Eglwys Llanwnda | Llanwnda Church
Eglwys Sant Gwyndaf, Llanwnda | St. Gwyndaf Church, Llanwnda.
A’r pentir gwyntog yn wynebu Mor Iwerddon mae eglwys hynafol Llanwnda wedi ei gysegru gan weddïau’r ffyddloniaid am bymtheg can mlynedd, ers pan sefydlodd Sant Gwyndaf eglwys yma yn y chweched ganrif.
Y mae traddodiad bod Gwyndaf o deulu uchelwyr yn Llydaw, yn fab i Emyr Llydaw o Aman Ddu. Mae yn debyg fod ganddo gysylltiadau a chanolfannau ddysg mynachodol mynachaidd yng Nghaerllion a Lanilltud Fawr. Fel llawer o’r seintiau Celtaidd yr oedd Gwyndaf yn briod. Yr oedd ei wraig Gwenonwy yn fam i ddau blentyn, Hywyn a Meugan. Serch ei statws sanctaidd yr oedd yn cael ei ystyried yn berson cwerylgar ond yr oedd hyn ddim wedi effeithio ar ei enw da. Y mae wedi cael ei anrhydeddi yn Llanwnda arall, ger Caernarfon sydd yn egluro pam mae rhai yn honni ei fod wedi ei gladdu ar Ynys Enlli.
Nid oes dim ar ôl o’r adeilad gwreiddiol ond mae yno nifer o gerrig arysgrifedig o’r amser cyn y Normaniaid. Y mae’r rhai diddorol wedi ei chynnwys yn yr adeilad presennol yn fwy na thebyg pan gafodd ei adfer gan E.H. Lingen Barker yn ystod 1882. Gellir gweld un diddorol tu allan i’r mur dwyreiniol o’r ale groes ddeheuol. Y mae llinellau wedi ei gerfio sydd yn debyg i wyneb merch. Gallai hon fod yn ddarlun o’r Forwyn Fair? Credir ei fod yn perthyn o’r seithfed i’r nawfed ganrif. Y mae’r n werth nodi dwy garreg arall. Y mae’r un cyntaf ar yr ochor fas o fur deheuol y gangell lle mae croes ddwbl wedi ei naddi yn y garreg, a’r llall ar fur y dwyrain gyda chroes Lladin gyda border triphlyg uwchben efallai i roi enw uwchben Crist pan gafodd i groeshoelio.
Y mae’r adeilad yn y gwraidd ar ffurf groes, er gwaethaf y newidiadau dros y canrifoedd ac yn cadw i ran helaeth yn ganoloesol. O’r tu allan allwn weld cwt clychau dyblyg a’r cwt y gloch santaidd, sydd yn brin yn yr ardal hon. Gallwn weld ffenest i’r gwahanglwyfus yn y porth cromennog sydd yn arwain i gorff yr eglwys lle mae bedyddfaen o’r deuddegfed ganrif. O amgylch y bedyddfaen ar dair ochr mae mainc o garreg lle yn ôl traddodiad oedd y llwm yn eistedd. Dyna wraidd y dywediad “roeddwn i a ‘nghefn at y wal.” Ar un o’r trawstiau uwchben corff yr eglwys y mae cerflun o ben offeiriad corunfoel. ( Y periglor enwoca’ o’r eglwys, ond yn absennol oedd awdur o’r Oesau Canol , Gerallt Cymro). Yn uchel yn y mur gogleddol gwelir drws oedd yn arwain at groglofft a ellid mynd ato drwy ddringo grisiau cul a oedd wedi ei adeiladu yn y mur i’r groesfa ogleddol. Y mae yn bur debyg bod y ddwy groesfa yn terfyni yn y capeli. Yn ystod adferiad 2002/3 daethpwyd o hyd i ysgrifen wedi ei baentio yn yr ale ddeheuol.
Yn ddiamau, mae eglwys hynafol fel hon wedi casglu dipyn o hanes dros y canrifoedd. Efallai y digwyddiad mwyaf cofiadwy oedd yn 1797 pan laniodd y Ffrancod gerllaw yn y “ Goresgyniad Olaf ym Mhrydain.” Aethant i mewn i’r eglwys ai difrodi a gan losgi’r llyfrau gweddi a’r gofrestr. Gafodd y cwpan cymun ei ddwyn ond adenillwyd yn hwyrach. Yn ôl hanes lleol yr odd rhai o dudalennau’r Beibl Parry wedi ei ddefnyddio i ddechrau tan. Y mae’r Beibl wedi cael ei adfer yn ddiweddar i’w gadw i’r oes a ddel.
Gallwch weld ffynnon Sant Gwyndaf ar bwys y mynediad i’r eglwys.
Standing on its windswept headland, overlooking the Irish Sea, the ancient church of Llanwnda has been hallowed by the prayers of the faithful for some fifteen hundred years, in fact, ever since its saintly founder, Gwyndaf, established a church on the site in the sixth century.
Tradition relates that Gwyndaf was of Breton aristocratic stock, being the son of Emyr Llydaw of Aman Ddu. He supposedly had links with the great Welsh monastic teaching centres at Caerleon and Llantwit Major, but in common with a number of Celtic saints, he was not celibate and he married Gwenonwy who bore him two children, Hywyn and Meugan. Despite his holy status, he was meant to be rather a cantankerous individual, but that does not seem to have sullied his reputation as he is also been honoured at another Llanwnda, which lies near Caernarfon, and this might explain why he is reputedly buried on Bardsey Island.
Nothing remains of the founder’s original structure, but a number of pre-Norman early Christian inscribed stones have survived, the most interesting built into the fabric of the present structure, possibly during the 1882 restoration undertaken by E. H. Lingen Barker. The most fascinating can be seen built into the outside east wall of the south transept and it consists of a series of carefully carved lines which produces the face of a female. Could it be a representation of the Virgin Mary? It is believed to date from the seventh – ninth century. Also worthy of note is the stone to be found in the outside south wall of the chancel which bears the incised double-outline of a cross, whilst another, on the outside east chancel wall has a Latin cross, but with a triple border at the top, perhaps suggestive of the titulus placed above the cross of Christ at his crucifixion.
Despite the various restorations which the basically cruciform church has undergone over the centuries, the remaining structure is still largely medieval. From the outside, can be seen the western double bellcote and the sanctus bellcote, which is a rare survivor in these parts. The vaulted porch, with its ‘leper’ window, leads into the nave where the twelfth century font can be seen. Surrounding the font on three sides can be seen the stone bench, where, are according to tradition the old and the weak went to sit, thereby giving rise to the expression ‘going to the wall.’. Medieval roof beams still span sections of the nave and on one can be seen a carved tonsured priest head. (The church’s most famous, if absentee incumbent, was the chronicler of the Middle Ages, Giraldus Cambrensis). High up in the north wall can be found the doorway which orginally led to the rood loft, entrance being gained by climbing a narrow flight of stairs built into the thickness of the wall and entered from the north transept. It is probable that both transepts terminated in chapels. During the 2002/3 restoration part of a fragmented painted inscription was uncovered in the south aisle.
Inevitably, with a church of this age, a great deal of history has accrued over the centuries. Arguably, the church’s most momentous episode happened in February 1797 when a small French force landed nearby in an event known as the ‘Last Invasion of Britain’. The church was entered and despoiled: the prayer books and registers were reputedly burnt, the 1690 chalice was stolen, but later retrieved and, according to local tradition, many pages were torn out of the Welsh Parry Bible in order to light fires. Restorative work has recently been carried out on the Bible in the recent past in order to preserve it for future generations.
The restored well of St. Gwyndaf can be seen near the entrance to the church.