27
GO for a walk in the Pembrokeshire
Coast National Park and you take a
step into the past � and
undoubtedly you will disturb some
of the ancient stories from the days
when this was the stamping ground
of heroes and saints, magicians and
monsters.
Some have even suggested that the
location of the mythical paradise of Avalon
is to be found on its offshore islands but it is
in the Preseli Hills that it is easiest to follow
in King Arthur's footsteps.
In the ancient Welsh tale from the
Mabinogion, Culhwch ac Olwen, Arthur
came in pursuit of the ferocious wild boar,
Twrch Trwyth, after it had ravaged Ireland
and crossed the sea to Porthclais (pictured
above) on the north western coast before
heading into the Preseli Hills.
At Cwm Cerwyn it made a stand, killing
many of Arthur's champions before it was
wounded and slunk away. Arthur's men are
remembered at Cerrig Marchogion (The
Knights' Stones) while the king himself gave
us Carn Arthur and Bedd Arthur (Arthur's
Rock and Arthur's Grave).
In this area too you will find Carn Meini
literally a place of stones in a pile also
known as the Dragon's Back. One look at
the rocky spine of spotted dolerite, the
Bluestones which famously form part of the
Stonehenge circle, will tell you how it got its
name.
Legends were attached to many of the
Neolithic sites in this area. Near Brynberian
for example is the passage grave Bedd yr
Afanc, resting place of the Afanc, a dreadful
water monster.
Things get more fantastical still at
Trellyffaint (Town of the Toads), north of
Nevern. This burial chamber was mentioned
by 12th century travel writer Gerald of
Wales who tells of a young man visited by a
plague of toads which eventually ate him
alive.
Huntsman's Leap near Bosherston
(pictured) is another place with a tragic tale
attached. Legend has it that a huntsman
urged his horse over this chasm, landed
safely, but dropped dead from shock when
he saw what he had jumped over.
It is clear the Celts have a talent for
letting their imaginations run riot. But if ever
there was a lesson in keeping a grip on
reality it is at Minwear, the site of Blackpool
Mill on the banks of the Eastern Cleddau
near Canaston Bridge. A mistaken stab at
tracing its name came up with the Welsh
version Mwyn Aur (Gold Mine). The search
for gold drew a blank but Minwear (most
likely Min, Welsh for edge, and weir) does
enjoy a rich industrial history.
WRTH fynd am dro ym Mharc
Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro, rydych
yn camu i'r gorffennol. Heb os,
byddwch yn aflonyddu ar hen
chwedlau'r dyddiau pan oedd y tir
yma yn filltir sgw�r i arwyr a
seintiau, dewiniaid ac angenfilod.
Mae rhai wedi mynd mor bell ag
awgrymu bod lleoliad y baradwys chwedlonol
Afallon i'w chael ar ei ynysoedd - ond
Mynyddoedd y Preseli amdani os am ddilyn
camre'r Brenin Arthur.
Yn hen stori'r Mabinogi, Culhwch ac
Olwen, daeth Arthur ar sodlau'r baedd
milain, y Twrch Trwyth, ar �l iddo anrheithio
Ynys Iwerddon a chroesi'r m�r i Borthclais ar
yr arfordir gogledd gorllewinol cyn diflannu
i'r bryniau.
Yng Nghwm Cerwyn safodd ei dir gan
ladd llawer o farchogion Arthur cyn iddo gael
ei anafu a sleifio i ffwrdd. Mae dynion Arthur
yn cael eu cofio yn enw Cerrig Marchogion,
tra bod y brenin ei hunan wedi rhoi enwau
Carn Arthur a Bedd Arthur i ni.
Hefyd yn yr ardal yma dewch chi o hyd i
Garn Meini, sydd yn cael ei hadnabod yn
Saesneg fel y Dragon's Back. Hawdd iawn yw
gweld tarddiad yr enw wrth gymryd cip ar ei
gefn pigog o ddolerit brith, y Cerrig Gleision
enwog sy'n ffurfio rhan o gylch C�r y Cewri.
Mae chwedlau ynghlwm wrth lawer o'r
safleoedd Neolithig yn yr ardal yma. Ddim yn
bell o Frynberian, er enghraifft, mae bedd
cyntedd Bedd yr Afanc, man trigo anghenfil
dw^ r brawychus.
Mae pethau yn mynd yn fwyfwy
rhyfeddol yn Nhrellyffaint, ychydig i'r gogledd
o Nanhyfer. Soniodd y croniclydd o'r 12fed
ganrif, Gerallt Gymro, am ddyn ifanc gafodd
ei flino gan bla o lyffaint a'i bwytodd e'n fyw
yn y pendraw.
Llam yr Heliwr ger Bosherston yw lle arall
� stori drychinebus ynghlwm wrtho. Yn �l y
chwedl anogodd heliwr ei geffyl dros yr
agendor yma gan lanio yn ddiogel, ond
syrthiodd yn farw o'r sioc wrth edrych yn �l i
weld yr hyn a neidiodd drosto.
Mae'n amlwg bod gyda'r Celtiaid ddawn
am adael i'r dychymyg redeg yn benrhydd.
Ond os oedd yna wers erioed y dylen ni
gadw crap da ar realiti, Minwar ydy hwnnw -
lleoliad Melin Blackpool ar lannau'r Cleddau
Wen ddim yn bell o Bont Canaston.
Arweiniodd cynnig mympwyol ar
darddiad yr enw at y fersiwn Cymraeg, Mwyn
Aur. Bu'r palu am aur yn ofer ond mae gyda
choedwig hyfryd Minwar (mwy na thebyg
cyfuniad o'r Gymraeg, min, a'r Saesneg, weir)
hanes diwydiannol cyfoethog iawn yn
perthyn iddi.
By Eifion Jenkins
What's in a
name?
Beth sy' mewn
enw?
Preseli Hills with Carm Meini in the background
King Arthur in pursuit of the ferocious wild
boar, Twrch Trwyth
Y Brenin Arthur ar sodlau'r baedd milain,
y Twrch Trwyth
�GrahamBrace
�EricLees
Porthclais
Blackpool Mill
Huntsman's Leap

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