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Opinion

Cafodd enwau mannau yn Eryri eu newid pan roedd arian i’w wneud

08 Jun 2021 7 minute read
Llyn Tegid Reservoir

(English version below)

Elwyn Edwards

Oddeutu pymtheng i ugain mlynedd yn ôl bu i Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri gadarnhau ei fwriad i enwi Llyn Tegid, y Bala wrth ei enw cynhenid yn unig ar bob gohebiaeth yn fewnol ac allanol gan ddileu’r arferiad o’r enw estronol Bala Lake.

Cyhoeddwyd hyn yn y wasg Gymraeg a Saesneg a’r cyfryngau ac anfonwyd at wneuthurwyr mapiau yn ogystal.

Blynyddoedd o ystyfnigrwydd annaturiol a gafwyd o du y rhain, a’r unig wahaniaeth a fu o du’r Arolwg

Ordnans ar ôl iddynt ildio i’r enw cynhenid oedd iddynt roi Bala Lake/Llyn Tegid ar eu mapiau a dyna sydd ar y llyn hyd heddiw ganddynt.

Er mae Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri yw ei berchennog drwy ddeddf mae’r cyfryngau seisnig a’r papurau dyddiol yn dewis anwybyddu hyn gan ddangos yn glir maint eu trahauster a’u hagwedd imperialaidd tuag at Gymru a’r Gymraeg.

Dim ond yn achlysurol y gwelir yr enw Cymraeg cynhenid ynddynt.

Weithiau mae’r enw Llyn Bala i’w glywed gan rai yn eu hymgais i Gymreigeiddio’r Bala Lake, ac fel hyn yr ydym yn colli ein hunaniaeth a’n arwahanrwydd.

Ym mis Hydref 2021 sefydlodd Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri bwyllgor Tasg a Gorffen i fynd i ymwneud â newid ein henwau ac i argymell y ffordd ymlaen ar sut i roi terfyn ar hyn i’r Awdurdod.

‘Seisnigeiddio’

Mae’n ddiddorol iawn i weld nad yw Seisnigeiddio enwau ein llynnoedd a mannau yn Eryri yn digwydd oni bae fod yna arian i’w wneud ohonynt.

Er enghraifft, ar y mapiau caiff Llyn Arenig Fawr ei alw wrth ei enw cywir, felly hefyd llynnoedd Arenig Fach, Tryweryn, Celyn, Caer Euni ac yn blaen, ond nid oes arian i’w wneud o’r rhain ac felly mae’r enw Cymraeg yn cael llonydd.

Pan mae’r estron yn ysgrifennu llyfrau taith neu unrhyw lyfr sydd yn ymwneud â mannau yn Eryri mae’n rhoi ei enw ei hun ar lefydd, yn enwedig rhai cerddwyr a dringwyr, sef rhoi eu henwau Saesneg eu hunain arnynt a’r canlyniad yw eu bod yn mynd ar wefannau a llyfrau’r cerddwyr a’r dringwyr.

Gwnânt hyn gyda’u hagwedd arglwyddiaethol a threfedigaethol yn ei hanterth gan anwybyddu’r enwau Cymraeg yn gyfan gwbwl.

Er enghraifft aeth Dinas y Gromlech, Nant Peris yn Cenotaph Corner. Crib y Clogwyn Du, Glyder Fawr yn Seniors Ridge. Devil’s Appendix yw Crognant Clogwyn y Geifr, Cwm Idwal. Atlantic Slabs yw Creigiau Cwm Graeanog, Nant Ffrancon. Yr Wyddfa yn Snowdon, Eryri yn Snowdonia.

Mae yna lawer iawn mwy wrth gwrs megis Banana Gully, a Nameless Cwm ac yn y blaen.

Dengys yr enwau y mae’r estron yn ei roi ar lefydd yn Eryri a llefydd eraill faint mor arwynebol a diddim yw’r feddylfryd a’r diffyg parch sydd ganddo tuag atom fel cenedl.

