Evan Rees known by the bardic name Dyfed, was a Calvinistic Methodist minister, poet, and Archdruid

Archdruid

The Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...

 of the National Eisteddfod of Wales

National Eisteddfod of Wales

The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...

.

Early life

He was born at Puncheston

Puncheston

Puncheston is a village in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales.Puncheston has a pub called the Drovers Arms serving locally sourced fresh produce from the area in their cosy restaurant. They also sell bread and cakes as there is no longer a shop or post office in the village itself.There is a nearby...

, Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....

, the son of James and Eunice Rees; they moved to Aberdare

Aberdare

Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...

when he was a child and he became a colliery worker at the age of only eight. Having moved to Cardiff, he became a minister at the age of 23 and gained his first National Eisteddfod prize in 1881.

Works

• Caniadau Dyfedfab (1875)
• Gwaith Barddonol Dyfed (n.d.)
• Gwlad yr Addewid a Iesu o Nazareth (1894)
• Oriau gydag Islwyn (n.d.)