FIRST WELSH BIBLE TO BE IN WALES FOR THE FIRST TIME
Westminster Abbey Library is loaning to St Davids Cathedral a copy of the first Bible printed in Welsh. It will be on public display in St Davids through July. There will also be a series of special Tours and Visits by the St Davids Cathedral Library.
The translation of the Bible into Welsh was a key project of the 16th and 17th century Reformation. Bringing scripture directly to the people in a language they understood was a central tenet of the changes. In 16th century Wales this meant the Welsh language rather than the English language. Queen Elizabeth I, who herself understood Welsh, declared there should be a Bible in Welsh in every village in Wales. Revd William Morgan (then vicar of Llanrhaedr ym Mochnant, and later Bishop of Llandaff then St Asaph) was given the responsibility to bring together the various existing books of the Bible that had already been translated into Welsh to create a recognised, standard version of written Welsh. Around 900 copies in all were printed, and distributed to churches around Wales. At least 25 copies are known still to exist, the majority held in Wales, including a number in the collection of the National Library of Wales.
The book was produced in London by Christopher Barker, who held the royal licence to print Bibles. To oversee the project, Morgan stayed for several months with his friend, also from north Wales, Gabriel Goodman who was the Dean of Westminster. Morgan presented a copy (possibly the first off the press) to Westminster Abbey Library. A handwritten Latin inscription on the title page records the gift. The Bible, which was thus made available to scholars in London, has been safely cared for ever since in the Abbey’s library. This loan is the first time it has left Westminster for any length of time and the first time it will be in Wales.
The Bible was brought to St Davids for the conference of the Cathedral Archives, Libraries and Collections Association of the UK and Ireland (CALCA), which took place over 17-19 June. Sessions at the Conference included discussion of Bible translation, not only into Welsh, but also Irish. A copy of the first complete Irish Bible of 1640, produced at the instigation of Bishop Bedell, has been loaned by The Cotton Library, St Carthage's Cathedral, Lismore, and is also on display.
The Dean of St Davids, the Very Revd Dr Sarah Rowland Jones, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome home the very first copy of the earliest printed Bible in Welsh. It seems fitting that its first visit to Wales should be here, to the home of our patron saint, at our spiritual heart. We look forward to having it on show before its return to the Abbey, to share with Welsh Christians of all traditions, for whom Y Beibl Cyssegr-Lan of 1588 Bible is a uniquely valuable treasure in our heritage of faith and language.’
Tony Trowles, Head of Collection and Librarian at Westminster Abbey, said: ‘The copy of the Welsh Bible presented to Westminster Abbey Library by William Morgan in 1588 reminds us of the important role of learning in the life of the Church and of the rich collections of printed books and manuscripts which have been cared for and studied over the centuries in the libraries of our cathedrals and collegiate churches. As those who care for these and other historic cathedral collections gather in conference at St Davids, it has been a great pleasure to work with colleagues at the Cathedral to facilitate the loan of this Bible so that it can be seen and appreciated in Wales for the first time.’
Mae Llyfrgell Abaty San Steffan yn benthyg copi o'r Beibl cyntaf a argraffwyd yn y Gymraeg i Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi. Bydd yn cael ei arddangos yn gyhoeddus yn Nhyddewi rhwng y ddwy-ar-bymtheg o Fehefin â’r nawfed o Orffennaf. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwn bydd sesiwn trafod yng nghynhadledd Cymdeithas Archifau, Llyfrgelloedd a Chasgliadau Eglwys Gadeiriol y DU ac Iwerddon (CALCA) a gynhelir ar yr 17-19 o Fehefin. Bydd cyfres o deithiau ac ymweliadau arbennig hefyd gan Lyfrgell Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi.
Dywedodd Deon Tyddewi, y Parchedig Dr Sarah Rowland Jones: 'Rydym yn falch iawn o groesawu'r copi cyntaf o'r Beibl printiedig cynharaf yn Gymraeg adref. Mae'n ymddangos yn briodol y dylai ei ymweliad cyntaf â Chymru fod yma, i gartref ein nawddsant, yn ein calon ysbrydol. Edrychwn ymlaen i’w weld yn cael ei arddangos cyn iddo ddychwelyd i'r Abaty, i'w rannu gyda Christnogion Cymreig o bob traddodiad, y mae Y Beibl Cyssegr-Lan o Feibl 1588 yn drysor unigryw a gwerthfawr yn ein treftadaeth o ffydd ac iaith.'
Meddai Tony Trowles, Pennaeth Casgliad a Llyfrgellydd Abaty San Steffan.
'Mae'r copi o'r Beibl Cymraeg a gyflwynwyd i Lyfrgell Abaty San Steffan gan William Morgan yn 1588 yn ein hatgoffa o rôl bwysig dysgu ym mywyd yr Eglwys ac o'r casgliadau cyfoethog o lyfrau printiedig a llawysgrifau sydd wedi cael eu gofalu a'u hastudio dros y canrifoedd yn llyfrgelloedd ein cadeirlanoedd a'n heglwysi colegol. Wrth i'r rhai sy'n gofalu am y casgliadau hyn a chasgliadau hanesyddol eraill yr eglwys gadeiriol ymgynnull mewn cynhadledd yn Nhyddewi, mae wedi bod yn bleser mawr gweithio gyda chydweithwyr yn yr Eglwys Gadeiriol i hwyluso benthyg y Beibl hwn fel y gellir ei weld a'i werthfawrogi yng Nghymru am y tro cyntaf.'
Roedd cyfieithu'r Beibl i'r Gymraeg yn brosiect allweddol y Diwygiad o'r 16eg a'r 17eg ganrif. Roedd dod â'r ysgrythur yn uniongyrchol i'r bobl mewn iaith yr oeddent yn ei ddeall yn un o egwyddorion arwyddocaol y newidiadau. Yng Nghymru yr 16eg ganrif roedd hyn yn golygu'r Gymraeg yn hytrach na'r Saesneg. Datganodd y Frenhines Elisabeth I y dylai fod Beibl yn Gymraeg ym mhob pentref yng Nghymru. Rhoddwyd William Morgan y cyfrifoldeb i ddod â'r gwahanol lyfrau presennol o'r Beibl a oedd eisoes wedi'u cyfieithu i'r Gymraeg at ei gilydd i greu fersiwn gydnabyddedig, safonol o'r Gymraeg ysgrifenedig. Yna argraffwyd a dosbarthwyd tua 900 o gopïau i eglwysi ledled Cymru. Cynhyrchwyd y llyfr yn Llundain gan Christopher Barker a oedd yn dal y drwydded frenhinol i argraffu Beiblau. I oruchwylio'r prosiect, arhosodd yr Esgob Morgan gyda'i ffrind o ogledd Cymru, Gabriel Goodman, a oedd yn Ddeon San Steffan a chyflwynodd Morgan gopi (efallai'r cyntaf oddi ar y wasg), i Lyfrgell Abaty San Steffan, gan ychwanegu arysgrif Lladin yn cofnodi'r rhodd i'r dudalen deitl.
