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Coll mab Collfrewy
A Cymric God or Hero: Hazel son of Mighty-hazel
Coll mab Collfrewy is a Cymric (Welsh) hero and divine being known from the Welsh Triads where he is shown to posess semi-divine attributes and may once have been the Mage-god of the Hazel tree. |
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Cym: Hazel son of Mighty-hazel
Coll mab Collfrewy is known from three triads in the Trioedd Ynys Prydein which allude to the feats and abilities of this hero, possibly one-time deity.
Triad 26 numbers Coll (along with Drystan) as one of the 'three powerful swineherds of the Island of Britain'. Coll is the swineherd of Dallwyr Dallben of Glyn Dallwyr and one of his swine, Henwen was pregnant. She began wandering and at Penrhyn Awstin in Cornwall she entered the sea and at Aber Tarogi in Gwent-is-Coed she made landfall. All the while Coll mab Collfrewy had his hand on her bristles wherever she went; whether by land or by sea.
Triad 27 describes him as one of the 'Three Enchanters of the Island of Britain'. The next triad, triad 28 expands on this which says that Gruddlwn the Dwarf taught Coll the nature of his great enchantment. Indeed, it may well have been Coll himself who used his arts to engender Henwen.
The name Coll literally means 'hazel' and his patronymic Collfrewy originates from coll (hazel) and *brewy 'might, inducement of fear'. As the hazel staff is one of the symbols of a mage Coll's attributes would fit well with his name. Originally Coll might have been the deity of the hazel tree, in the same manner that Buxenus is the god of box trees, Fagus is the god of Beech trees, Robur is the god of oak and Gwern may have been the god of alder trees.
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