THE WIZARD OF CENNIN.

Description

THE WIZARD OF CENNIN.
In 1908 Myrddin Fardd (John Jones 1836 -1921), the antiquarian scholar from Chwilog wrote : (translated from Welsh).
“The other class of soothsayers are wizards who take it upon themselves to explain dark, mysterious things and predict future events, by carrying out various tricks to achieve their pretensions. If a man possessed a little knowledge above reading and writing, or that he possessed more talent and learning than his peers, and through his learning and knowledge had obtained a new invention, which they could not comprehend, it would be attributed to friendship with Satan, and they believe that they are in league with the demons.
There was in Cennin a native of the place called William Robert Huws, a remarkable man in many ways. He had a strong and grasping mind, and a good measure of genius; but his greatest tendency was to sorcery in its various branches, and he could explain things so readily that the word went out among the folk that he had got hold of the books of the old "Wizard of Cennin” who, according to popular belief, lived in a house called "Tŷ'r Derwin” (Wizard’s House) in the parish of Llanfihangel y Pennant”.

Fifty years earlier, Eban Fardd (Ebenezer Thomas 1802-1863) the schoolmaster and poet from Llanarmon, who was a friend of William Robert Hughes, wrote “When mentioning the old Wizard of the Cennin note that the "Cennin" is an area in Eifionydd containing a large hill called "Mynydd y Cennin" on the slope of which there is a dwelling called Tŷ'r Derwin (Wizard’s House) where tradition says that a man lived at one time, who earned for himself the respected name of "Dewin y Cennin" (the Wizard of Cennin). Down at the foot of the hill there is an area called Derwin, and some of our most astute and learned antiquarians think, from these names, and the traditions associated with them together with the probable situation and quality of the area in times long ago, that Derwin was the home of some old, renowned person”.

In the 20th century, Bob Owen (1885-1962), Croesor, wrote that William R. Hughes was reputed to have an exceptional ability to cure cancerous warts, etc. So great was his power that he became known as ' Dewin y Cennin ‘. He emigrated to U.S.A. in 1845, settling in Columbus, Wisconsin. From these stories we can see how he was identified with the wizard of ancient times.

These legends and stories seemed to be confirmed when, in 1881, David Rowland, the farmer at Tŷ’r Dewin, while digging peat, found an ancient wooden bucket. In 1900 it was examined by the Cambrian Archaeological Association. It was described thus : .. “The bucket is 7 inches high and 7 ¼ inches in diameter. It is constructed of staves of yew, held together by three bronze hoops. The rim is mounted with bronze and a semi-circular handle is attached to rivets passing through the topmost hoop. Three of the staves are longer than the rest, so as to form legs to support the bucket. The bottom is made of a circular piece of yew. On the exterior of the bucket are engraved pagan symbols. A five-pointed star, or pentacle, is repeated three times”.

SOURCES:
Myrddin Fardd - Llên Gwerin Sir Gaernarfon 1908
Eban Fardd - Y Brython Rhagfyr 1859
Bob Owen - Welsh Dictionary of Biography
Journal of the Cambrian Archaeological Association 1900
The bucket is now at STORIEL in Bangor (formerly Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery). It has been dated to the 5th-6th century https://www.casgliadywerin.cymru/items/7695