NOSON CALAN GAEAF // ALL HALLOWS' EVE

Gelwir Gŵyl yr Holl Saint yn 'Galan Gaeaf' neu 'Ysbryd Nos' yng Nghymru. Yn y nos mae 'na goelcerth gwych o eithin a rhedyn yn cael ei gynnu, dywedir wrthym fod yr arferiad hwn yn dod o adeg y Derwyddon ac mae diben y tanau oedd boddhau’r duwiau. Phan fydd adeiladwr y tân yn galw allan yn y ffordd arferol, mae pawb yn ysgrifennu eu henwau ar gerrig gwyn ac yna yn eu gosod i mewn i'r tân. Pan fydd y tân yn dechrau mynd mas, mae pawb yn rhedeg adref mor gyflym ag y gallant er mwyn osgoi fod y person olaf wrth y tân, pe baent nhw yn aros yna byddent yn cwrdd â'r ellyll a oedd yn crwydro o gwmpas y wlad ar y noson hon, 'Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta' (Argoel ddrwg a gymerodd ffurf o hwch ddu, heb gynffon gyda dynes heb ei phen ar ei chefn hi a fyddai'n crwydro cefn gwlad)


All Saints Day is known as Calan Gaeaf or Ysbryd Nos (Spirit Night) in Wales. In the evening a great bonfire of gorse and bracken is lit, we are told that this habit is from the time of the Druids, and that the purpose of the fires was to satisfy the gods. When the fire builder calls out the usuall cry, everyone writes their name on a white rock and they place them in the fire. When the fire stars to die out everyone runs home as fast as they can to avoid being the last person at the fire because if they stay they would meet the demon at large, 'Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta' (a bad omen that took the form of a tailless black sow with a headless woman astride it that would roam the countryside).

Credir bod traddodiadau a hanesion 'Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta' wedi goroesi gan rieni lleol fel ffordd o sicrhau y byddai'r plant yn dychwelyd adref yn ddiogel ac mor gynnar â phosibl ar y noson oer a thywyll hon. Mae un odl arbennig yn dangos sut fyddai'r plentyn diwethaf, allan ar Nos Calan Gaeaf mewn perygl o gael ei fwyta gan y bwystfil ofnadwy:


Adref, adref, am y cyntaf',



Hwch ddu gwta a gipio'r ola'.

It is believed that the traditions and stories surrounding 'Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta' were survived by local parents as a means of ensuring their children would return home safely and as early as possible on this cold, dark night. One particular rhyme shows how the last child out on Nos Calan Gaeaf would be at risk of being eaten by the fearsome beast: 


Home, home, on the double, 



The tailess black sow shall snatch the last one.

Y bore canlynol, byddai pob cerreg sy'n cynnwys enwau'r pentrefwyr yn cael eu gwirio, pe bai un garreg ar goll, byddai'r person a ysgrifennodd eu henw ar y garreg  yn siŵr o farw o fewn y flwyddyn. Roedd llawer o bobl ag ofn mynd allan ar Nos Galan, gan fod y noson yma ymhlith y Cymry yn un o'r "tair nos ysbrydion" pryd mae ellyllon yn rhydd i grwydro'r byd marwol. Roedd hi'n syniad da i osgoi camfeydd, a chroesffyrdd yn arbennig, gan fod ysbrydion yn ymgynnull yno:


Nos Calan Gaea',



Bwbach ar bob camfa

 The following morning, all the stones containing villagers' names would be checked. If, however, a stone was missing, the person who wrote their name on the stone would die within one year. This tradition is know as the "Coelcerth". Many were afraid of going out on All hallow's Eve as the night among the Welsh is one of the "tair nos ysbrydion" (three spirit' nights) where demons are free to roam the mortal world. Stiles, and crossroads were particularly avoided, since spirits are thought to gather there:

On Allhallow's Eve, 



A bogie on every stile.

