Afrella or Arilda was an early 6th century Welsh

saint In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...

. Afrelia was the daughter of "a high-ranking official at the royal court of Gwent" whom it has been suggested was

Vortimer Vortimer (Old Welsh Guorthemir, ), also known as Saint Vortimer (, "Vortimer the Blessed"), is a figure in Matter of Britain, British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britons (historical), Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for ...

, a son of

Vortigen Vortigern (; , ; ; ; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; ; , , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, known perhaps as a king of the Britons or at least connoted as such i ...

and his queen Severa Verch Macsen (daughter of Roman Emperor

Maximus Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to: * Circus Maximus (disambiguation) * Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome People Roman hi ...

). She was the wife of

Umbrafel Umbrafel (born in 466 AD) was a 6th-century saint of Wales and nobleman of Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica ...

. Umbrafel had a nephew

Samson of Dol Samson of Dol (also Samsun; born late 5th century) was a Welsh saint, who is also counted among the Brittany#Religion, seven founder saints of Brittany with Paul Aurelian, Pol Aurelian, Saint Tudwal, Tugdual or Tudwal, Brieuc, Saint Malo (saint ...

. When Samson persuaded his parents to join a monastery, Umbrafel and his wife Afrelia, decided to do likewise. Afrelia was also mother of Saint Maglorius, Henwg and another unknown child. She is said to have founded a monastery. Peter C. Bartrum suggests that she may be identical to the little-known Saint Arilda of

Oldbury-on-Severn Oldbury-on-Severn is a small village near the mouth of the River Severn in the South Gloucestershire district of the county of Gloucestershire in the west of England. The parish, which includes the village of Cowhill had a population at the 2011 ...

and

Oldbury-on-the-Hill Oldbury-on-the-Hill is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Didmarton, in the Cotswold District, Cotswold district, in Gloucestershire, England, ninety-three miles west of London and less than north of the village of D ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

.Den hellige Anna av Oxenhall

References

Year of birth unknown 6th-century Welsh women 6th-century Welsh people 6th-century Christian saints Female saints of medieval Wales People from Gloucestershire People from Monmouthshire Year of death unknown {{Saint-stub