Collen was a 7th-century

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

who gave his name to

Llangollen Llangollen () is a town and community, situated on the River Dee, in Denbighshire, Wales. Its riverside location forms the edge of the Berwyn range, and the Dee Valley section of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beau ...

(from the

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

llan Llan may be: * Llan (placename), a Celtic morpheme, or element, common in British placenames ** A short form for any placename . * Llan, Powys, a Welsh village near Llanbrynmair * Llan the Sorcerer La Lunatica Lacuna Lady Bullseye Lady De ...

meaning 'enclosure' and ''gollen'' being a

mutation In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mi ...

of "Collen"). Collen is said to have arrived in Llangollen by

coracle A coracle is a small, rounded, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Wales, and also in parts of the West Country and in Ireland, particularly the River Boyne, and in Scotland, particularly the River Spey. The word is also used of s ...

and founded a church beside the river there. As there are no other churches in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

dedicated to Collen, it is possible that this Saint Collen may also have connections in both

Colan, Cornwall Colan ( kw, Kolan) is a village and civil parish in mid-Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately three miles (5 km) east of Newquay. The electoral ward is called Colan and Mawgan. The population of this ward at the 201 ...

, where

Colan Church Colan Church also known as St Colan Church is a 13th-century church in Colan, mid-Cornwall, UK. Dedicated to St Colanus, it became a Grade I listed building in 1967. The vicars of St Columb Minor have served the church since the middle of the 2 ...

is dedicated to him, and

Langolen Langolen () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The commune takes its name from Saint Collen, a 7th-century monk who is associated with the town of Llangollen in Wales and also with Cornwall. Population ...

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

. There are legendary Lives connecting him with Wales, Rome and Glastonbury, but nothing is known for certain about him, though from the dedication of a church to him in Brittany it may be conjectured that he resided for some time in that country.

Narrative

According to the ''Buchedd Collin'' ('Life of Saint Collin'), he was the son of Gwynawc, ab Caledawc. After having travelled through many foreign lands he returned to Britain and became

Abbot of Glastonbury __NOTOC__ The Abbot of Glastonbury was the head (or abbot) of Anglo-Saxon and eventually Benedictine house of Glastonbury Abbey at Glastonbury in Somerset, England. The following is a list of abbots of Glastonbury: Abbots See also * Abbot's Ki ...

. He banished Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the

Tylwyth Teg (Middle Welsh for "Fair Family"; ) is the most usual term in Wales for the mythological creatures corresponding to the fairy folk of English and Continental folklore and the Irish . Other names for them include ("Blessing of the Mothers"), and ...

, and his retinue from

Glastonbury Tor Glastonbury Tor is a hill near Glastonbury in the English county of Somerset, topped by the roofless St Michael's Tower, a Grade I listed building. The entire site is managed by the National Trust and has been designated a scheduled monument. T ...

with the use of holy water."St Collen and the King of the Fairies", BBC Wales
/ref> Collen died on 21 May, probably sometime in the early 7th century. He was buried in his chapel. For centuries, it was known as the "Old Church" and stood immediately to the west of the present medieval church of St Collen in Llangollen.

References

External links

Celtic and Old English Saints 21 May
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collen, Saint Medieval Welsh saints 7th-century Christian saints