Y Tylwyth Teg
Yn 1779 cyhoeddodd y Parch Edmund Jones (1702-1793), gweinidog lleol gyda’r Annibynnwyr, lyfr dan yr enw A Geographical, Historical, and Religious Account of the Parish of Aberystruth. Teitl Pennod XIV y llyfr prin hwn yw "Of Apparitions and Agencies of the Fairies &c." ac mae’n rhoi adroddiad gwerthfawr iawn o gredoau pobl leol cyn i ddyfodiad y Chwyldro Diwydiannol yn y 1790au ymyrryd ar eu cymdeithas wledig. I Edmund Jones a’i gymdogion, nid rhyw odrwydd oedd realaeth tylwythd teg ac “asiantau Uffern” eraill ond ffaith o fywyd bob dydd:
"Abundance of people saw them, and heard their musick, which every one said was low and pleasant, but none could ever learn the Tune.”(t. 69)
Roedd gan y tylwyth teg wahanol ddulliau o ymddangosai i bobl, ond
". . . their most frequent way of appearing was like dancing Companies with Musick, and in the form of Funerals. When they appeared like dancing Companies they were desirous to entice persons into their Company, and some were drawn among them and remained among them some time; usually a whole year; as did Edmund William Rees, a Man whom I well knew, and was a Neighbour, who came back at the years end, and looked very bad.” (Ibid., 70)
Roedd pobl eraill yn fwy lwcus:
“Rees John Rosser, born at Hen-dy in this Parish, a very religious young man, on going very early in the morning to feed the Oxen, at a Barn called Ysgybor y lann, and having fed the Oxen, he lay himself down upon the hay to rest; while he lay he heard like the sound of music coming near the Barn; presently a large company came in the Barn with striped cloaths – some appeared more gay than others – and there danced at their music. He lay there quiet as he could, thinking they would not see him, but in vain; for one of them, a woman, appearing better than the rest, brought him a striped cushion with four tassels, one at each corner of it, to put under his head. After some time the Cock crew at the house of Blaen y Coome hard by, upon which they appeared as if they were either surprised or displeased; the cushion was then hastily taken away from under his head, and they went away. The Spirits of darkness do not like the crowing of the cock, because it gives notice of the approach of day; for they love darkness rather than light.” (Jones 1767, 33-34)
Pan nad oeddent yn denu ac yn denu pobl ymaith o’u cartrefi, yr oeddent yn aml yn ymddangos iawn fel prosesiynau angladd:
"But very often they appeared in the form of a Funeral before the death of many persons, with a Bier, and a Black Cloth, in the midst of a Company about it, on every side, before and after it. The instances of this were so numerous, that it is plain, and past all dispute that they infallibly foreknew the time of Men's death . . . They must therefore have this knowledge from the position of the Stars at the time of Birth, and their influence, which they perfectly understand beyond what mortal Men can do. We have a constant proof of this in the Corps Candles, whose appearance is an infallible sign that Death will follow, and they never fail going the way that the Corps will go to be buried . . . In former times several have seen the likeness of human Skulls carrying the Corps Candles, which may be some confirmation of the truth of this extraordinary thing." (Jones 1779, 72)
Roedd gan lawer o’r plwyfolion wybodaeth drostynt eu hunain o angladdau tylwyth teg:
"Isaac William Thomas . . . being at one time at Havodavel and seeing, as it appeared to him, a Funeral coming down the Mountain; as it were to go towards Aberbeeg, or Lanithel Church. He stood in a Field by a wall which was between him and the high-way leading to Aberbeeg. When the Funeral, which came close to the side of the wall, was just over against him, he reached his hand and took off the black vail which was over the Bier, and carried it home it him. It was made of some exceeding fine Stuff, so that when folded it was a very little substance, and very light. He told this to several. I knew the Man myself, and in my youthful days conversed with him several times." (Ibid., 73-4)
Gwelai eraill hwy adeg y machlud yn hedfan o fryn i fryn ar draws Cwm Big – arwydd pendant o anghydfod:
