Gwenfyl

Saint Gwenfyl
Born6th century
ResidenceWales
Died6th century
Feast1 November
Tradition or genre
Christian

Saint Gwenfyl was an early Welsh Christian saint from the Brychan family.[1] 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.[2] Other chapels at Llanddewi Brefi were Blaenpennal chapel (Saint David), Capel Bettws Lleicu (Saint Lucia) and Capel Gartheli (Saint Gartheli).[3] She shares a festival on 1 November with her sister, Saint Callwen.[4] As with Callwen, her name is only mentioned briefly in the Welsh calendars or genealogies.[5] 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.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ "saint-gwenfyl · Via Fidei". etviafidei.com. Retrieved 17 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Smith & Wace 1880, p. 828.
  3. ↑ Rees 1836, p. 52.
  4. 1 2 Rees 1836, p. 153.
  5. ↑ Cartwright 2008, p. 93.

Sources