Happy Saint Dwynwens Day
On the 25th of January each year, people all over Wales celebrate St Dwynwen's Day, the Welsh equivalent of Valentines Day.Whilst the occasion is still little known outside of Wales, exposure
grows each year with events, dinners and special occasions being
held all over her home country of Anglesey
Legend has it that Dwynwen, whose name translates to 'she who leads a blessed life' was the prettiest of 5th Century Welsh king Brychan
Brycheiniog's twenty-four daughters. She fell in love with a man named
Maelon Dafodrill, but her father had already arranged for her to marry
someone else and refused to give permission
On finding out, Maelon cruelly forced himself upon her and fled. Broken hearted, and grieved to have upset her father, Dwynwen ran to the woods and begged God to make her forget. An angel visited her in her sleep and gave her a potion to erase her memory of feelings for Maelon and turn him into a block of ice.
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| An Angel visits Dwynwen |
Dwynwen was horrified to find her love frozen solid. She prayed again to God, who
answered her prayers by granting her three wishes. Her first wish was to have Maelon thawed and for him to forget her; her second, to have God
look kindly on the hopes and dreams of true lovers whilst mending the
broken hearts of the spurned; and her third was for her to never marry, but to devote the remainder of her life to
God, as thanks for saving Maelon.
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| The Chapel ruins on Llanddwyn Island |
With each of her wishes coming true, Dwynwen devoted her life to God. She became a nun and
set up a convent on the island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of
Anglesey, the remains of which can still be seen today. along with Dwynwen's well. It's believed the well is home to sacred fish who
can predict whether couples relationships will succeed; if the fish are
seen to be active when visiting the well, it was seen as a sign of a
faithful husband
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| Dwynwen's Well |
After
her death she was declared the Welsh Patron Saint of Lovers and
ever since, Welsh lovers have looked to St Dwynwen for her help
in courting their true love, or for forgetting a false one.
Her most well known saying is “Nothing wins
hearts like cheerfulness”
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| Welsh Love Spoons |
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