Yn y Llywodraeth yng Nghaerdydd rai blynyddoedd yn ôl ar gynnig gan aelod o Blaid Cymru cafwyd pleidlais ar greu deddf a fyddai’n atal newid enwau Cymraeg i’r Saesneg, ond trechwyd y cais gan fwyafrif y Blaid Lafur.

Gwelwyd yn ddiweddar agwedd ddilornus y sefydliad Seisnig. Ar newyddion Saesneg y BBC ychydig yn ôl roedd yna eitem o’r Bala lle’r oedd y criw ffilmio ar lan y llyn a chyfeiriwyd ato fel Bala Lake.

Mae’r papurau dyddiol ac wythnosol hwythau yn anwybyddu’r enw cynhenid ac yn ei alw’n Bala Lake a hynny flynyddoedd ar ôl i’r Parc ei newid yn swyddogol.

‘Rhestr’ 

Rhestr (anghyflawn) o enwau lleoedd topograffig Saesneg yng Ngwynedd sydd ar wefannau ac mewn cyhoeddiadau:

  • Black Rock Sands (Traeth y Greigddu, Morfa Bychan)
  • Tywyn Beach (Traeth Tywyn)
  • Harlech Beach (Traeth Harlech)
  • Aberdyfi Beach (Traeth Aberdyfi)
  • Dovey Estuary (Aberdyfi)
  • The Bearded Lake (Llyn Barfog, Aberdyf
  • Inkerman Bridge (Pont Llidiart-y-dŵr)
  • Vale of Ffestiniog (Dyffryn Dwyryd / Maentwrog)
  • Shell Island (Mochras)
  • Happy Valley (Cwm Maethlon)
  • Crimea Pass (Bwlch Gorddinan)
  • Ogwen Valley (Dyffryn Ogwen)
  • Snowdonia (Eryri)
  • Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
  • Cloggy (Clogwyn Du’r Arddu)
  • Llanberis Pass (Gorffwysfan Peris, Pen-y-Pas, Bwlch Llanberis)
  • Cenotaph Corner (Dinas y Gromlech, Nant Peis)
  • Nantlle Ridge (Crib Nantlle)
  • Pillar of Elidyr (Craig Cwrwgl, Marchlyn Mawr)
  • Mushroom Garden (Coed Cerrig y Frân, Nant Ffrancon)
  • Ogwen Falls (Rhaeadr y Benglog, Nant Ffrancon)
  • Aber Falls (Rhaeadr Fawr, Abergwyngregyn)
  • Seniors Ridge (Crib y Clogwyn Du, Glyder Fawr)
  • Idwal Beach (Y Ro, Cwm Idwal)
  • Devil’s Kitchen (Twll Du, Cwm Idwal)
  • Devil’s Appendix (Crognant Clogwyn y Geifr, Cwm Idwal)
  • Atlantic Slabs (Creigiau Cwm Graeanog, Nant Ffrancon)
  • Llanaber Beach ( )
  • Llandanwg Beach ( )
  • Llwyngwril Beach ( )
  • Bearded Lake (Llyn Barfau) Aberdyfi.
  • Pass of the Two Biers (Bwlch y Ddwy Elor, Rhyd-ddu)
  • Pig Pass (Bwlch Gylfin, Rhyd-ddu)
  • Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid)

How the place names of Eryri were anglicised when there was money to be made

About fifteen to twenty years ago Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri (Snowdonia National Park Authority) confirmed its intention to name Llyn Tegid, Bala by its native name only on all internal and external official correspondence and abolish the custom of using the foreign name ‘Bala Lake’.

This was published in the English and Welsh media and the instruction was also sent to map makers.

Years of stubbornness and reluctance to fully accept the ‘change’ followed. The only concession from Ordnance Survey was that they partly-adopted the native name and put Bala Lake / Llyn Tegid on their maps; that is what the lake is noted as to this day by the OS.

Although Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri own the lake by law, the English media and daily newspapers choose to ignore their instruction by clearly showing the extent of their arrogance and their imperialistic attitude towards Wales and the Welsh language.

