Legends About the Rhiwbina Twmpath

Towards the end of the 11th Century, a band of Normans led by Robert fitz Hamo, Earl of Gloucester, were commissioned by William I to suppress the Welsh in the south Wales lowlands. Many legends have arisen over fitz Hamo's campaign, so what happened is far from certain.

According to the legend, fitz Hamo enlisted the help of a Norman knight named Eynion who was to pretend an alliance with Iestyn ap Gwrgant, king of Glamorgan. The supposed aim of the alliance was to drive the Normans from the shores of Wales back to Robert fitz Hamo's base at Keynsham near Bristol.

The Norman army met Iestyn and Eynion's armies at Rhiwbina in a field near to the present location of the Butcher's Arms pub. After they had joined battle, Eynion withdrew his men and marched to the Gower, where he set up a stronghold which bears his name to this day as Port Eynon.

One version of the legend states that the dead Iestyn was placed on his horse and buried upright in the mound. When the mound was finished, a wizard in Iestyn's tribe cast a spell on the mound to prevent the tomb from being desecrated. Anyone breaking into the mound would unleash all Nature's sternest forces.

It was reported that the battle left the streams thick with blood, and one of the streams became known as the Nant y Weadlydd, or Bloody Brook.

The accounts of the battle were not written until many centuries had elapsed and there appears to be considerable doubt as to the site of the battle. The fate of Iestyn is also unclear, for another legend claims that he survived the battle and became a monk at Keynsham Abbey.

Another, more fanciful legend, tells of the Twmpath being created by the Devil.

The Devil, says the legend, had travelled to south Wales from his home in London. He carried a shovelful of earth with which he wanted to dam the Taff Valley at Castell Coch Gorge, north of Cardiff. Thus he hoped to drown the people of South Wales whom he feared were becoming too religious and good.

Unsure of his whereabouts, and tired from carrying the earth, he stopped to rest at a style and asked a passing cobbler the distance to Castell Coch Gorge. The cobbler spotted the Devil's tail through his disguise and realised he and his neighbours would be in danger if he assisted. So the cobbler told the Devil that he was still a long way from Gorge. In fact, explained the cobbler opening his cobbler's bag and showing the Devil the many boots he had collected for repair, these were the boots he had worn-out walking from the Gorge.

The Devil made up his mind to forego his vengeance rather than carry on with such a long journey. In disgust he picked up his shovel and threw the earth into a neighbouring field. And there it remains to this day.