Hu Gadarn - Iolo Morganwg and Later Use

Iolo Morganwg and Later Use

Seven of Iolo Morganwg's "Third Series" of triads mention Hu Gadarn. Here, Hu is presented as a culture hero who leads the ancient Britons to Britain from their previous home in Deffrobani, glossed as "Summerland", and said to be situated "where Constantinople is now" (though the name has also been identified as a Welsh form of Taprobana). He becomes their first king, teaches them to plough, and creates song to strengthen memory and record. He uses a yoke, which he invents, to pull a flood-causing monster named the afanc out of the water.

Iolo's "Third Series" of triads were initially accepted as authentic, and were published in the influential collection known as The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales. However, they are now known to be forgeries created by Iolo himself. Iolo wrote further about Hu in his Barddas, supposedly an ancient collection of bardic lore, where he identifies Hu with the Gaulish god Esus and with Jesus. The 20th-century English author Robert Graves accepted Iolo's version of Hu Gadarn (and much of the rest of his work), and further identified Hu as a Welsh horned god, a variant of Cernunnos. In Graves' wake, Hu Gadarn has become a popular figure among neo-pagans.

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