Saif Castell Harlech ar ben craig uchel, gan roi un o'r golygfeydd gorau ar draws rhan ogleddol Bae Aberteifi a rhannau helaeth o Eryri i'r dwyrain tu ol iddo. Yn ol mytholeg Gymreig, adeiladwyd y castell presennol ar ben hen gaer a oedd unwaith yn eiddo i'r cawr Bendigeidfran, a drigai yno gyda'i chwaer Branwen, yr enwyd un o'r tyrau ar ei hol. Fodd bynnag, nid yw archeolegwyr wedi canfod unrhyw dystiolaeth o gaer Gymreig ar y safle cyn castell Edward I.
Comisiynodd Edward I adeiladu'r castell yn 1283 fel rhan o'i 'Gylch Haearn' enfawr o gestyll ar hyd arfordir Cymru i orfodi'r boblogaeth gynhenid i dderbyn ei awdurdod. Bryd hynny, roedd yn dal yn bosibl cyflenwi Harlech gyda llongau gan fod y mor yn dod i mewn yr holl ffordd at waelod y clogwyni. Pan wnaeth Owain Glynd'r warchae'r castell yn 1404 roedd y garsiwn yno yn hynod wan ac fe wnaethant ildio'n fuan. O ganlyniad, sefydlodd Glynd'r ei gartref teuluol a'i bencadlys milwrol yno am y pedair blynedd nesaf. Digwyddodd y gwarchae enwocaf, fodd bynnag, yn ystod Rhyfeloedd y Rhosynnau o 1461 tan 1468. Dywedir mai'r gwarchae hwn, yr hiraf yn hanes Prydain, a ysbrydolodd y gan 'G?yr Harlech'.
Ers y cyfnod Rhamantaidd, mae llawer o dwristiaid wedi cael eu tynnu i'r rhan ddiarffordd hon o Gymru, diolch i gyfuniad o safle trawiadol Castell Harlech a'i hanes cyffrous. Cyfareddwyd y newyddiadurwr Almaenig, Francis Bromel, ymhellach gan straeon lleol am ysbrydion a chanhwyllau cyrff yn hofran dros y corsydd cyfagos, a oedd wedi datblygu dros y canrifoedd wrth i'r mor gilio'n raddol.
Cofnod wedi ei ddiweddaru fel rhan o'r prosiect 'Taith i'r Gorffennol: Cymru mewn teithlyfrau o Ffrainc a'r Almaen' a gyllidir gan yr AHRC.
R. Singer (Prifysgol Bangor) a S. Fielding (CBHC), 2017.
Adnoddau
LawrlwythoMathFfynhonnellDisgrifiadapplication/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 47-62" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 31-46" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 127-140" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 94-110" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 14-30" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 141-142 and Top of Tower" dated October 2005.application/pdfETW - European Travellers to Wales ProjectDescription of a visit to Harlech Castle by Friedrich Althaus from 'Sommerbilder aus England und Wales' (1874). Text available in Welsh, English, French and German. Produced through the European Travellers to Wales project.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 1-13" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 78-93" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 111-126" dated October 2005.application/pdfCDSD - Cadw Digital Survey DataMeasured drawings produced by Co-Ordinated Surveys entitled "Top of Steps View and Underside of Steps View. Harlech Castle Gatehouse South-West Tower Steps 63-77" dated October 2005.
