The ugly son of the Welsh goddess Ceridwen and Tegid Voel (Foel) is nicknamed Avagdu (Y fagddu meaning ‘utter darkness’), but his true name is thought to be Morfran (Morfan meaning ‘great crow’). He is the brother of Creirwy (Crearwy) and a fearsome warrior, and he is said to have fought with King Arthur at the battle of Camlan. At first none of Mordred’s warriors would fight him for they thought him ugly enough to be the devil.
To compensate her son for his dark, ugly looks, Ceridwen prepared a magical draught of inspiration and science in her cauldron Amen. This potion was made from six plants and called a greal. The word has some connection to the “Grail,” and the potion resembles the Nordic Kvasir. The process took a year and a day, and the servant Gwion Bach (later reborn as Taliesin) was ordered to stir it. Unfortunately at a crucial point, three drops splashed from the cauldron onto his hand, and Gwion sucked at the scalded wounds, thus inadvertently stealing the endowment intended for Avagdu. Nothing was left in the cauldron but poison after that.