Hedd Wyn (1887 – 1917)

Hedd Wyn   (1887 – 1917)

Ellis Humphrey Evans was born on the 13^th January 1887 at Trawsfynydd. Following a basic education he left school at fourteen to begin become a shepherd on his father’s farm, Yr Ysgwrn. He began writing poems at about eleven, and from the age of 19 competed regularly in Eisteddfodau. Much of his work was inspired by the Romantic poets such as Shelly; not surprising perhaps that a young shepherd should muse on nature and religion. In 1910 he took the bardic name Hedd Wyn, and won the first of his 6 chairs at Bala Eisteddfod in 1907.

The First World War cast dark shadows across every community in Britain. Conscription began in 1916, it required a son of the family of Yr Ysgwrn to join the British Army. To avoid his younger brother being sent, Ellis enlisted. He received training at Litherland Camp, Liverpool, but in March 1917, he was temporarily released from duty along with other soldiers for seven weeks to help with ploughing and planting of land. He headed home to Trawsfynydd. During this time he began work on a new ‘awdl’ Yr Arwr (The Hero), his submission for the forthcoming National Eisteddfod. It was a wet year, and he stayed longer at home on the farm to get the work done, than was allowed. The military police collected him unceremonially from the field and he was detained at Blaenau before being transported to Belgium and then on to join the 15^th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Fléchin, France.

His departure had been so sudden, that he’d forgotten the poem for the Eisteddfod, so wrote it again on his journey. It was in Fléchine, while awaiting orders that he finished ‘Yr Arwr’ and signed it ‘Fleur de Lis’. It was posted on 15 July 1917, the very same day that his Battalion marched towards what would become known as the Battle of Passchendaele.

Back in Wales, the crops ripened and harvesting began. In September that year, the National Eisteddfod was held at Birkenhead. The ceremony of the Chairing of the Bard was held on 6 of September in the presence of the Welsh speaking British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.

At the appointed time, the pseudo name of the victorious bard was announced “Fleur de Lys”. The trumpet’s fanfare invited the bard to stand and make himself known, but nobody stood. Instead, the Archdruid solemnly announced that the winner, Ellis Evans had been killed in action six weeks earlier. He had been wounded during the Battle of Passchendaele, and died of his wounds on 31 July 1917. The carved, empty chair was draped in a black sheet and has been known ever since and the ‘Black Chair of Birkenhead’.

Ellis H Evans is buried at Artillery Wood Cemetery near Boezinge. After the end of the War, a petition to the Commonwealth War Graves commission succeeded in having additional words added to the simple name ‘E H Evans’ on the plain gravestone. Ever since it has read ‘Y Prifardd Hedd Wyn’ (English: “The Chief Bard, Hedd Wyn”).

PRINCE MADOG AB OWAIN

HEDD WYN (1887 – 1917)

Ganwyd Ellis Humphrey Evans ar 13 Ionawr 1887 yn Nhrawsfynydd. Yn dilyn addysg sylfaenol gadawodd ysgol yn bedair ar ddeg i ddechrau bugeilio ar fferm ei dad, Yr Ysgwrn.

Dechreuodd ysgrifennu cerddi ban yn rhyw un ar ddeg oed, ac o fewn wyth mlynedd roedd yn cystadlu’n rheolaidd mewn Eisteddfodau lleol. Ysbrydolwyd llawer o'i waith gan y beirdd Rhamantaidd megis Shelly; nid yw'n syndod efallai i fugail ifanc fyfyrio dros natur a chrefydd. Enillodd y gyntaf o chwe chadair yn Eisteddfod y Bala yn 1907, ac erbyn 1910 roedd wedi cymryd yr enw barddol Hedd Wyn.

Cyn pen dim roedd y Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf yn taflu cysgodion tywyll ar draws pob cymuned ym Mhrydain. Dechreuodd consgripsiwn yn 1916, ac roedd yn ofynnol i fab o deulu Ysgwrn i ymuno â'r Fyddin Brydeinig. Er mwyn sicrhau na fyddai’n rhaid i’w frawd iau gael ei ddanfon, ymrestrodd Ellis. Derbyniodd hyfforddiant yng Ngwersyll Litherland, Lerpwl, ond ym mis Mawrth 1917, ynghyd â milwyr eraill, cafodd ei ryddhau o’i ddyletswydd am saith wythnos i helpu gydag aredig a phlannu tir. Aeth adref i Drawsfynydd. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn dechreuodd weithio ar yr awdl’ Yr Arwr’ ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol. Roedd hi'n flwyddyn wlyb, ac arhosodd yn hwy adref ar y fferm i orffen plannu nag a ganiateir. Dyma’r heddlu milwrol yn ei gasglu’n ddisymwth a chafodd ei ddal mewn cell ym Mlaenau Ffestiniog dros nos, cyn cael eu cludo i Wlad Belg ac yna ymlaen i ymuno â Bataliwn 15fed Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig yn Fléchin, Ffrainc.

Roedd ei ymadawiad wedi bod mor sydyn, nes peri iddo anghofio’r gerdd ar gyfer yr Eisteddfod ar fwrdd adre ar y fferm, felly ysgrifennodd hi eto ar ei daith. Yn Fléchine, tra'n aros am yr orchymyn i fynd i ymladd y gorffennodd 'Yr Arwr' a'i llofnodi a’r ffug-enw 'Fleur de Lis'. Postiodd hi o’r dref ar 15 Gorffennaf 1917, un diwrnod cyn i’w Fataliwn orymdeithio tuag at yr hyn a adnabyddur heddiw fel Brwydr Passchendaele.

Yn ôl yng Nghymru, aeddfedodd y cnydau a dechreuodd y cynaeafu. Ym mis Medi'r flwyddyn honno, cynhaliwyd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Birkenhead. Cynhaliwyd seremoni’r Cadeirio'r ar y 6ed o Fedi ym mhresenoldeb y Prif Weinidog , David Lloyd George.

Ar yr amser penodedig, dyma enw ffug y bardd buddugol yn cael ei gyhoeddi: "Fleur de Lys", a’r corn gwlad yn gwahodd y bardd i sefyll a gwneud ei hun yn hysbys, ond safodd neb. Yn lle hynny, yn ddifrifol, cyhoeddodd yr Archdderwydd bod bardd y gadair, Ellis Evans wedi cael ei ladd wrth ymladd chwe wythnos ynghynt. Cafodd ei glwyfo yn ystod Brwydr Passchendaele, a bu farw o'i anafiadau ar 31 Gorffennaf 1917.

Gorchuddiwyd y gadair mewn blanced du ac mae wedi ei hadnabod ers hynny fel ‘Cadair Ddu Birkinhead’.

Claddwyd Ellis H Evans ym Mynwent Artillery Wood ger Boezinge. Wedi diwedd y Rhyfel, cyflwynwyd deiseb i'r comisiwn Beddau Rhyfel y Gymanwlad yn gofyn am ychwanegu rhai geiriau at yr enw syml ‘E H Evans’ ar ei garreg fedd. Felly, heddiw mae’n darllen: ‘E H Evans, Y Prifardd Hedd Wyn'.

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