Llwybrau y Pererinion


Efallai nad oes yn Llyn gadeirlan ac eglwysi mawreddog fel sydd yn Nhyddewi neu Gaerefrog, Ond dros y canrifoedd mae pobl yr ardal wedi adeiladu, cynnal a chadw a gweddio mewn adeiladau sy'n adlewyrchu amrywiaeth eang o arddulliau pensaerniol a dylanwadau diwylliannol.
Heddiw, mewn trefi a phentrefi ar hyd a Iled Cymru mae pensaerniaeth ddiweddarach, a braidd yn foel, y capeli yn amlwg iawn. Er hynny, mewn cilfachau yma a thraw, ceir mynegiant Ilawer hyn o ddefosiwn crefyddol. Eglwysi yw'r rhain - rhai ohonynt mor fychan fel mai prin y byddai rhywun yn sylwi arnynt. Mae nhw'n ddolen gyswllt rhyngom a dyddiau cynharaf Cristnogaeth, sef yr Eglwys Geltaidd hynafol a ddaliodd ei thir yn yr ardal hon hyd at y drydedd ganrif ar ddeg.


Mae traul amser wedi gadael ei ol ar lawer o'r eglwysi a restrlr yma. ac nid yw pob un yn adeilad hynafol. Er hynny mae pob un, mewn rhyw fodd neu'i gilydd, wedi dal ei gafael naill ai ar Wrthrychau o'r oes Gristnogol gynnar honno, neu ar beth o ysbryd yr eglwys gynharach oedd ar y safle, neu yn y cyffiniau, Yn y gorffennol.


Ychydig a wyddom am y rhan fwyaf o'r "Seintiau" yr enwyd yr eglwysi hyn ar eu holau. Efallai mai cenhadon cynnar oedd rhai ohonynt, yn cludo'r ffydd i drigolion Prydain fore, ac eraill yn feudwyaid yn byw bywyd defosiynol syml yn yr ardal. Maen bosibl fod ambell un arall wedi cyfrannu tir ar "fer adeiladu'r eglwysi cyntaf. (Mae'n werth nodi yma mai' ystyr gwreiddiol y gair "Llan" oedd neilltuad cysegredig ar gyfer addoliad a chladdedigaeth. Datblygodd yr ystyr i olygu eglwys y sant a'i sefydlodd, tic oherwydd bod pentrefi wedi tyfu o amgylch yr eglwysi mae Ilawer o'r pentrefi heddiw yn dwyn enw'r eglwys wreiddiol.
Beth bynnag fo rheswm y teithiwr modern dros ddilyn Llwybr y Pererinion: rhesymau defosiynol, diddordeb mewn pensaerniaeth, hanes neu ddiwylliant, bydd 'pererinion' ein dyddiau ni yn sicr o gael profiad cyfoethog a fydd yn rhoi boddhad iddynt.


Wrth ddilyn y llwybr, yr hyn fydd yn taro'r teithiwr mewn ambell fan fydd yr ymdeimlad o unigedd a phellter oddi' wrth weddill y byd yr union beth a ddenodd y Seintiau Celtaidd cynnar. Yn Llyn mae cyfle o hyd i fwynhau heddwch a llonyddwch ac i fyfyrio ynghylch ystyr bywyd yng nghanol harddwch byd natur.


Gwaetha'r modd, nid yw pob un o'r eglwysi a restrir yma ar agor bob dydd. Mae modd trefnu I fynd i mewn i rai ohonynt (gweler yr hysbysfyrddau y tu allan i'r eglwylsi eu hunain am fanylion Ynghylch mynediad/amser agor.), ond efallai na fydd yn bosibl mynd i mewn i ambell un, yn enwedig ar rai adegau o'r flwyddyn.

The Pilgrims' Trail


Llyn may not be blessed with grand cathedrals and churches, the likes of St. David's or York, but, for centuries the people of the area have built, maintained and prayed in buildings which reflect a wide Variety of architectural styles and cultural influences.
Today, in towns and villages throughout the principality, it is hard to miss the relatively recent and somewhat austere presence of chapel architecture. Yet, hidden away, sometimes in the least likely places, there are much older expressions of religious devotion - churches, some so small they could be easily overlooked, which offer links back to the earliest days of Christianity - to the ancient Celtic Church which survived in this area until some time in the thirteenth century.


Many of the churches listed here have suffered the ravages of time and not all are ancient buildings, but each, in its way, preserves either artefacts from those early Christian times or something of the spirit of an earlier church which formerly may have occupied that or a nearby site.


Little is known of most of the "Saints" after whom these churches have been named. Some may have been early missionaries bringing the faith to the people of ancient Britain, whilst others may have been hermits living simple lives of devotion in the area. Still others may have been donors of land upon which the first churches were built. (It is interesting to note here that the WeIsh word Llan does not actually mean "Saint", but rather is an ancient word for a consecrated enclosure within which worship and burial took place. It has now come to mean the church of the founding saint and as villages have grown up around these churches many now share the name of their original church).
Whether the modern traveller is following the Pilgrims' Trail for devotional reasons, or whether out of an interest in architecture, history or culture, today's 'pilgrim' is assured of a rich and rewarding experience.


Whilst following this trail the traveller will, in places, be struck by the same sense of isolation and distance from the world as that which first attracted the early Celtic Saints. On Llyn it is still possible to enjoy peace and quiet and to contemplate the meaning of life surrounded by nature's bountiful beauty.


Sadly, not all the churches listed are open daily and whilst access to some can be arranged (see individual church notice boards for details of keyholders /opening times), access to others may not be possible especially at certain times of the year.

Dilynwch yr arwyddion llechan - Follow the slate plaques along the trail

Ceir arwyddion ar rai rhannau o Lwybr y Pererinion, ond fe'ch cynghorir i fynd a map Ordnans graddfa fawr o'r ardal gyda chi.

Mae dau lwybr mewn gwirionedd - llwybr gogleddol a llwybr deheuol sy'n cyfarfod yn Aberdaron gyferbyn ag Ynys Enlli. Mae'r ddau
lwybr modern yn ceisio dilyn, lle bo modd, ol troed pererinion yr oes a fu.

Byddent hwy wedi cael eu cludo mewn cwch
ar draws y dyfroedd peryglus i Enlli, ond y dyddiau hyn cyfyngir ar y niferoedd a gaiff mynd i'r ynys oherwydd ei statws fel Gwarchodfa Natur Genedlaethol.

The Pilgrims' Trail is signposted in places but it is advisable to take a large scale Ordnance Survey map of the area with you.

There are, in effect, two routes - a northern and a southern route which converge at Aberdaron opposite Bardsey Island. Both modern routes attempt to follow, where possible, the trail taken by the pilgrims of old.

These early pilgrims would have been conveyed by boat across the dangerous water to Bardsey but these days access to the island is somewhat limited due to its status as a National Nature Reserve.

 

 
 

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