Ynysforgan

Ynysforgan is a village in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales. It lies just off Junction 45 of the M4 motorway, geographically between Morriston and Ynystawe. The origins of its name are not known for certain but ynys is Welsh for a river-meadow (i.e., an "island" – the main meaning of ynys – in otherwise marshier ground beside a river) and Forgan is a mutation of the name Morgan; a reasonable translation of the name would therefore be Morgan's Meadow. The River Tawe flows past Ynysforgan so it is not unreasonable to speculate that it is the river in question. Several other nearby locations also use the term Ynys in their names including Ynystawe (the neighbouring village to Ynysforgan), Ynystanglws Farm (near Ynystawe), and Ynysmeudwy (near Pontardawe).

However, as historically insignificant as Ynysforgan may seem it holds a hidden gem unknown to most locals and has its name embedded in the annals of Welsh time. In the latter part of the Middle Ages (circa 1330 - 1403) Ynysforgan was the home of Hopcyn ap Tomas ab Einion. This clearly indicates the name Ynysforgan extends back further than the 15th century and given the 'modernisation' of language it's conceivable its name is derived from old Welsh. Historians have speculated that ab Einion was responsible for a manuscript titled the Red Book of Hergest which is one of the most important medieval Welsh language manuscripts. Furthermore, in 1403 ab Einion was summoned to Carmarthen by none other than Owain Glyndŵr, the last true Prince of Wales to shed light on his fate by bringing his knowledge and expertise to bare by interpreting old bardic prophecies. Click this link to view a commemorative stone dedicated to ab Einion located in Ynystawe Park.