"Edmund Daniel of the Arail, an honest Man, and a constant speaker of truth, and of much observation, told me, that he often saw them after Sun-set, crossing the Keven Bach, from the Valley of the Church, towards Havodavel; and that before any falling out in the Parish, they passed on, leaping and frisking in the Air, making a path in the Air, much of this form." (Ibid., 75)
Datganodd rhai fod gan y Tylwyth Teg arweinydd yn eu plith:
"Thomas William Edmund of Havodavel an honest pious man, who often saw them, declared, that they appeared with one bigger then the rest going before them in the Company." (Ibid., 72)
Yn y cyswllt hwn, medrodd Edmund Jones roi ei brofiadau ei hun o’r tylwyth teg fel tyst o’r hyn a welodd:
"If any think I am too credulous in these relations, and speak of things, of which I myself have no experience, I must let them know they are mistaken: For when I was a very young Boy. Going with my Aunt Eliz. Roger, my Mother's Sister, in the day time, somewhat early in the Morning, but after Sun rising, from Havodavel towards my father's house at Pen y Llwyn. At the end of the upper Field of Kae yr Keven, by the way side which we were passing, I saw the likeness of a sheep-fold with the door towards the South; and over the door, instead of a lintel, the resemblance of a dried branch of a Tree, I think of a Hazel Tree; And within the fold a company of many people. Some sitting down, and some going in, and coming out, bowing their heads as they passed under the branch. It seemed to me as if they had lately been dancing, and there was Musician among them. Among the rest, over against the door, I well remember the resemblance of a fair woman with a high crown Hat, and a red Jacket, who made a better appearance than the rest, and whom I think they seemed to honour. I still have a pretty clear idea of her white Face, and well formed countenance: The men wore white Cravats . . . I wondered at my Aunt going before me, that she did not look towards them, and we going so near them. As for me, I was loath to speak until I had passed them some way, and then told my Aunt what I had seen, at which she wondered, and said, "I dreamed". However she came to believe me, and told my mother of it when we came home. It was sometime, before I could be persuaded that there was no fold in that place." (Ibid., 75-6)
Roedd gan y tylwyth teg ddewisiadau pendant am lle’r ymddangosent:
"The Fairies seem not to delight in open plain grounds of any kind, far from stones and wood, nor in watery, but in dry grounds, not far from Trees and Hedges, and the shade of grown Trees, the female Oak especially . . . Of all the places in the Parish of Aberystruth, they most frequently appeared at Havodavel, and Keven Bach, which are dry lightsome pleasant places." (Ibid., 76-7)
Mewn tywydd stormus, roeddent yn aml yn mynd i dai pobl i gael cysgod ac i rai tai yn fwy nag i eraill:
"And the poor ignorant people, for fear of them, made them welcome by providing clean Water in the House; taking care that no Knife was near the Fire, or other Iron instruments, such as they knew were offensive to them, were left in the corner near the Fire; for want of which care many were hurt by them: and for cutting down the female Oaks, . . . Some were afraid . . . to enter their Gardens by night;" (Ibid., 77)
Roedd y tylwyth teg hefyd yn medru cario dynion yn eu llawn dwf ar draws y wlad:
"They sometimes took Men in the night and carried them insensibly into other places. Sometimes very far; of which the following instance. Henry Edmund of Havodavel having been with the before mentioned Charles Hugh, of Coed y Pame, the said Charles Hugh, came with him as far as Lanhithel, and persuaded him to stay with him, at Lanhithel that night, which Henry Edmund would not agree to; but chose to go home; upon which Charles Hugh told him he had better stay with him, and not go farther. He went, but was taken up on the way, and carried so far as to the town of Landovery in Carmarthen-shire, which he well knew, and called at a Publick-house where he had been before, and the people earnestly persuaded him to stay with them; to which he would not comply, and going out into the street he was taken up again, and carried back to Lanhithel next morning, where he met with Charles Hugh, who saluted him saying "Did not I tell you, you had better stay with me?" (Ibid., 80)
