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Wales is certainly not lacking when it comes to stories and tales of kings or great warriors. From the mythological heroes of the Mabinogion, where legend mixes easily with reality, to genuine historical figures like the Lord Rhys or Llywelyn the Great, there are so many to choose from. Yet one of the greatest is remembered, not so much for his prowess as a warrior but from the laws and statutes he commissioned and put into practice in a time of peace and security.

That man was Hywel Dda, Hywel the Good as he might be called in English. And it could be argued that his laws and reforms, laid down in the mid-10th century, have had more effect than those of any Welsh ruler, before or afterwards.

Hywel Dda was the son of Rhodri Mawr, another great Welsh prince who, during his period in power at the end of the ninth century, managed to unite large parts of the country under his dynamic and thrusting leadership. As a result of this the Saxon incursions into Wales were restricted for many years. While Rhodri's efforts kept the Norsemen at bay, the modern-day country of England began to take shape as the various kingdoms across Offa's Dyke gradually developed and merged into something like a unified state.

In Wales, it was a different matter. Everything was fine while Rhodri was alive but once he died, his lands were divided amongst his six sons, as custom demanded. Unable to stand alone, most of these Welsh territories or kingdoms soon declared homage to the English kings and, theoretically at least, the Welsh people became subjects of the English monarchy.

Hywel Dda became king of Seisyllwg - roughly speaking the modern day counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthen - in the year 900. Through a marriage alliance he quickly acquired the area known as Dyfed and this, along with his original possessions, created the kingdom of Deheubarth. Hywel did not stop there and, in time, seized Gwynedd and Powys so that until his death in 949 a huge portion of Wales was once more united under a single ruler.

With his kingdom secure from raiding Saxons - and from the power of England - Hywel set about reforming or at least codifying the customs and practices from the various regions of Wales and turning them into a single law. These were the famous Cyfraith Hywel Dda, the Laws of Hywel Dda.

The traditional story is that Hywel called representatives from all his cantrefs to a convention, held at one of his hunting lodges. This was Ty Gwyn in Whitland. The date of the meeting remains a little unclear although it probably took place over the Lent period sometime in the late 940s. The meeting lasted for six weeks while the laws were proposed, discussed and then set down. The old laws were studied, the useful ones retained and the inappropriate ones discarded. And, of course, new ones were written.

How true that story is, remains a matter of conjecture. The earliest existing copies of Hywel's Laws date from the twelfth century, 200 years later. They are copies of the original documents, 80 manuscripts in Latin and Welsh - and two of them, Gwentian Brut and Brut Ieuan, might even have been copied or written as late as the 18th century. Certainly all of the Laws, as they are seen today, contain additions made many years after Hywel's death.

Despite these reservations the Laws, as we know them, do contain much material that was written during Hywel's reign. And many of them are extremely enlightened. According to the Laws marriage was considered an agreement, not a holy sacrament and divorce was permitted by common consent. Precedence was to be given to a woman's claim in any case of rape.

There was to be no punishment for theft - provided the sole purpose of the offence was to stay alive. Under these Laws compensation for the victim was felt to be far more important than any possible or potential punishment of the offender. Illegitimate children received exactly the same rights as legitimate sons and daughters. There were many more, covering the whole range of Welsh life and society.

There is no doubt that the Laws of Hywel Dda were insightful and enlightened. Quite how much Hywel had to do with their compilation will never be known but he was a well-read and intelligent man and so it is quite likely that he had more than a little involvement. He was on good terms with Alfred the Great, the king of Wessex, and inspired by Alfred's example, Hywel had undertaken a pilgrimage to Rome long before he began codifying Welsh Laws. This was no petty Prince, concerned only with his own local glory. This was a man of vision and integrity.

After Hywel's death in 949 Wales quickly fell back into being a disparate and warring state, threatened by the growing power of the Saxons on the one hand and by the gathering might of England on the other. The one thing that did remain, however, was the series of Laws that the king had brought into use.

