Note: 70% of this has been copied and stuck together by me, not originally written by me.
Twm Sion Catti
The Legend
There are many different tales of this, and because of the sheer amount of them, it is generally agreed they come from a variety of different people over different times, but get attributed to one man. Known affectionately as “the Welsh Robin Hood”, Twm Siôn Catti was reportedly born in around 1530 in Tregaron in Cardiganshire, Wales and lived until around 1620. Whilst the story goes that Twm was was the illegitimate son of a local squire- Sir John Wynn of Gwydir, his father was actually John, son of David ap Madog ap Howel Motheu. His mother was Catherine, daughter of Meredydd ap Ieuen, which is where the ‘Catti’ part of his name came from, being added to distinguish him from others due to Tom Jones being a rather popular name in Wales, as you may have guessed. It is known that Jones received some formal education, and was reputed as being clever and crafty; a trickster who was capable of deceiving farmers and lords alike.






Twn supposedly turned to being a highwayman after Mary I came to power and as he was protestant, he was unable to get any sort of a real job because of the religious persecution he came across, at one point getting so bad that in 1557 he was forced to flee to Geneva, only returning when Elizabeth I came to power, gaining a royal pardon in 1559.


A wooden statue of Twm in Tregaron.


He earned his nickname due to how he used to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Much like Robin Hood was always hunted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, Twm Siôn Catti was on the run from the Sheriff of Carmarthen. Twm used to hide in a cave on Dinas Hill (seen here) It is close to the village of Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire. The village is located in the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains, whose rough and rocky terrain made ideal bandit country. Twm's hideout is widely known as a cave that resides in the slopes directly above a rocky gorge through which the Twyi flows at an extremely dangerous pace. To this day the cave is still quite difficult to locate, and bears the name, ‘Twm Siôn Catti’s Cave’.



Popular myth would have it that Twm married, by clever design, Joan, daughter of Sir John Price of the Priory, Brecon, known as the heiress of Ystradffin. Apparently, Twm was in his seventies when he married, and that Joan was the wealthy widow of the previous Sheriff of Carmarthenshire, a post that Twm took up after his marriage, also becoming the local magistrate. The later years of Jones’s life were devoted to the study of Welsh history and literature. He appears to have been employed by the chief Welsh Gentry in Cardiganshire to draw up their pedigrees or family trees. Heraldry, was a little known science and seen as somewhat occult, often resulting in Jones being described as a powerful magician. The ability to research and produce pedigrees would have put him in an influential position, as a pedigree was a document of great importance for those families who wanted to prove their heritage and status. A number of his works on heraldry and family pedigrees have survived, preserving a detailed history of the families of Cardiganshire and forming a notable contribution to Welsh Tudor history in general. Many of his poetic works were published, copies of which are held at the British Library, and he is said to have been present as an ordained bard at an Eisteddfod held at Llandaff in 1564.



Despite the many poems, stories and plays written about Twm’s exploits, he has never maintained the same degree of fame as his English counterpart, Robin Hood. No Hollywood films depict Twm’s activities, and no tourist industry surrounds his birthplace. This may be because he didn’t have any adventures involving Royal figures, or a supposed gentry background, as did Robin Hood. It is possible, that because he was a real person with a documented history, the myths surrounding him could not produce a composite legend of the ultimate outlaw-with-a-heart, but could embody the multi-faceted man that he was.

The Tales
A farmer is hunting Twm over the theft of a bullock. The farmer reaches Twm's mother's house and asks whether Twm Siôn Catti lives there. A beggar answers that he does, and agrees to hold the farmer's horse and whip for him. As the farmer goes into the house, the beggar jumps onto the horse: it is Twm. He gallops to the house of the farmer and tells the farmer's wife that the farmer is in trouble, needs money urgently, and has sent Twm to fetch it, with the horse and whip to prove that the message really came from the farmer. The farmer's wife pays up. Twm, now in possession of the farmer's money and horse, hastily departs for London, later selling the horse.



Twm is staying in an inn overnight and realises other people are planning to rob him the following day after he sets off. He has a large sum of money with him. The following morning he behaves as though his money is in the pack-saddle of his horse. When the highwayman catches up, Twm drops the saddle in the middle of a pool. The highwayman wades into the pool to fetch it. Twm takes the opportunity to make off with the highwayman's horse. A complication arises because the horse responds to the voice of the highwayman crying "Stop!" Luckily Twm, in terror, happens to shout a word which makes the horse gallop again, and he is conveyed to safety.


Another tale demonstrates his desire to avoid hurting people, and perhaps is an echo of the Robin Hood legends, it has Twm the Highwayman robbing a man who puts up some resistance, but the skilful robber fires an arrow at his victim so well aimed that it pins him almost harmlessly to his saddle.


One famous story tells of Twm's visit to an ironmonger's in Llandovery to buy a porridge pot. The ironmonger brought out several pans and Twm on questioning the quality and costs of the pans was told that no better would be found in the kitchen of a king. Twm then held one of the pots up to the light and declared that he could see a hole in it. The ironmonger then held up the pot to examine it and Twm forced over his head and quipped that if there was not a hole in it how could such a large and stupid head have been caught inside!



Sources and Further Reading http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/wales/w_sw/article_1.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twm_Si%C3%B4n_Cati