Hu Gadarn: a Cymric pseudo-deity (Hu the Mighty)

Synonyms:
Cym: Hu the Mighty

Hu Gadarn is a pseudo-deity, similar to Dwyfan/Dwyfach and, indeed, his mythology is also derived entirely from the version of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain 'improved' by Iolo Morgannwg. Edward Williams [1747-1826], more commonly known by his baridc name of Iolo Morgannwg was a stonemason by trade though he is probably better known as the gratest fantasist in Cymric history. He created the modern institution of the Gorsedd of Bards first held on Primrose Hill in London, 1792. He was an industrious academic and both collected and copied numerous ancient Cymric documents many of which have been verified as authentic. Unfortunatel he could not resist 'improving' other documents. He left a cottage full of documents and the question of their veracity has plagued academics ever since. It is known, however, that a full third of the Trioedd Ynys Prydain (the Triads of Britain) found in Iolo's own hand were of his own invention and the triads and histories relating to Hu Gadarn all fall into this category.

According to the 'Iolo' triads the race of the Cymry came to Britain from the Summer Realm, known as Deffrobani. From amongst these people rose a great leader known as Hu Gadarn (Hu the Mighty) and under this guidance they left the Summer Realm and using coracles they crossed to Britain. They named the country 'Ynys y Mel' (Island of Honey), such a quantity of honey was found therein. Some time after their arrival in this new land he Cymry were troubled by great floods. These were caused by the Afanc which dwelt in Llyn Llion, causing it to break its banks. No wapon could make any mark on this creature's hide. So, Hu Gadarn resolves to drag it from its pool to where it could do no harm. A girl entices the beast from the lake and while the creature sleeps upon her lap Hu bound it with long iron chains. When the Afanc awoke it perceived what had been done and tearing off the woman's breast it heads for its former home. However, the chains were fastened to Hu Gadarn's team of bannog oxen which were strong enough to pull the beast from its lake and drag it over the mountains to Llyn y Ffynnon Las (Lake of the Green Source) in Cwm Dyli, Eryri. By dragging the Afanc they created a created a passs known ever since as Bwlch Rhiw'r Ychen. So great was the effort involved in dragging the Afanc that one of the oxen dropped an eye and that place henceforward was known as Gwaun Llygad Ych (the moor of the oxen's eye) and the pool formed by the eye is known as Pwwll Llygad Ych (Ox-eye Pool). Though the afanc cannot excape from Llyn Ffynnon Las it is still dangerous to go near it.

There is no evidence supporting this as a geniuine tradition. Indeed, the only mention to Hu Gadarn comes in the Llyfr Coch Rhydderch romance known as 'The Expedition of Charlemagne to Jerusalem and Constantinople, and his adventures with Hu Gadarn'. Here Hu Gadarn is styled as the 'Emperor of Constantinople' which was a common enough allusion in Arthurian legend and may have to do with the splitting of the late Roman empire into the Eastern (Byzantine) and Western empires. The main parallel to the tale above seems to be in the romance of Peredur fab Efrawg where there is another pool monster, the Addanc. Peredur slays this beast with a lancde. But to get close to the beast he employs a stone that renders him invisible. In the tale of Peredur also, he was said to have been the lover of the 'Empress of Constantinople' and it may well be that Iolo Morgannwg drew on these elements when fleshing-out the character of Hu Gadarn.

The 'cult of Hu' has gained some popularity in neopagan circles of late, mostly due to Robert Graves' The White Goddess unfortunately he based much of his 'information' about Celtic deities on Iolo Morgannwg's triads. This and his own imagination may have created an entertaining admixture of myth and fantasy but it has nothing to do with native medieval and earlier Cymric tradition.

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