Ffynnon Elian and some profanities

a book of profanities llyfr o gableddus plus the story of Jac Ffynnon Elian gan / by Hywel Edwards

yn uffar gwirion (...is a silly bastard)

yn bastard digwilydd (...is a shameless bastard)

fel rhech mewn pot jam (...is like a fart in a jam pot)

yn fytyn (...is a fool)

paid a malu cachu (...don’t bullshit)

cer i grafu! (... fuck off!)

twll dy din! (... bugger off)

yn mochyn brwnt (...is a dirty pig)

yn pen cachu (... is a shit head)

yn llawn cachu (...is full of shit)

Whilst researching the various swearing phrases available in Wales, I came across the colourful story of Ffynon Elian under John Evans

Tra’n ymchwilio i’r gwahanol ymadroddion rhegi ar gael yng Nghymru, wnes i ddod ar draws y stori lliwgar o Ffynnon Elian o dan John Evans

The decline of the Ffynnon Elian well began in the nineteenth century. Previous to that it had been a healing well, though reports have it one of the earliest owners had raised so much money through the activities, Cefnffynnon farmhouse could be completely rebuilt. In the early nineteenth century it was reported the well brought in £300 a year.

Dechreuodd dirywiad Ffynnon Elian dda yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg. Cyn hynny fod wedi bod yn iachau yn dda, er bod yn rhaid ei fod yn un o’r perchnogion cynharaf wedi codi cymaint o arian drwy’r gweithgaredda, gellid ffermdy Cefnffynnon cael ei hailadeiladu yn gyfan gwbl. Yn gynnar yn y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg adroddwyd i’r ddygwyd yn dda mewn £300 y flwyddyn.

The particular ceremonies of a healing or cursing well differed from one well to another, but as Ffynnon Elian gradually became a cursing well, artefacts like this might well have been used there, click here. Of course being caught up in a curse of a cusring well brought terror through the countryside, yet it was a popular activity.

By the 1830s the nearby Chapel brought it’s activities to an end. This is where John Evans steps in, he diverts the water of the well onto his land to continue it’s activity. He would later become known as Jac Ffynnon Elian and serve 6 months for fraud for removing nonexistent curses. By the 1850s he confessed his activities had been largely fraudulent and converted to the Baptists. He passed away before his confession was published.

Other sources say cursing continued at the well to the 1870s, today it is dry and only the cobble stone pathway remains.

Sources / Ffynonellau Mysterious Britain and Ireland Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales 1 Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales 2

Mae seremonïau arbennig o iachau neu melltithio yn wahanol yn o un ffynnon i’r llall, ond yn Ffynnon Elian yn raddol daeth yn melltithio yr unig pwrpas, daethpwyd o hyd arteffactau debyg i hyn. Wrth gwrs y pobol sy’n cael eu dal mewn felltith a melltithio arswyd a ddygwyd yn dda drwy gefn gwlad, ac eto yr oedd yn weithgaredd poblogaidd.

Erbyn y 1830au dewisodd Capel gerllaw dod a’r gweithgareddau i ben. Dyma lle John Evans yn camu i mewn, mae’n dargyfeirio dŵr o’r ffynnon ar ei dir i barhau y weithgaredd. Byddai yn ddiweddarach dod yn adnabyddus fel Jac Ffynnon Elian ac yn gwasanaethu 6 mis ar gyfer twyll ar gyfer cael gwared melltithion a oedd ddim yn bodoli. Erbyn y 1850au fe cyfaddefodd ei weithgareddau wedi bod yn dwyllodrus i raddau helaeth ac addaswyd at y Bedyddwyr. Iddo farw cyn ei gyffes ei gyhoeddi.

Mae ffynonellau eraill yn dweud parhau melltithio wrth y ffynnon i’r 1870au, heddiw ei bod yn sych a dim ond y llwybr cerrig cobl yn parhau i fod.

The pictures within this document are a homage to Carmarthens’ historic reputation of being a wild west town1 and feature military tributes Sir William Nott and Thomas Picton 1

Davies, Russell ‘Secret Sins: Sex, Violence & Society in Carmarthenshire 1870-1920 University of wales Press, Cardiff 1996