Dwynwen: The Cymric Patron of Lovers (She who Leads a Blessed Life)

Synonyms: Dwyn, Donwen, Donwenna, Dunwen
Cym: She Who Leads a Blessed Life

Dwynwen is the Cymric patron saint of lovers, whose feast day is the 25th of January. A number of variants of her tale (which originated in the fifth century) have survived in Cymric folklore, the main threads of which are summarized below:

According to traditoin Dwynwen was a princess, one of the twenty-four children fathered by Brychan Brycheiniog. The tales say that she was both very devout and very beautiful and attracted the attention of many lovestruck young men. One evening Brycheiniog arranged a feast where the finest people from the entire kingdom were invited to the night-long revelries. At the feast Dwynwen's beauty captured the heart of a young prince by the name of Maelon Gwynedd (also known as Maelon Dafodrill) who immediately fell head over heels in love with her. As soon as he could get next too the beautiful princess he made clear his intention to marry her. However, accounts of what happened next differ and there are three main threads: either Dwynwen returned his love, but could not marry him as he was already avowed to become a nun; or Brychan refused consent because of his dislike for Maelon; or Brychan refused consent as Dwynwen had already been promised to another suitor. Whatever the reason, the tales all agree that there was some block on the lovers' plans and, again, the tales differ as to what happened next: either, follwoing her father's death Dwynwen is asked by Maelon to run away with him to his court in Gwynedd. Dwynwen rejects this offer and Maelon leaves never to return again; or Maelon was so outraged by Dwynwen's choice to be cum a nun (or of Brychan's refusal of him) that he raped her and left; or Maelon simply 'disappears' when he realizes that there is no hope for their love. The various tales achieve consistency again when they say that Dwynwen disappears into the nearby woods to console herself. Here she beseeches god to rid her of her love for Maelon.

God hears her prayer and sends down an angel to visit Dwynwen. The angel provides her with a potion to help remove her feelings. Unfortunately, Maelon, seeking Dwynwen sees the potion and takes a draught himself. Instantly he is turned to a block of ice. [In the version where Dwynwen is raped, she beseeches god to help her forget Maelon and he is turned to ice as soon as she drinks the potion.] On learning what has befallen Maelon, Dwynwen once again turns to god and implores him to reverse Maelon's misfortune. This time god answers her paryers by granting Dwynwen three requests: The first being to have Maelon thawed and restored to life; The second was that god should look kindly on the hopes and dreams of all true lovers; the third request beng that she was never to marry, nor would never have the desire to do so in order that she would devote the remainder of her life to god.

Dwynwen now fulfils her vow to become a nun and she settles on the Island that now bears her name, Llanddwyn [the enclosure of Dwynwen] (some versions of the tale have both Dwynwen and her sister Cain [fair, beautiful]) off the west coast of Môn (Anglesea). There they founded a church and, according to legend, were joined by many broken-hearted women. Dwynwen herself died c 460 CE. However, the ruins which stand on the island today are the remains of a Tudor (16th Century) church rather than that attributed to Dwynwen herself. A further tale relates that the church's well (known as Ffynon Ddwynwen) was the home of a magical fish (probably an eel) whose movements in the water would predict the future for young lovers. The querents would ask a queston of the fish; the answers being determined by the direction in which it subsequently moved. Women would test the faithfulness of their husbands by sprinkling breadcrumbs on the well's surface and covering these with a handkerchief. If the surface of the water became disturbed the husband was deemed faithful. Dwynwen also became associated with the healing of sick animals and her name was often invoked in an attempt to heal an injured animal or pet. In recent years there has been a resurgence in the celebration of St Dwynwen's Day as a native Cymric tradition by the exchange of greeting cards and lovespoons.

Though many rather fanciful etymologies have been proposed for Dwynwen's name, the most sensible etymology derives from the two Cymric components of her name dwyn which as meaning 'to steal' also means 'to lead [a life]' and gwyn literally meaning 'white' but also meaning 'blessed' thus Dwynwen is 'she who leads a blessed life', an apposite name for a nun.

The canonization of Dwynwen occured pre-congregation and like many local cults she is no longer recognized by the Catholic Church. Dwynwen would also seem to be the source for the psuedo-deity Dwyn beloved of many neo-Pagans. It seems that the masculine contraction of Dwynwen's name (Dwyn) has somehow gained an independent life as a supposed god of love, even though his independent existence is not supported by any of the ancient texts.

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