Cwn Annwn
Mae hanesion am lawer o ysbrydion ar y darn o ffordd o Cwm i Aber-big. Yn y 18fed ganrif, cafodd un dyn o Llanhiledd brofiad annifyr iawn:
“Thomas Andrew, living at a place called the Farm, in this Parish, coming home by night, saw, by the side of a wall, the similitude of a dark man, creeping on all fours, scraping the ground, and looking aside one way and another, also making a dreadful noise; at which he was terribly frightened; for it was, to every one that will consider it, a dreadful appearance.”(Jones 1767, 33)
Bu’r un Thomas Andrew hefyd yn ddigon anffodus i gwrdd â Chwn Wybr a elwir hefyd yn Gwn Annwn. Roedd y rhain yn gwn ysbrydol yr âi Brenin Arallfyd i chwilio am eneidiau’r colledig:
“As Thomas Andrew was coming home one night, with some persons with him, he heard, as he thought, the sound of hunting: he was afraid it was some person hunting the sheep, so he hastened on to meet and hinder them: he heard them coming towards him, though he saw them not: when they came near him, their voices were small, but increasing as they went from him: they went down the steep towards the River Ebwy, dividing between this parish and Mynydduslwyn, wherby he knew that they were what are called Cwn wybir, - (Sky dogs) but in the inwards parts of wales, Cwn-annwn, - (Dogs of Hell). I have heard say that these Spiritual Hunting Dogs have been heard to pass by the eaves of several houses before the death of someone in the family. Thomas Andrew was an honest religious man, who would not have told an untruth either for fear or for favour.” (Jones 1767, 38-39)
Ysbryd yr Heddwas Pope
Ers y 1950au, gwelwyd ffigur tal mewn clogyn yn cerdded ar hyd y darn hwn o’r ffordd cyn ddiflannu heb ôl. Ai ysbryd yr heddwas Hosea Pope a laddwyd mewn ffrae yn Aber-big yn1911? A yw ei ysbryd yn dal i fod ar batrol yn ei hen ardal? Yn 1980, cyfarfu dyn lleol â ffigur mewn het uchel ger Gwesty’r Hanbury. Edrychodd y ffigur arno yn ei wyneb cyn dynnu ei oriawr boced allan. Yn sydyn, clywyd menyw yn sgrechian o’r goedwig ger Gorsaf Betrol Brondeg yng Nghwm Big. Cerddodd y ffigur i fyny’r ffordd gan edrych yn y cyfeiriad lle deuai’r sgrechiadau. Gan oresgyn ei ofn dealladwy, dilynodd y dyn lleol ef nes i’r ffigur ddiflannu ger y Rhiw!
UFO Man Moel
Ym mis Tachwedd 1975, nid nepell ar Man Moel, gwelodd tri dyn yn gyrru gartref o’r gwaith olau disglair yn hofran yn yr awyr uwchben Rhiw cyn iddo fynd tua’r dwyrain yn anhygoel o gyflym.
Ithel y Cawr
Yn Llanhiledd roedd cawr o’r enw Ithel yn byw, a benderfynodd adeiladu ty iddo ei hunan a dechreuodd gasglu cerrig enfawr o Cefn Crib uwchben Hafodyrynys. Wrth iddo eu cludo yn ôl i Llanhiledd yn ei ffedog, torrodd y llinyn a gollyngodd y cerrig. Yn ôl yr hanes lleol, dyna sut yr adeiladwyd twmpath y castell ger eglwys Sant Illtud!
Y Llo Aur
Roedd cerflun aur o lo yn allor eglwys Sant Illtud unwaith, a chafodd ei ddwyn gan ddau leidr. Rhedodd plwyfolion ar eu hôl a dal y cnafon yn y goedwig o dan Fferm Pen y Fan Uchaf ar ochr arall y cwm. Cyfaddefodd y lladron a dweud eu bod wedi claddu’r llo dan goeden ddraenen wen. Cododd y plwyfolion bob draenen wen ar y bryn wrth chwilio’n ofer am y cerflun, a hyd heddiw nid oes unrhyw ddraenen wen yn tyfu yn y coedwigoedd hynny!
Gwrachod Penrhiwllech
Hanner ffordd i fyny llwybr y goedwig o Aber-big i Hafodafal roedd ysgubor a alwyd yn Penrhiwllech. Yma, ar noson calan gaeaf, byddai gwrachod yn cwrdd ganol nos i farchogaeth y ceffylau’n cysgodi yn yr ysgubor. Byddai gweryrau yr anifeiliaid ofnus yn deffro’r holl ardal.
Ffynhonnau Gwyrthiol
Yn y gwledydd Celtaidd, roedd y gred yn nodweddion iachaol rhai ffynhonnau yn gryf. Gall tarddiad y gred hon fod yn Niwedd yr Oes Efydd a’r Oes Haearn pan offrymwyd aur ac arfau, a hyd yn oed fywydau pobl, i dduwiau a duwiesau a oedd yn byw mewn llynnoedd, afonydd a ffynhonnau.
Roedd un ffynnon gysegredig, y Ffynnon Wen neu Ffynnon Illtyd ger Fferm Argoed ym Mrynithel nes iddi gael ei ddinistrio gan ffermwr lleol. Byddai pobl leol yn mynd yno i ymolchi briwiau ac anafiadau yn y gobaith o gael iachâd (Olding, 1995).
Llyfryddiaeth
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