of

-lethargy and death in the area...

-"..despite its beauty."

-A sincere response, I'm sure.

-But for once, I totally disagree

-with TH Parry-Williams's perception.

-I'll tell you why,

-while we head for Abergavenny.

-This is Cwmyoy, at the bottom

-of the Vale Of Ewyas...

-..where TH Parry-Williams

-saw the end of everything...

-..we consider to be our inheritance.

-But when a Welsh person

-comes to a place like this...

-..it's like someone taking

-a lamp to a big, dark cave.

-Art from a distant age,

-the deer, wild horses and hunters...

-..are revived on the walls.

-Take the place names.

-That big crag above the church

-looks like a yoke.

-That's the name, Cwmyoy.

-They said "yoy" here,

-not "iau", for "yoke".

-In myths like Culhwch And Olwen...

-..there's a story

-about King Arthur...

-..hunting a wild boar, the Twrch

-Trwyth, in the Vale Of Ewyas.

-Sometimes, old verses

-named farms and people.

-"Three things are bent of aim

-"Joni Pant Y Gwyddel's gun

-"Cwmyoy's church steeple

-"And the eyes of Moi Cwmbwchel"

-Llanthony's real name

-is Llan Nant Honddu.

-The ruins of Britain's highest

-Augustinian priory are located here.

-In 1188, Gerald Of Wales

-described the monks...

-..looking at the horizon...

-..higher than the roof

-of their priory.

-They could see

-the mountaintops touch the sky...

-..and quite often, herds of wild

-deer grazing on the summits.

-It's hard to believe now...

-..but a few years before

-TH ParryWilliams's visit...

-..there was a plan

-to flood the Vale Of Ewyas.

-At the time, my father,

-James Morris...

-..a young journalist at The Times,

-wrote a leader about it.

-"The Honddu Valley's intangible

-charm, not any associations...

-"..makes the proposed flooding

-seem little short of a tragedy...

-"..to those who fished its stream

-or walked its mountains.

-"It should be pointed out

-the Black Mountains...

-"..are the nearest

-real mountains to London.

-"They might be described,

-in the appropriate language...

-"..as a valuable social amenity.

-"The Honddu Valley is perhaps unique

-in its memories and in itself.

-"Its metamorphosis into a sheet

-of water will be peculiarly sad."

-The valley wasn't flooded,

-thank God.

-I used to walk over the mountain...

-..to sit amongst the ruins

-for an hour or two.

-But the last time I came here,

-I was sent away, for singing.

-I make a slight detour

-from the Abergavenny road...

-..to the next valley,

-Cwm Grwyne Fechan.

-There's a very good reason.

-About 15 years before

-TH Parry-Williams's visit...

-..academic and author TJ Morgan

-came here to record the voices...

-..of some of the last five

-in the valley who spoke Welsh.

-They were all over 80 years old.

-My name is John Williams.

-I live in Felin Grwyne Fechan.

-I have a small farm

-of about eighteen chains.

-I have about 35 sheep and a cow.

-Do you mill grain at all?

-I did at one time, but not now.

-The mill has gone down now.

-Do you remember

-when everyone spoke Welsh?

-I remember the time when everyone

-in Grwyne Fechan spoke Welsh...

-..apart from a couple of doctors

-and a Scotsman up in Tal-y-Maes.

-We have to finish now.

-That interesting Welsh dialect

-sounds very like Breton to me.

-This is what TJ Morgan said about

-his conversation with John Williams.

-"I felt a pang of sadness...

-"..as if seeing in a mirror the last

-speakers of the Welsh language."

-You know the bent church

-steeple we saw earlier?

-The motto of an old Black Mountains

-family can be seen there.

-"Better die than languish long."

-TJ Morgan and TH Parry-Williams

-would agree, I'm sure.

-But what if a patient,

-all of a sudden...

-..starts to get better?

-This is Crickhowell.

-I caught the bus to school

-here every day.

-But I went in the other

-direction, to school in Brecon.

-There was Welsh there.

-But there was no Welsh

-in the late 1970s in Abergavenny.

-Now, there's a Welsh

-medium school there.

-Abergavenny

-I've arranged to meet poet

-Frank Olding in Abergavenny.

-Frank knows everything

-about the town's history.

-He is also Chair...

-..of the 2016 Monmouthshire

-Eisteddfod executive committee.

-The eisteddfod was

-last held here in 1913.

-There were complaints,

-mainly in the Goleuad newspaper...

-..that it was very anglicized.

-Is that true?

-It seems it was, to some extent.

-Welsh was spoken here.