Yn ogystal â'r hwch ddu, bydd ysbryd Y Ladi Wen yn codi ofn ar rannau o'r wlad. Ysbryd wedi'i gwisgo mewn gwyn allan o fytholeg Geltaidd ydy'r Ladi Wen. Yn nhraddodiad llafar Cymraeg, mae hi'n cael ei galw i rybuddio plant am ymddygiad gwael. Nodweddir Y Ladi Wen mewn sawl ffordd, gan gynnwys bod yn ysbryd ofnadwy a all ofyn am gymorth os ydych chi'n siarad â hi, neu fe gynigith hi i chi trysor neu aur.

As well as the black sow, the spirit of the white lady would strike fear into parts of the country. The White Lady is a Celtic mythology apparition, dressed in white. Known in Welsh oral tradition, she is evoked to warn children about bad behaviour. The White Lady is characterized in various ways including being a terrifying ghost who may ask for help if you speak to her, or she may offer treasure or gold.

Yn y gorffennol roedd yna lawer mwy o arferion mewn cysylltiad ag nos calan gaeaf sydd bellach wedi diflannu. Mewn rhai mannau roedd yna ddefod o gerdded o gwmpas yr eglwys am hanner nos ac wedyn edrych trwy'r twll clo i glywed ysbryd yn galw enwau pawb yr oedd yn mynd i farw. Yn aml, sonnir am gannwyll mewn rwden fel ffordd o roi ofn i bobl ar y noson hon. Yng Ngorllewin Cymru fe'i gelwid hefyd yn "nos twca fale". Mewn rhai rhannau o siroedd Caerfyrddin roedd hi'n arferol i blicio afal yn ofalus ac i daflu'r croen y tu ôl i'r pen. Rhoddwyd sylw arbennig i ba ffurf yr oedd y croen yn ymddangos a phan oedd yn debyg i lythyr o'r wyddor, byddai'n llythyr cyntaf enw gwraig y taflwr.


In former times there were many more customs in connection with it that have now disappeared. In some places there was a ceremony of walking round the church at midnight to look in through the keyhole to hear a spirit call out the names all those who were going to die. The candle in a turnip is often mentioned as a means to scare folk on this night. In West Wales it was also known as "nos twca fale" (apple snatching night). In some parts of Carmarthen-shire it was customary to peel an apple carefully and thrown the peel behind the head. Particular notice was taken to what form it appeared and when it resembled a letter of the alphabet it would be the first letter of the thrower's wife's name. 


Mae yna hefyd arfer o'r enw, "Eiddiorwg Dalen" lle y credir bod ychydig o ddail eiddew yn rhoi'r gallu i chi weld gwrachod ar Noson Calan Gaeaf. Ar gyfer breuddwydion proffwydol dylai bachgen dorri ddeg o dail iorwg, taflu i ffwrdd un ohono'n nhw ac wedyn rhoi'r gweddill o dan ei ben cyn iddo fynd i gysgu. Dylai merch fynd â rhosyn gwyllt wedi'i dyfu i mewn i gylchyn, cropian trwyddo dair gwaith, ei dorri mewn distawrwydd, a mynd i'r gwely gydag ef o dan ei chlustog.

O, a dylai chi hefyd osgoi goleuo tân yn yr aelwyd ar Noson Galan Gaeaf gan nad ydych am i ysbrydion gwneud eu hunain yn rhy gyfforddus yn eich tŷ.

There is also the custom of "Eiddiorwg Dalen" where a few leaves of ivy is thought to give you the power to see hags on Allhallow's Eve. For prophetic dreams a boy should cut ten ivy leaves, throw away one and put the rest under his head before he sleeps. A girl should take a wild rose grown into a hoop, creep through it three times, cut it in silence, and go to bed with it under her pillow. 


Oh, and one should also avoid lighting a fire in the hearth on Calan Gaeaf as you don't want any demons to get too comfortable in your house.