Wenna () was a medieval princess and Christian martyr who flourished in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
. Later venerated as a saint, she is honoured at multiple churches in Cornwall and
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
.
Life
According to the 12th-century ''Life of Nectan'', Wenna was one of the twelve daughters of
Brychan
Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales.
Name variations
Brychan had Irish ancestry and came from Ireland to Wales, therefore his original name ...
, a legendary king of
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans ...
(modern-day Wales).
Her siblings included
Nectan,
Mabyn
Mabyn, also known as Mabena, Mabon, etc., was a medieval Cornish saint. According to local Cornish tradition she was one of the many children of Brychan, king of Brycheiniog in Wales in the 5th century. The village and civil parish of St Mabyn ...
,
Ninnoc, and numerous other Brythonic saints. According to tradition, she was martyred by Saxons at
Talgarth
Talgarth is a market town, community (Wales), community and electoral ward in southern Powys, Mid Wales, about north of Crickhowell, north-east of Brecon and south-east of Builth Wells. Notable buildings in the town include the 14th-century ...
in 492.
Veneration
Two churches and two chapels have been dedicated to a saint by the name of Wenna: a 12th-century chapel at Cheristow in
Hartland parish in Devon, the 13th-century parish church of
St Wenn
St Wenn () is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated west of Bodmin and east of Newquay. The parish population at the 2011 census was 369.
Other settlements in the parish include Rosenannon, ...
, a 14th-century chapel at
, and the 15th-century parish church of
Morval, Cornwall.
The dedication of the parish church of Morval, however, is sometimes attributed to another
Saint Wenna, a 5th-century queen of Cornwall and sister of
Saint Non
Non (also Nonna or Nonnita) was, according to Christian tradition, the mother of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales.
Legend
The ''Life of St David'' was written around 1095 by Rhigyfarch, and is our main source of knowledge for the lives ...
.
Wenna may have also had a holy well dedicated to her at St Wenn, but no specific records corroborate this.
Her feast day is 18 October, which is shared with the other Saint Wenna.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wenna
6th-century Christian saints
Children of Brychan
Female saints of medieval Cornwall
Medieval Cornish saints
Female saints of medieval Wales
6th-century Welsh women
6th-century nobility