-But authority,

-so to speak, was in English hands.

-All the other activities

-were very anglicized.

-It seems that they influenced

-the Eisteddfod a great deal.

-There's a tendency to think that

-Welsh disappeared long before that.

-Yes. It's not true.

-At the time of the Eisteddfod...

-..a quarter of the population

-still spoke Welsh.

-When Southall came here in 1893...

-..in places like Llanthony,

-Llanddewi Nant Honddu...

-..he said that many people

-over 50 spoke Welsh.

-The problem was they didn't speak

-Welsh to the next generation.

-The language people spoke

-probably changed at this time.

-It's hot and it will be like this

-the first week in August.

-Are you thirsty?

-Are you thirsty?

-

-Yes.

-Me too.

-This is the Coach And Horses

-in the centre of Abergavenny.

-Why is this place significant?

-Well, 150 years ago...

-..the Abergavenny Cymreigyddion

-Society was founded here in 1833.

-Hywel Teifi said if it wasn't

-for the Cymreigyddion Society...

-..there would be no

-National Eisteddfod now.

-Why?

-The Abergavenny eisteddfodau

-were very big and successful.

-The idea of a National Eisteddfod

-was first suggested here.

-Five years after the Abergavenny

-eisteddfodau ended...

-..an eisteddfod was

-held in Aberdare, then Llangollen.

-So it could be argued that the

-National Eisteddfod was born here.

-In this room.

-Where we are now?

-Where we are now?

-

-Yes.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-

-Cheers.

-The Eisteddfod will be held

-on the banks of the Usk...

-..at Castle Meadows...

-..merrily lifting two fingers

-to the oppressors' towers.

-So this is the Norman castle.

-Yes.

-There wasn't much Welsh

-in Abergavenny then.

-No, very little.

-Only the French, English

-and Flemings could live in the town.

-At times, relations between

-the Normans and Welsh were very bad.

-This where The Treachery

-Of The Long Knives took place...

-..between the Welsh and Normans.

-William de Braose,

-Lord Of Abergavenny...

-..invited Welsh princes to a feast.

-During the festivities...

-..an order was given

-to murder the princes.

-Stabbed.

-Stabbed.

-

-Stabbed, yes!

-We've been invited to a celebration.

-I hope we don't get stabbed.

-I hope we don't get stabbed.

-

-I hope not! We'd better go.

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-# I was standing on a corner,

-didn't mean no harm

-# Police walked up, grabbed me

-by my arms standing on a corner

-# I didn't mean no harm #

-My friend, John Barnie,

-is a local poet and blues singer.

-He was invited to perform

-tonight in The Hen & Chickens...

-..with Frank Olding,

-me, and local author Jane Blank.

-I'd like to know about your

-experience of the Welsh language.

-You come from Abergavenny. There was

-no Welsh here when you were a child.

-No.

-What is your relationship

-with the language?

-I started to learn Welsh

-in Copenhagen.

-It's quite far from Abergavenny!

-I had learnt Danish.

-I realized how a language...

-..can change who you are.

-What is the situation

-in Abergavenny?

-The language is all around us.

-It's part of the landscape,

-its character and history.

-If you don't understand its role,

-you only get half of the history.

-The language is an integral part

-of the character of the place.

-TWRCH

-"He seizes

-the sovereignty of his lineage

-"Treasure of a kingdom

-"Taunting a tame generation

-"For its lost passion"

-What about you?

-What about you?

-

-I was born and raised in Sheffield.

-We spent the school summer holidays

-in Eglwys Fach with my grandparents.

-The family spoke Welsh.

-Do you write poetry in Welsh?

-Do you write poetry in Welsh?

-

-No.

-I write dramatic

-dialogues and monologues.

-Poetry is something I feel.

-"Only words he had for the woman

-whose depression had such weight

-"She could not even stand

-"So many words that span the black

-mass of the mountain out of focus"

-Raymond Williams once said...

-"..If you come from the borders,

-you're not part of the English.

-"You're not part of the Welsh,

-either." We're border people.

-It's interesting

-if that has changed.

-I get very angry...

-..when articles

-in Golwg or Y Cymro...

-..say the strongholds

-are weakening.

-That's true.

-They criticise

-schools in South-East Wales....

-..because the children

-don't speak Welsh outside school.

-That makes me furious.

-Don't criticise our children.

-They speak Welsh.

-And out of nowhere.

-Welsh is the language

-of all of Wales.

-Wherever I go in Wales,

-everything is Welsh.

-All the names are there

-to welcome us.

