Saint Gwenfyl was an early
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
Christian saint from the
Brychan
Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales.
Life
According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and ...
family. Little is known of her life.
Life
Saint Gwenfyl was one of the children or descendants of Brychan.
She founded a chapel named Capel Gwenvyl, which no longer exists, subordinate to
Llanddewi Brefi in
Ceredigion
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. C ...
.
Other chapels at Llanddewi Brefi were Blaenpennal chapel (
Saint David
Saint David ( cy, Dewi Sant; la, Davidus; ) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail a ...
), Capel Bettws Lleicu (
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindi ...
) and Capel Gartheli (
Saint Gartheli).
She shares a festival on 1 November with her sister,
Saint Callwen.
As with Callwen, her name is only mentioned briefly in the Welsh calendars or genealogies.
Callwen and Gwenful were added to the number of children of Brychan in a short list of saints published in the Cambrian Register, but it would be wrong to assume they were more than descendants in some degree.
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gwenfyl, Saint
Children of Brychan
6th-century Welsh people
6th-century Christian saints
Female saints of medieval Wales
6th-century Welsh women