Gwladys
Encyclopedia
Saint Gwladys ferch Brychan or St Gladys (Latin
-Claudia
), was the Queen of Saint Gwynllyw
Milwr and daughter of King Brychan
of Brycheiniog
. She was the mother of several saints, including Saint Cadoc
"the Wise".
Half Irish, we have the most details on her of all of Brychan's children. Her beauty won the admiration of King Gwynllyw
of Gwynllwg
in South Wales
. According to The Life of Saint Cadoc (c.1100) when her father refused to allow their marriage Gwynllyw accompanied by 300 men abducted her from Talgarth
. A pitched battle occurred which was only stopped by the intervention of King Arthur
and Cai
and Bedwyr
who supported Gwynllyw and his warband in the battle. This act only occurred after Cai managed to persuade Arthur not to abduct the beautiful Gwladys himself. This tale of abduction seems similar to elements in Culhwch and Olwen
and other Arthurian stories indicating it originated in bardic stories. This is the earliest reference to Arthur in a Saint's life. According to the Life of Saint Gwynllyw this battle never occurred and the marriage was actually accomplished peacefully.
Gwladys's children were saints Cadoc
, Cynidr, Bugi
, Cyfyw, Maches, Glywys II and Egwine. It was the prompting of Cadoc and Gwladys that led Gwynllyw to abandon his life of violence and seek forgiveness for his sins. A vision led him to found a hermitage
on what is now Stow Hill
in Newport
, South Wales
. Gwladys accompanied Gwynllyw into a hermit
s life and for a while they lived together on Stow Hill, fasting, eating a vegetarian diet, and bathing in the cold waters of the Usk
to prove their piety.
Later they moved further apart to prevent carnal sin. Saint Gwladys founding her own hermitage at Pencarn in Bassaleg
, supposedly the site is at Pont Ebbw. While there she bathed in the Ebbw River
and the Lady's Well at Tredegar
may have been dedicated to her. It has been suggested that site of St. Basil church, Bassaleg
was originally dedicated to her.
Later at the urging of Cadoc she moved yet further to Capel Wladus in Gelligaer
. Today her main church is St. Gwladys, Bargoed
. There is a supposed Burial place of St. Gwladys at Pont Ebbw.
She inspired the name of both a church and a school
in Bargoed
.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
-Claudia
Claudia
-Ancient Romans:* Claudia , a legendary Vestal Virgin* Claudia Augusta , infant daughter of Nero by his second wife* Claudia Capitolina, a princess of Commagene originally from Roman Egypt...
), was the Queen of Saint Gwynllyw
Gwynllyw
Saint Gwynllyw Milwr or Gwynllyw Farfog, known in English in a corrupted form as Woolos the Warrior or Woolos the Bearded was a Welsh king and religious figure....
Milwr and daughter of King Brychan
Brychan
Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog in South Wales.-Life:Celtic hagiography tells us that Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and his wife, Marchel, heiress of the Welsh kingdom of Garthmadrun , which the couple later inherited...
of Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
. She was the mother of several saints, including Saint Cadoc
Cadoc
Saint Cadoc , Abbot of Llancarfan, was one of the 6th century British Christian saints. His vita twice mentions King Arthur. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning...
"the Wise".
Traditional history
The mediæval lives of Saint Cadoc (c. 1100) by Lifris and of Saint Gwynllyw (c. 1120) preserve legendary details of this saint though details frequently differ. She is also noted in Welsh king lists.Half Irish, we have the most details on her of all of Brychan's children. Her beauty won the admiration of King Gwynllyw
Gwynllyw
Saint Gwynllyw Milwr or Gwynllyw Farfog, known in English in a corrupted form as Woolos the Warrior or Woolos the Bearded was a Welsh king and religious figure....
of Gwynllwg
Gwynllwg
Gwynllŵg was a kingdom of mediæval Wales and later a Norman lordship and then a cantref.-Location:It was named after Gwynllyw, its 5th century or 6th century ruler and consisted of the coastal plain stretching between the Rhymney and Usk rivers, together with the hills to the north...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. According to The Life of Saint Cadoc (c.1100) when her father refused to allow their marriage Gwynllyw accompanied by 300 men abducted her from Talgarth
Talgarth
Talgarth is a small market town and community in southern Powys , Mid Wales, with a population of 1,645. Notable buildings in the town include its 14th-century parish church and 13th century Pele Tower, located in the town centre, now home to the Tourist Information and Resource Centre...