-# More

-# More

-# To save so much more

-# A thirst returns

-# To save

-# So much more #

-That's it. Thank you.

-"Abergavenny market

-sells butter and milk

-"Eggs, fruit and all sorts of meat

-"In Abergavenny market,

-there are sheep and lambs

-"In Abergavenny market,

-I'll find Beti Pentwyn."

-But that was a long time ago.

-Beti isn't waiting for me today.

-I'm meeting Dr Elin Jones

-in the cafe.

-Hey, Twm!

-It's nice to see you. Sit down.

-Take a chair.

-Take a chair.

-

-"Cater"?

-Do you understand?

-Do you understand?

-

-Yes.

-Good!

-It's Gwenhwyseg, the local language.

-The dialect of Gwent.

-It's disappeared.

-Don't say that.

-Don't say that.

-

-Not in your case, obviously.

-It has, from Abergavenny.

-To be honest...

-..hardly anyone under 50 speaks it.

-A very small number of us, over 50

-years old, keep Gwenhwyseg alive.

-It was strong at one time.

-In the early 20th century...

-..John Griffiths wrote a book

-about Gwenhwyseg.

-He discussed the dialect...

-..the hardened consonants,

-long 'E' and so on.

-He said it was

-the strongest dialect in Wales...

-..because of the number of speakers.

-At the height

-of the coal industry...

-..it was the most widely spoken

-dialect in Wales.

-In a century,

-it has disappeared completely.

-People were ashamed

-of their own language.

-Mam refused to speak Welsh outside

-the home.

-My parents were told off

-for speaking Welsh to me.

-English was the language

-of business and the world.

-This is how a language disappears.

-The dialect has gone in my lifetime.

-Now we must think how

-to safeguard the Welsh language...

-..for us and our children...

-..and also safeguard the dialect

-spoken by Welsh schoolchildren!

-The Eisteddfod is coming here.

-You are the Eisteddfod President.

-Will you address the nation

-in Gwenhwyseg?

-Yes, on the final Saturday.

-It'll be the last time Gwenhwyseg

-will be heard in the Eisteddfod...

-..and maybe the first time!

-People were ashamed

-of their dialect.

-"Happiness is a Warm Welsh Cake".

-I must have one before

-going to the local Welsh school.

-Mmm! "Pice ar y maen".

-"Pice ar y maen?"

-Is that Welsh cakes?

-Yes.

-Right.

-The pupils and I

-are preparing for the Eisteddfod.

-The work is based on the voice

-of John Williams Grwyne Fechan.

-I live in Felin Grwyne Fechan.

-I have a small farm

-of about eighteen chains.

-I get up at six in the morning.

-I light the fire,

-and have breakfast.

-Then I feed the cow and chickens.

-We have to finish now.

-Which of the words did you notice?

-He said "fferem", for farm.

-He said "fferem", for farm.

-

-What else?

-He said six o'clock differently.

-He said "catw", and not "cadw".

-He hardened the consonants.

-He hardened the consonants.

-

-He said "cod", and not "coed".

-He barked out his words.

-It's very different

-from how you speak.

-We turned the old man's voice

-into verses.

-They will open the Literary

-Pavilion on the first Saturday.

-# John Williams is my name

-# John Williams is my name

-# I live in Grwyne Fechan

-# Ffal-di-ral-di-ro

-# I live in Grwyne Fechan

-# Ffal-di-ral-di-ro #

-Well! Are you looking forward

-to the Eisteddfod?

-Yes!

-Yes!

-

-Why?

-We don't have the opportunity

-to hear Welsh in the area.

-There will be a lot of Welsh

-in the Eisteddfod.

-I hope more people

-will speak Welsh...

-..more than they do now.

-It'll only happen once in our lives.

-It doesn't usually

-come to a town like ours.

-That isn't true. The Eisteddfod

-could return in your lifetime.

-If the Abergavenny Eisteddfod

-is a success...

-..it'll be back more often

-than once in a hundred years.

-You might be the Archdruid!

-"We have to finish now,"

-said TJ Morgan.

-But we don't. Think of the children.

-They are an antidote to despair.

-They have the medicine

-to heal the patient.

-The Eisteddfod

-will be great for Abergavenny.

-That's why, in my opinion...

-..it would be

-an unforgivable tragedy...

-..if the Eisteddfod

-stopped travelling...

-..to shine its light

-in places like the Black Mountains.

-# The old millstone is on the floor

-# We have to finish now

-# Ffal-di-ral-di-ro

-# We have to finish now

-# Ffal-di-ral-di-ro #

-S4C Subtitles by Gwead