The original Welsh name is only very occasionally seen in the press. Sometimes the name of Llyn Bala is heard by some in their attempt to ‘Cymrucise’ the name Bala Lake; in this way we lose our identity, our distinctiveness and indeed our history.

In October 2021 Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri set up a Task and Finish committee to look in-depth at the problem of native Welsh names being dropped in favour of English ones and to recommend the way forward on how to put a stop to this.

‘Anglicising’

It is interesting to see that anglicising the names of our lakes and other landmarks in Eryri does not happen unless there is money to be made from them.

For example, on the OS and other maps Llyn Arenig Fawr is called by its real name, as are the lakes of Arenig Fach, Tryweryn, Celyn, Caer Euni and so on. But these are not popular, lucrative sites and so the Welsh names are left alone.

When someone from outside Wales writes travel books or any book relating to places in Eryri he or she often gives places, especially spots popular with walkers and climbers, a name of their choosing.

For the most part this means creating their own English names for them – the result being that these ‘newly-coined’ versions end up on the hiking and tourist websites and in the books while the Welsh names are completely ignored.

‘Disrespect’ 

This is an attitude of disrespect, domination and colonialism at its subtle peak.

For example Dinas y Gromlech, Nant Peris became Cenotaph Corner, Crib y Clogwyn Ddu, Glyder Fawr became Seniors Ridge

Crognant Clogwyn y Geifr, Cwm Idwal became Devil’s Appendix.

Creigiau Cwm Graeanog, Nant Ffrancon are now the Atlantic Slabs.

Yr Wyddfa became Snowdon, Eryri became Snowdonia.

There are many more of course such as Banana Gully, Nameless Cwm and so on.

The names the foreigner gives to places in Eryri and elsewhere show a superficial and hollow mindset and a deep disrespect for us as a nation.

In the Senedd in Cardiff Bay some years ago on a Plaid Cymru motion on creating a law that would prevent the change of Welsh names to English was tabled, but was voted down by the entire Labour Party contingent.

The ignorant attitude of the establishment was seen recently on the BBC Wales’ English language news where during an item from Bala with the film crew at the lakefront, Llyn Tegid was repeatedly –and solely – referred to as Bala Lake.

The daily and weekly papers also ignore the vernacular name and call it Bala Lake several years after the Parc officially changed it.


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Quornby
Quornby
2 years ago

They’ll be calling Minorca “Lagerland on Sea” next.

j humphrys
j humphrys
2 years ago

Former empire countries have returned to their own names after getting independence.

Stephen Owen
Stephen Owen
2 years ago

Gwych cael erthygl yn Gymraeg, gadewch i ni gael mwy os gwelwch yn dda.

Suns ine De se ts
Suns ine De se ts
2 years ago

On a side note does anyone know why Newbridge is Trecelyn and not Pontnewydd?

Huw Davies
Huw Davies
2 years ago

I don’t know for sure but Newbridge got its name from a new bridge, that was built over the Ebbw in the 18th century. Trecelyn was named after a large area of holly trees. The colliery in Newbridge was known as Celynen colliery and there is no logic to it having been named that unless there was a Celynen or Trecelyn already there. You could equally ask why it is Newbridge and not Hollyton or Newbridge on Ebbw to distinguish it from every other Newbridge in the UK. Use Trecelyn and everyone should know which town you mean! Similar to… Read more »

Suns ine De se ts
Suns ine De se ts
2 years ago
Reply to  Huw Davies

Thanks for the info, I might have a dig in the Gwent archives sometime, to see if they can shed some light.

CapM
CapM
2 years ago
Reply to  Huw Davies

According to H W Owen & R Morgan; Dictionary of the place names of Wales.
Trecelyn was once an area within Y Bont Newydd/Newbridge.

Geth
Geth
2 years ago

Da gweld erthygl yn y Gymraeg, am Seisnigo enwau cynhenid, oes gwall gyda’r term “faint mor”, “pa mor” dw i’n siwr sydd yn gywir, gair gyda’r golygydd?

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