. A pitched battle occurred which was only stopped by the intervention 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 Cai
Sir Kay
In Arthurian legend, Sir Kay is Sir Ector's son and King Arthur's foster brother and later seneschal, as well as one of the first Knights of the Round Table. In later literature he is known for his acid tongue and bullying, boorish behavior, but in earlier accounts he was one of Arthur's premier...
and Bedwyr
Bedivere
In Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He serves as King Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with Sir Kay...
who supported Gwynllyw and his warband in the battle. This act only occurred after Cai managed to persuade Arthur not to abduct the beautiful Gwladys himself. This tale of abduction seems similar to elements in Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
and other Arthurian stories indicating it originated in bardic stories. This is the earliest reference to Arthur in a Saint's life. According to the Life of Saint Gwynllyw this battle never occurred and the marriage was actually accomplished peacefully.
Gwladys's children were saints Cadoc
Cadoc
Saint Cadoc , Abbot of Llancarfan, was one of the 6th century British Christian saints. His vita twice mentions King Arthur. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning...
, Cynidr, Bugi
Bugi
Bugi is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lidzbark Warmiński, within Lidzbark County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Lidzbark Warmiński and north of the regional capital Olsztyn....
, Cyfyw, Maches, Glywys II and Egwine. It was the prompting of Cadoc and Gwladys that led Gwynllyw to abandon his life of violence and seek forgiveness for his sins. A vision led him to found a hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
on what is now Stow Hill
Stow Hill, Newport
Stow Hill is both an electoral district and coterminous community parish of the City of Newport, South Wales.It is bounded by the River Usk to the east, George Street and Cardiff Road to the south, the Great Western Main Line to the southwest, Caerau Crescent, Caerau Road, Godfrey Road, Devon...
in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. Gwladys accompanied Gwynllyw into a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
s life and for a while they lived together on Stow Hill, fasting, eating a vegetarian diet, and bathing in the cold waters of the Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
to prove their piety.
Later they moved further apart to prevent carnal sin. Saint Gwladys founding her own hermitage at Pencarn in Bassaleg
Bassaleg
Bassaleg is a small semi-urban suburb on the west side of the city of Newport, in south Wales. It lies in the Graig electoral ward and community.- Location, communications & amenities:Bassaleg is located two miles north west of Newport city centre...
, supposedly the site is at Pont Ebbw. While there she bathed in the Ebbw River
Ebbw River
The Ebbw River is a river in South Wales.The main Ebbw River is formed by the confluence of the two minor Ebbw rivers, Ebbw Fach, and Ebbw Fawr ....
and the Lady's Well at Tredegar
Tredegar
Tredegar is a town situated on the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in south-east Wales. Located within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the Industrial Revolution in South Wales...
may have been dedicated to her. It has been suggested that site of St. Basil church, Bassaleg
Bassaleg
Bassaleg is a small semi-urban suburb on the west side of the city of Newport, in south Wales. It lies in the Graig electoral ward and community.- Location, communications & amenities:Bassaleg is located two miles north west of Newport city centre...
was originally dedicated to her.
Later at the urging of Cadoc she moved yet further to Capel Wladus in Gelligaer
Gelligaer
Gelligaer is a town and parish in the County Borough of Caerphilly, Wales, in the Rhymney River valley. The parish also includes the villages of Cefn Hengoed and Hengoed to the south.- History :...
. Today her main church is St. Gwladys, Bargoed
Bargoed
Bargoed is a town in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly and straddles ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council,...
. There is a supposed Burial place of St. Gwladys at Pont Ebbw.
She inspired the name of both a church and a school
St Gwladys Bargoed School
St Gwladys Bargoed School is a Primary School In Bargoed, Wales.It was formed in 2005 with the amalgamation of St Gwladys Junior and St Gwladys Infant Schools. The school has a host of awards including Investors in People, Investors in Families, the Becta Award and the Basic Skills award -Further...
in Bargoed
Bargoed
Bargoed is a town in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly and straddles ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire. 'Greater Bargoed', as defined by the local authority Caerphilly County Borough Council,...
.