Hywel Dda's Laws were enforced in Wales for several centuries. Not until Henry VIII passed the Acts of Union in the 16th century did they finally disappear. They are remembered, now, as a series of legal documents that provided justice and compassion for all. Modern day enthusiasts or historians can visit the Hywel Dda Heritage Centre in Whitland where extracts and examples have been mounted on slate and stone. It is a fitting tribute for one of Wales' most renowned rulers.

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Wales is certainly not lacking when it comes to stories and tales of kings or great warriors. From the mythological heroes of the Mabinogion, where legend mixes easily with reality, to genuine historical figures like the Lord Rhys or Llywelyn the Great, there are so many to choose from.

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https://padlet.com/ffwj/hyweldda

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Gellid ddadlau bod y cyfreithiau cafodd eu gosod yng nghanol y 10g wedi cael mwy o effaith nag unrhyw gyfreithiau gan Arweinydd Cymreig mewn hanes.

Mab Rhodri Mawr oedd Hywel Dda, Tywysog Cymreig arall o fri wnaeth lwyddo yn ei ddydd, sef tua diwedd y 9g, i uno nifer o rannau o'r wlad o dan ei arweinyddiaeth cadarn. O ganlyniad methodd y Sacsoniaid hawlio tir yng Nghymru am flynyddoedd lawer. Er i Rhodri lwyddo i gadw'r Llychlynwyr o'r wlad, datblygodd gwlad Lloegr fel rydym yn ei hadnabod heddiw wrth i'r brenhinoedd niferus ar draws Clawdd Offa ddatblygu raddol i fod yn un talaith unedig.

Yng Nghymru roedd pethau'n wahanol. Roedd popeth yn iawn pan oedd Rhodri yn fyw ond pan wnaeth e farw, rhannwyd ei dir rhwng ei feibion yn dilyn y traddodiad Cymreig. A gan fod chwech ohonynt, roedd hyn yn anodd. Gan nad oeddent yn unedig, bu'n rhaid i'r taleithiau Cymreig yma ddatgan gwrogaeth i'r fonarchiaeth Saesneg.

Daeth Hywel Dda yn frenin Seisyllwg -sef ardaloedd Ceredigion a Chaerfyrddin heddiw, yn y flwyddyn 900. Trwy briodi'n lwcus, fe hawliodd dir Dyfed ac yna creuwyd brenhiniaeth y 'Deheubarth'. Wedyn, aeth e ati i reoli Gwynedd a Phowys, nes erbyn ei farwolaeth yn 949, roedd cyfran mawr o Gymru wedi ei uno o dan un brenin unwaith eto.

Bwrodd Hywel ati i ddiwygio'r arferion a'r cyfreithiau o wahanol ranbarthau Cymru a'u trawsffurfio'n un cyfraith. Dyma oedd Cyfraith Hywel Dda sydd yn dal yn enwog hyd heddiw.

Mae'r hanes yn dweud bod Hywel wedi galw ei gynrychiolwyr o bob cantref i gynhadledd a gynhaliwyd yn ei gyfrinfa hela yn Nhy Gwyn yn Hen Dy Gwyn ar Daf. Mae dyddiad y gynhadledd wedi ei golli, ond cred haneswyr ei fod wedi cymryd lle dros gyfnod y Grawys yn y 940gau hwyr. Roedd hi'n gynhadledd a hanner ac fe wnaeth hi bara am 6 wythnos! Trafodwyd yr hen gyfreithiau a detholwyd y rhai i'w cadw a'r rhai i'w diwygio. Ysgrifennwyd gyfreithiau newydd hefyd.

Mae gwirionedd a sail y stori hon yn ansicr. Mae'r fersiynau cynharaf o'r Cyfreithiau yn deillio o'r 12g, 200 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach. Mae fersiynau o'r cyfreithiau gwreiddiol, 80 llawysgrif yn Lladin a'r Gymraeg, gyda dau ohonynt, Gwentian Brut a Brut Ieuan, efallai'n tarddu o'r 18g. Yn wir, mae'n amlwg fod pob un o'r Cyfreithiau wedi eu diweddaru'n ddiweddarach.

