Lleidr Pen-Ffordd / Highwayman

A second edition of a romantic adventure novel for mature Welsh Learners set in the exciting period of highwaymen; detailed grammar notes are included. First published in 1974.

Review :
English review follows Enillodd y nofel hon wobr yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Sir Benfro 1972 am nofel i ddysgwyr 12-15 oed. Er bod y math o storïau sy’n apelio at blant yr oedran hwnnw wedi newid yn y cyfamser, eto yn sicr ni fydd yr hen ffefryn, stori am leidr pen-ffordd, wedi colli ei swyn. Ac mae Ivor Owen wedi llwyddo i greu stori afaelgar, llawn digwyddiadau cyffrous a chymeriadau lliwgar – digonedd i gadw diddordeb darllenwyr o bob oedran. Trwy leoli’r digwyddiadau o gwmpas y Bedol, tafarn wledig ar y briffordd rhwng Aberhonddu a Llanymddyfri, mae’r awdur yn impio'n grefftus iawn ar y stori agweddau o fywyd cymdeithasol Cymru tua 1820 – byd y porthmyn a’r goets fawr gyda dechreuadau’r chwyldro diwydiannol ar y gorwel ym Merthyr a blaenau’r cymoedd. Fel cefndir i anturiaethau Robin Hoodaidd y sgweier lleol, Rhisiart Fychan, a helyntion y cariad sy’n tyfu rhyngddo ef a Catrin Emwnt, merch y Bedol, cawn ddisgrifiadau bywiog o fwrlwm bywyd y dafarn lle mae cymeriad cryfaf y nofel, Siân Emwnt, mam Catrin, yn teyrnasu fel rhyw fath o reolwr llwyfan i ddrama’r stori. Ac fel ymhob rhamant gwerth ei halen mae cariad yn ennill y dydd yn y pen draw! Gofyn am nofel i ddysgwyr 12-15 oed yr oedd cystadleuaeth Eisteddfod Sir Benfro. Yn bendant at ddysgwyr 15+ oed mae’r nofel hon yn cael ei hanelu o safbwynt geirfa a gramadeg. Ar ddechrau’r llyfr mae gosodiad esboniadol o’r cystrawennau ac amseroedd y berfau a ddefnyddir. Mae geirfa fer ar waelod pob tudalen ac ar ddiwedd y llyfr ceir cyfieithiadau o’r cystrawennau anoddaf a rhai esboniadau gramadegol ohonynt. Er hwylustod i'r darllenydd byddai wedi bod yn ddoethach gosod y rhain ar waelod tudalennau’r stori. Gofala’r awdur ailadrodd geiriau, idiomau a chymalau yn grefftus ac yn gyfrwys i sicrhau y byddant yn suddo i isymwybod ieithyddol y darllenydd. Dylai dysgwyr gweddol brofiadol fwynhau darllen y nofel hon oherwydd ei stori ramantus, gan elwa o gyfoeth amryliw ei hiaith. Terry Edwards * * * Lleidr Penffordd was the prize-winning entry in a competition set by the 1972 National Eisteddfod for a novel for Welsh learners in the 12-15 age group. Although the reading tastes of young people have changed over the intervening years, the fixture of the highwayman has a perennial appeal and Ivor Owen succeeds in writing a gripping story with enough exciting events and colourful characters to appeal to readers of all ages. The location of the story, Y Bedol, a country inn on the highway between Brecon and Llandovery, enables the author to blend skilfully into the story aspects of the social history of Wales in the 1820s, the world of the drovers and the stage-coach with, just over the horizon, the new Wales of the industrial revolution in Merthyr and its neighbouring valleys. Descriptions of the busy life of the inn provide the background for the Robin Hood-like adventures for the local squire, Rhisiart Fychan, and the un-smooth path of his love for Catrin, daughter of Siân Emwnt, the formidable landlady of Y Bedol who acts as a stage-manager for the events of the story. As in all good stories, in the end love wins the day! From a linguistic viewpoint this novel is clearly aimed at learners in the 15+ age group, including fairly advanced adult learners. The author includes an introductory outline of the grammatical constructions and tenses to be used in the text. There is a vocabulary at the bottom of each page and at the end of the book a list of translations of the more difficult constructions used with some grammatical explanations. For the convenience of the reader, the latter could have been more usefully located as footnotes. In the text there is carefully crafted repetition of unfamiliar words, idioms and clauses to ensure that these are unconsciously absorbed by the reader. The lively story-line and good linguistic range of this novel should appeal to fairly advanced learners among the young and not so young.