Cwyllog
Encyclopedia
Saint Cwyllog was a Christian holy woman who was active in Anglesey
, Wales, in the early 6th century. The daughter, sister and niece of saints, she is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
, in the middle of Anglesey, where a church is still dedicated to her.
, where the ruler Maelgwn Gwynedd gave him land in the north-east of the island, the district known as Twrcelyn. Other saintly relatives of Cwyllog included St Iestyn
and St Cyngar (brothers of Caw) and her sisters Cain, Peithian and Gwenafwy as well as various brothers including St Gildas
(although the number of Caw's children varies from 10 to 21 between different manuscripts). Cwyllog is said to have been the wife of Mordred
(or Medrod), the treacherous son and nephew of King Arthur
and mother of his sons. According to the 19th-century Welsh antiquarian Angharad Llwyd
, in her History of Anglesey, Cwyllog decided to follow a religious life after her husband's death in battle against Arthur at the Battle of Camlann
in 537.
She is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
, towards the middle of Anglesey but within the area granted to her father, in the 6th century. The current church there (which is still dedicated to her) is of a later date, with the walls possibly dating from about 1200. Her feast day there has been recorded as being 7 January, although this date does not appear in the Welsh calendars of saints.
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Wales, in the early 6th century. The daughter, sister and niece of saints, she is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog is a medieval church near Llangwyllog, in Anglesey, north Wales. St Cwyllog founded a church here in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. The existence of a church here was recorded in 1254 and parts of the present building may date from around 1200...
, in the middle of Anglesey, where a church is still dedicated to her.
Life and commemoration
Little is known for certain about Cwyllog (sometimes written as Cywyllog); her dates of birth and death are not given in the sources. She is said to have been one of the daughters of St Caw. He was a king in northern Britain who lost his lands and sought safety with his family in AngleseyAnglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, where the ruler Maelgwn Gwynedd gave him land in the north-east of the island, the district known as Twrcelyn. Other saintly relatives of Cwyllog included St Iestyn
Iestyn (saint)
Iestyn was a Welsh hermit and confessor in the 6th or 7th century who is venerated as a saint. He was the founder of two churches, one in Gwynedd and another in Anglesey, both in north Wales.-Life and commemoration:Iestyn's dates of birth and death are not recorded...
and St Cyngar (brothers of Caw) and her sisters Cain, Peithian and Gwenafwy as well as various brothers including St Gildas
Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
(although the number of Caw's children varies from 10 to 21 between different manuscripts). Cwyllog is said to have been the wife of Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
(or Medrod), the treacherous son and nephew of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and mother of his sons. According to the 19th-century Welsh antiquarian Angharad Llwyd
Angharad Llwyd
Angharad Llwyd was a Welsh antiquary and a prizewinner at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.She was born at Caerwys in Flintshire, the daughter of Rev. John Lloyd, himself a noted antiquary. Her essay entitled Catalogue of Welsh Manuscripts, etc. in North Wales won a prize at the Welshpool...
, in her History of Anglesey, Cwyllog decided to follow a religious life after her husband's death in battle against Arthur at the Battle of Camlann
Battle of Camlann
The Battle of Camlann is best known as the final battle of King Arthur, where he either died in battle, or was fatally wounded fighting his enemy Mordred.-Historicity:...
in 537.
She is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog is a medieval church near Llangwyllog, in Anglesey, north Wales. St Cwyllog founded a church here in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. The existence of a church here was recorded in 1254 and parts of the present building may date from around 1200...
, towards the middle of Anglesey but within the area granted to her father, in the 6th century. The current church there (which is still dedicated to her) is of a later date, with the walls possibly dating from about 1200. Her feast day there has been recorded as being 7 January, although this date does not appear in the Welsh calendars of saints.
See also
Other Anglesey saints commemorated in local churches include:- St ElethElaethElaeth was a Christian king and poet in Britain in the 6th century who is venerated as a saint. After losing his territory in the north of Britain, he retreated to Anglesey, north Wales, where he lived at a monastery run by St Seiriol at Penmon...
at St Eleth's Church, AmlwchSt Eleth's Church, AmlwchSt Eleth's Church, Amlwch is a parish church built in the Neo-classical style in 1800 in Amlwch, a town on the island of Anglesey in north Wales. It stands on the site of earlier buildings, with the first church here said to have been established by St Elaeth in the 6th century... - St IestynIestyn (saint)Iestyn was a Welsh hermit and confessor in the 6th or 7th century who is venerated as a saint. He was the founder of two churches, one in Gwynedd and another in Anglesey, both in north Wales.-Life and commemoration:Iestyn's dates of birth and death are not recorded...
at St Iestyn's Church, LlaniestynSt Iestyn's Church, LlaniestynSt Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn is a medieval church in Llaniestyn, Anglesey, in north Wales. A church is said to have been founded here by St Iestyn in the 7th century, with the earliest parts of the present building dating from the 12th century. The church was extended in the 14th century, with... - St PeulanPeulanSaint Peulan was a Welsh holy man in the early part of the 6th century, the son of Paulinus, a saint from south Wales who taught Saint David. A follower of Cybi, a saint associated with the island of Anglesey in north Wales, Peulan is commemorated in the dedication of the church he reportedly...
at St Peulan's Church, LlanbeulanSt Peulan's Church, LlanbeulanSt Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan is a disused medieval church in Llanbeulan, in Anglesey, north Wales. The nave, which is the oldest part of the building, dates from the 12th century, with a chancel and side chapel added in the 14th century... - St TyfrydogTyfrydogTyfrydog was a Christian from north-west Wales in the fifth or sixth century, who was later venerated as a saint. He is said to have established a church in Anglesey, and although no part of the original structure remains, the current church is still dedicated to him...
at St Tyfrydog's Church, LlandyfrydogSt Tyfrydog's Church, LlandyfrydogSt Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog is a small medieval church, in Llandyfrydog, Anglesey, north Wales. The date of establishment of a church on this site is unknown, but one 19th-century Anglesey historian says that it was about 450...