Santes Dwynwen (St. Dwynwen)
Santes Dwynwen. She is a welsh saint that is celebrated on the 25th of January. In a way it is the welsh equivalent to Valentine’s Day. Cards are exchanged between lovers and it’s a day that people get to celebrate their love towards each other. I wanted to write a blog about this day because most people don’t know about welsh saints like St David’s day that is celebrated on the 1st of March, and I think this saint is a pretty awesome one.
There are two stories that have been told. There’s the one that is told to children and the one I know off by heart.
Dwynwen was a gorgeous young lady who was a daughter to Brychan Brecheiniog. (Apparently he had over 50 children, but people say he had 11 sons and 24 daughters.) Dwynwen fell madly in love with a handsome young prince called Maelon. The two desperately wanted to marry, but even though they begged and pleaded Dwynwen’s father for his permission to let them marry, he declined. Brychan did not like Maelon. Dwynwen then ran into the forest in tears and heartbroken. There in the forest she met an angel. This angel granted her to be the saint of love because of her strong feelings towards Maelon.
This is the nice version that is said to young children. Even though this version is told to children, it is apparently untrue. The second version holds more truth.
Even though it’s not as happy and full of love.
Dwynwen did fall madly in love with a prince called Maelon, but the reason these two did not marry was because Dwynwen didn’t like Maelon’s attitude towards sex. She wanted to wait until after they were married to have sex. Maelon did not like this idea. Maelon became violent towards Dwynwen and then raped her. Dwynwen fled to the woods completely beside her self and feeling used and dirty. As she sat crying she met an angel (though some say a ghost) came and gave her a potion to soothe her feelings towards Maelon. The love and the hate. In the end Maelon was frozen in a block of ice for almost destroying Dwynwen.
The angel also gave her three wishes.
Dwynwen wished she would never marry. She would live her life alone.
Her second wish was to become the saint of love and to help the people with love and to advise the people with sadness.
Her third wish (some say that this was her first) was to unfreeze Maelon.
When Dwynwen became a saint, she left the island she lived on went to another island (Anglesey) to build a church. She became a church and the church was named Llandwynwen that means “Church of Dwynwen”.
So that is the story of Santes Dwynwen, one of the saints of Wales that is celebrated on the 25th of January.
Love to you all.
Siani .x
P.S. I would like to send all my love to my boyfriend Gerard. Tomorrow we celebrate being together for 8 months.
And to Kate. I am sorry for your loss and a letter will be sent this weekend.
There are two stories that have been told. There’s the one that is told to children and the one I know off by heart.
Dwynwen was a gorgeous young lady who was a daughter to Brychan Brecheiniog. (Apparently he had over 50 children, but people say he had 11 sons and 24 daughters.) Dwynwen fell madly in love with a handsome young prince called Maelon. The two desperately wanted to marry, but even though they begged and pleaded Dwynwen’s father for his permission to let them marry, he declined. Brychan did not like Maelon. Dwynwen then ran into the forest in tears and heartbroken. There in the forest she met an angel. This angel granted her to be the saint of love because of her strong feelings towards Maelon.
This is the nice version that is said to young children. Even though this version is told to children, it is apparently untrue. The second version holds more truth.
Even though it’s not as happy and full of love.
Dwynwen did fall madly in love with a prince called Maelon, but the reason these two did not marry was because Dwynwen didn’t like Maelon’s attitude towards sex. She wanted to wait until after they were married to have sex. Maelon did not like this idea. Maelon became violent towards Dwynwen and then raped her. Dwynwen fled to the woods completely beside her self and feeling used and dirty. As she sat crying she met an angel (though some say a ghost) came and gave her a potion to soothe her feelings towards Maelon. The love and the hate. In the end Maelon was frozen in a block of ice for almost destroying Dwynwen.
The angel also gave her three wishes.
Dwynwen wished she would never marry. She would live her life alone.
Her second wish was to become the saint of love and to help the people with love and to advise the people with sadness.
Her third wish (some say that this was her first) was to unfreeze Maelon.
When Dwynwen became a saint, she left the island she lived on went to another island (Anglesey) to build a church. She became a church and the church was named Llandwynwen that means “Church of Dwynwen”.
So that is the story of Santes Dwynwen, one of the saints of Wales that is celebrated on the 25th of January.
Love to you all.
Siani .x
P.S. I would like to send all my love to my boyfriend Gerard. Tomorrow we celebrate being together for 8 months.
And to Kate. I am sorry for your loss and a letter will be sent this weekend.
Cool, you posted it!
It's an interesting story, I have to say I do like these stories so much more than the Greeks and Romans :bleh: (no offence to Greeks or Italians!)
But I can see why little kids are told a sanatised version.
Grandma, January 26th, 2008 at 05:31:37am
*applauds*
Very nice blog. Dwynwen is so understanding, I can't believe it. You'd have to be a saint to forgive that bastard. But way to go. You've just educated the idiots of GSB (including myself).
MikeIsMine!!!, January 25th, 2008 at 03:56:18pm
I love this story so much :D
But I do not like Maelon at all tbh.He was evil yet Dwynwen still forgave him :D
dr cunningham, January 25th, 2008 at 12:57:10pm