Ul lez kozh ha yen, flastet he gwirioù / An old, cold court, with its rights trampled
Golwg oer a thrist sydd ar Gastell Dolwyddelan. Dywedir mai yma y ganed Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, ond ymddengys nad ar y safle hwn oedd y castell gwreiddiol. Mae'r dystiolaeth gynharaf i'r castell fel y mae yn dyddio o'r 13eg ganrif. Mae'r castell yn sefyll mewn lle strategol, gan amddiffyn y ffordd i mewn i Wynedd o'r dwyrain ac o gyfeiriad Conwy.
Bu'n gaer o bwys i ŵyr Llywelyn, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf, ac bryd i'w gilydd byddai llys y tywysog yn cael ei gynnal yno. Fe'i cipiwyd ar 18 Ionawr 1283, rhywbeth a oedd yn drobwynt yn ymgyrch Edward I i feddiannu ac i ormesu Cymru.
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Un neuz yen ha trist zo gant Kastell Dolwyddelan. Lavaret e vez e voe ganet ar priñs Llywelyn ap Iorwerth ennañ, met war a seblant n’eo ket dres el lec’h-mañ e oa ar c’hastell orin. An testeni koshañ d’ar c’hastell evel m’emañ a zo eus an 13vet kantved. Savet e oa bet en ul lec’h a bouez, ma c’halle difenn Gwynedd eus ar reter hag eus tu Conwy.
Ur c’hastell-kreñv a bouez e oa bet neuze evit mab-bihan Llywelyn, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Llywelyn ein Llyw Olaf (Hor Priñs Diwezhañ), hag ur wechik an amzer e veze dalc’het al lez eno. Paket eo bet d’an 18 a viz Genver 1283, ar pezh a roas lañs da stourm Edward I da c’hounit ha da vac’hañ Kembre.
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The castle at Dolwyddelan has a cold and sad appearance. It is said that Llywelyn ap Iorwerth was born there, but it appears that the castle at that time was on a different site. The oldest evidence of the castle as it is now comes from the 13th century. It was built at a strategically significant spot, so it could defend Gwynedd from the east as well as from the direction of Conwy.
Dolwyddelan was an important stronghold for Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, known in Welsh as the Llywelyn our Last Prince, and occasionally court would be held there. The castle was taken on 18 January 1283, an event which marked a turning point in Edward I’s campaign to occupy and rule Wales.