Saint Gwenhael (french: Guénaël; br, Gwenael; Old Breton: ''Gwenhael'') was a Breton saint of the 6th century, born at Ergué-Gabéric (

Finistère Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.

Landévennec Abbey Landévennec Abbey (french: Abbaye de Landévennec, Abbaye Saint-Guénolé de Landévennec) is a Benedictine monastery at Landévennec in Brittany, in the department of Finistère, France. The present monastery is a modern foundation at the site o ...

, successor in 532 to the founder, Saint Winwaloe (Gwenole). According to tradition, Winwaloe met Gwenaël in a street in

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography T ...

when he was eleven, and was so convinced of his gifts that he at once obtained permission from Gwenaël's parents for him to study under his direction. The feast of Saint Gwenaël is 3 November. His ''Vita'' was written in the 9th century.

Background

Gwenaël is said to have restored several monasteries in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, but his cult is mostly found in the west of

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period o ...

, as can be established after some deciphering of the various forms his name has taken. The church of Ergué-Gabéric (Finistère) is dedicated to him, under the name of "Saint Guinal" (guuin = gwen), and this, together with its proximity to Quimper, has given rise to the suggestion that he may have been born there. He is also said to have founded a monastery at Caudan (on the territory of the present Lanester), where there is a chapel of Saint Guénaël, and to have died there in about 590. His

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

s were translated to Corbeil. The parish churches of

Bolazec Bolazec (; br, Bolazeg) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Bolazec are called in French ''Bolazécois''. See also *Communes of the Finistère department *Parc naturel ré ...

, Lescouët-Gouarec and

Tréguidel Tréguidel (; br, Tregedel) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (admini ...

are also dedicated to him. The saint's name is composed of the Breton elements ''gwenn'' "white, fair; blessed" and ''hael'' "generous". According to

Gwennole Le Menn Gwennole Le Menn (1938–2009) was a Breton writer, editor and lexicographer. He edited various Old and Middle Breton Breton (, ; or in Morbihan) is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family spoken in Brittany, part of mo ...

, the saint's name is to be found in a number of placenames, including ''Locunel'' in Caudan, ''Saint-Guinel'' in

Mauron Mauron (; br, Maoron) is a commune in the Morbihan department and Brittany region of north-western France. It lies close to the borders of both Côtes d'Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine. Mauron's location make it a crossroads on the routes connecti ...

, ''Saint-Guénal'' and ''Saint-Vinnel'' in Poullaouen, ''Lanvenaël'' in

Plomeur Plomeur (; ) is a commune in the Bigouden region of Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Plomeur is situated between the larger communes of Penmarc'h to the South-West, Guilvinec and Treffiagat to the South, as well as ...

, ''Saint-Vénal'' and ''Saint-Guénal'' in

Landivisiau Landivisiau (; br, Landivizio) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The journalist Luc Le Vaillant, winner of the 1998 Albert Londres Prize was born in Landivisiau. Landivisiau is twinned with Bideford i ...

and ''Saint-Vénal'' in

Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon (; br, Kastell-Paol) is a commune in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France, located on the coast. It is noted for its 13th-century cathedral on the site of the original founded by Saint Paul Aurelia ...

. ''Kervénal'' also occurs three times, in

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor (, ; ; br, Aodoù-an-Arvor, ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord ( br, Aodoù-an-Hanternoz, link=no, ), are a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.

, Finistère and

Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coast ...

. The surnames ''Guénal'', ''Guénel'', ''Trévinal'' and ''Kervennal'' doubtless have a connection with this saint's name, either directly or through a place name, such as the examples above.

References

Medieval Breton saints 6th-century Christian saints 6th-century Breton people {{France-saint-stub