Er hyn, mae llawer o'r Cyfreithiau yn dal i gynnwys deunydd ag ysgrifennwyd adeg Teyrnasiad Hywel. Ac mae llawer ohonynt yn cael eu hystyried yn oleuedig iawn am y cyfnod. Er enghraifft, roedd Priodas yn cael ei ystyried yn gytundeb, nid yn sacrament crefyddol a chaniatwyd ysgariad trwy gytundeb y ddau barti. Roedd y fenyw'n cael y flaenoriaeth mewn achos o dreisio.

Doedd dim cosb i ladrata -dim ond os mai unig bwrpas y lladrad oedd i oroesi. O dan y Cyfreithiau yma, roedd cael iawndal i'r dioddefwr yn bwysicach na chosbi'r lleidr. Roedd plant llwyn a pherth hefyd yn cael yr un hawliau â phlant a anwyd trwy briodas. Roedd nifer mwy o gyfreithiau, oll yn ymwneud ag ystod eang o fywyd a chymdeithas Cymraeg.

Does dim dwywaith nad oedd rhain yn Gyfreithiau arleisiol ac yn feddylgar a goleuedig eu cynnwys. Erbyn hyn, mae'n anodd dweud faint o gyfraniad cafodd Hywel ei hun i'w creu ond yn sicr roedd yn ddyn addysgiedig a galluog, felly mae yna siawns go dda mai ef oedd yn gyfrifol amdanynt. Roedd ar dermau da gydag Alfred The Great, Brenin Wessex, a chafodd ei ysbrydoli gan esiampl Alfred trwy bererindota i Rufain cyn iddo fynd ati i greu'r Gyfraith newydd. Nid Brenin mewnblyg plwyfol oedd hwn ond dyn diwylliedig yn awyddus i ddysgu o wledydd eraill.

Lleuad haearn ar ben to, a'r haul fel coron dros yr ardd, geiriau yn y llechi llwyd i gofio ysgolhaig a'r bardd; llun enamel o bob lliw - cadw'r cof o hyd yn fyw!

Dathlu Canolfan Hywel Dda

Wedi ei farwolaeth yn 949, gwahanwyd Cymru unwaith eto gyda brwydro rhwng rhanbarthau a phwer y Sacsoniaid a nerth Lloegr yn cyfrannu at ei dymchwel. Yr un peth wnaeth aros am ganrifoedd fodd bynnag oedd Cyfraith Hywel Dda.

Cafodd y cyfreithiau eu gorfodi yng Nghymru am ganrifoedd lawer. Nid nes i Harri VIII basio Deddf yr Undeb yn y 16g cafwyd Cyfreithiau newydd i Gymru. Maent yn cael eu cofio nawr fel cyfres o ddogfenni cyfreithiol oedd yn sicrhau cyfiawnder i bawb.

Ym mis Gorffennaf 2012, llwyddodd Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru i brynu llyfr o'r 14g yn cofnodi Cyfreithiau Hywel Dda a fu'n golledig am ganfrifoedd yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Prynwyd y llyfr, sydd yn ddiogel i'r genedl yn nawr am £541,250.

Gallwch ddysgu mwy am Hywel Dda yng Nghanolfan Hywel Dda yn Hendy Gwyn Ar Daf lle mae enghreiffitau o'i gyfreithiau wedi eu hail-greu ar lechen ac ar garreg. Mae'r gerddi amrywiol yn y Ganolfan sydd wedi ennill gwobrau hefyd yn cymryd gwahanol gyfreithiau fel ysbrydolaeth. Mae'r ganolfan yn gofeb teilwng i un o arweinwyr enwocaf ein gwlad.

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Gellid ddadlau bod y cyfreithiau cafodd eu gosod yng nghanol y 10g wedi cael mwy o effaith nag unrhyw gyfreithiau gan Arweinydd Cymreig mewn hanes. Mab Rhodri Mawr oedd Hywel Dda, Tywysog Cymreig arall o fri wnaeth lwyddo yn ei ddydd, sef tua diwedd y 9g, i uno nifer o rannau o'r wlad o dan ei arweinyddiaeth cadarn.

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http://www.castlewales.com/hwl_cym.html