Dwyfawr, Dwyfor, Dwyfach are all names referring to our two rivers near to and by Llanystumdwy. Ask a local whether the name Dwyfawr or Dwyfor is correct, and you will I guarantee no one will agree. One of the commonest explanations is that Dwy is two in Welsh - fawr is large and fach is small, mor is the sea - so the explanation becomes that there are two rivers - one large, one smaller and when they join they become the two seas.
Fine, but not really because the true explanation goes back centuries - the time of the Brythoniad, possibly earlier - who knows. It is certainly in a time when old Welsh was spoken and the most likely explanation is that Dwy refers to Duw or in the old Welsh Duwies or God. So Dwyfawr really is the large God! Dwyfach the small God! - God's river.
It's amazing the reaction one has had to the "academic" explanation referred to above - "rubbish" some people say even to the point of hostility! For my evidence, I will give a simple explanation taken from the pamphlet produced about the history of our Church - and I quote "The name Llanystumdwy means the Church at the bend of the Dwy. Dwy is a water or river deity: thus, the two rivers between the Church stands -the Dwyfor and the Dwyfach ('Great and Little Goddess') - suggest this may have been a site of pre-Christian worship. It has been said that an early Christian church stood here dedicated to St. Tydecho, a Celtic missionary of the 6th century with churches in Merioneth and Montgomeryshire, but there is no positive evidence. The present dedication of the Church to St. John the Baptist dates from at least 1720. A church has, however, existed on this site from the 14th century. There is a reference to the appointment of an incumbent, David ap Adam, on the presentation of the Prince of Wales (Edward the Black Prince) in May 1375. The succession of rectors and curates can be traced from 1397 to the present day. The National Library of Wales) date from 1596". Copyright Llanystumdwy Church and thanks for permission to quote this extract and thanks to the Rev. Ivan Williams of Llanystumdwy for his help .
I also quote from "Enwau Lleoedd" gan Yr Athro Ifor Williams, page 30 "Am yr hyn a elwais uchod yn ddol afon digwydd hefyd ystum yn bur gyffredin. Golyga dro neu blygiad mewn afon neu graig, neu'r cyfryw. Enghraifft wych yw Afon Ystumiau ger Dolwyddelan. Edrychwch arni ar y map: mae fel mor-neidr droellog mewn hunllef morwr, neu fel teclyn tynnu corcyn o botel. .......... Mae Sir Garnarfon yn llawn ystumiau, megis Ystumllech, ger Clynnog, Ystumllyn, ger Cricieth a Llanysyumdwy. Saif y Llan i'r gogledd ddwyrain o gymer ceinciau'r Afon Ddwy (ar ei henw, gw. td. 36), sef Dwyfor a Dwyfach. Wedi uno'r ddwy gainc rhed yr afon i'r de i gyferiad y mor am ysbaid, ond yn lle torri trwwodd yn syth, llifa yn gyfochrog a'r mor am oddeutu milltir dda cyn cael bwlch i ymgolli ynddo. Dyna'r ystum amlwg ar y map ni wn ai hwn a roes enw i'r llan, ond tybiaf hynny."
T. 36 " Dwyfawr (Dwyfor) a Dwyfach yn Eifionydd, gw. uchod ar Dyfrdwy, ac ar Ystumdwy (td 30). Duwies ddiamheuol eto. Cedwir hen ffurf yr ail gainc fel Dwyfech yn enw'r bardd Morys Dwyfech, ac mewn breilen a roes Llywelyn Fawr (bu farw yn 1240) i Faenan."
The name of the village itself is interesting - Llan is often referred to as a Church, but it's proper meaning is an enclosure. We certainly have a very beautiful Church, but it is recent - about 1740, the same age as our bridge - if you look carefully about halfway across the bridge on the side facing the sea you can see 1745 engraved, especially clearly with a bit of rain on it.
The Yew trees planted in the grave yard are about 500 years old, the walls around the present Church probably older - notice there are never any sharp corners - the foundations of the Church being probably the same age as the boundary wall. Records from 1324 give no mention of the name Llanystumdwy, Aberkin is there - so the name of our village is certainly more recent.
More recently you can also see chiseled into the stone work D. Ll. G. David Lloyd George, Llanystumdwy's claim to fame! - Wales' only British prime minister - he was borne in Liverpool (capital of Wales!?) but brought up in this village. There is a recently restored film in black and white which portrays his life (made in 1918) - in this he is shown engraving his name onto this stone - are these his initials?
Llanystumdwy
Hen Bentref Llanystumdwy
Bod clod i'w enw glan
Tra treigla'r Ddwyfor ddyfal
Dros wely o raean man.
Fe gofiaf byth am dani
A'i hoyw loyw li
Hen lwybrau fy machgendod
Gynt fuai ei glannau hi
Hen ddyddiau'r cyngor bore
Fe dreuliais lawer awr
I wylio'r dwr grisialog
Yn araf lifo'i lawr;
Ond er y dyddiau hynny
Aeth llawer tro ai fyd
Ond aros mae atgofion
I mi yn fyw o hyd.
Yn fynych hen atgofion
Ymrithiant o fy mlaen,
Rwy'n cofio'r tair lythyren
A dorrwyd ar y maen
Heb feddwl y pryd hwnw
Wrth chwarae'n blant ynghyd
Y buasaui'r tair llythyren
Rhyw ddydd yn synnu'r byd
Cydredeg tua'r ysgol
Y byddem pan yn blant
Telynnau ein calonnau,
Dedwyddwch ar bob tant
A gwyridog flodau iechyd
Mor deg ardduno'r foch
Hen dyddiau di ofidiau
Oedd dyddiau tinc y gloch
Dwyfor
Ystumdwy - Ystum refers to something being stretched or a bend, dwy again not dwy - two but Duw, God.