Saint Gwenhael (french: Guénaël; br, Gwenael; Old Breton: ''Gwenhael'') was a

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally ** Breton people ** Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Ga ...

saint of the 6th century, born at

Ergué-Gabéric Ergué-Gabéric (; ''An Erge Vras'' in Breton) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It lies on the Odet river. The businessman and publisher Gwenn-Aël Bolloré was born in the commune. Population Int ...

(

Finistère Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.

), the second abbot of

Landévennec Abbey Landévennec Abbey (french: Abbaye de Landévennec, Abbaye Saint-Guénolé de Landévennec) is a Benedictine monastery at Landévennec in Brittany, in the department of Finistère, France. The present monastery is a modern foundation at the site o ...

, successor in 532 to the founder, Saint Winwaloe (Gwenole). According to tradition, Winwaloe met Gwenaël in a street in

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography The ...

when he was eleven, and was so convinced of his gifts that he at once obtained permission from Gwenaël's parents for him to study under his direction. The feast of Saint Gwenaël is 3 November. His ''Vita'' was written in the 9th century.

Background

Gwenaël is said to have restored several monasteries in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, but his cult is mostly found in the west of

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 ...

, as can be established after some deciphering of the various forms his name has taken. The church of Ergué-Gabéric (Finistère) is dedicated to him, under the name of "Saint Guinal" (guuin = gwen), and this, together with its proximity to Quimper, has given rise to the suggestion that he may have been born there. He is also said to have founded a monastery at

Caudan Caudan (; br, Kaodan) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western FrancINSEE commune fileThe writer Yvonne Chauffin (1905–1995), laureate of the Prix Breizh in 1970, died in Caudan. Demographics Inhabitants of Cauda ...

(on the territory of the present

Lanester Lanester (; br, Lannarstêr) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany, in north-western France. It is the largest suburb of the city of Lorient, across the river Scorff to the east. Demographics Inhabitants of Lanester are called ' ...

), where there is a chapel of Saint Guénaël, and to have died there in about 590. His

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

s were translated to

Corbeil Corbeil may refer to: Places * Corbeil, Ontario, Canada * Corbeil, Marne, a commune in the Marne département in north-eastern France * Corbeil-Cerf, a commune in the département of Oise in northern France * Corbeil-Essonnes, a commune in the so ...

. The parish churches of Bolazec, Lescouët-Gouarec and Tréguidel are also dedicated to him. The saint's name is composed of the

elements ''gwenn'' "white, fair; blessed" and ''hael'' "generous". According to Gwennole Le Menn, the saint's name is to be found in a number of placenames, including ''Locunel'' in

, ''Saint-Guinel'' in

Mauron Mauron (; br, Maoron) is a commune in the Morbihan department and Brittany region of north-western France. It lies close to the borders of both Côtes d'Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine. Mauron's location make it a crossroads on the routes connecting ...

, ''Saint-Guénal'' and ''Saint-Vinnel'' in

Poullaouen Poullaouen (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, the former commune Locmaria-Berrien was merged into Poullaouen.Plomeur Plomeur (; ) is a commune in the Bigouden region of Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Plomeur is situated between the larger communes of Penmarc'h to the South-West, Guilvinec and Treffiagat to the South, as well as Po ...

, ''Saint-Vénal'' and ''Saint-Guénal'' in

Landivisiau Landivisiau (; br, Landivizio) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The journalist Luc Le Vaillant, winner of the 1998 Albert Londres Prize was born in Landivisiau. Landivisiau is twinned with Bideford i ...

and ''Saint-Vénal'' in

Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon (; br, Kastell-Paol) is a commune in the Finistère department in Brittany in north-western France, located on the coast. It is noted for its 13th-century cathedral on the site of the original founded by Saint Paul Aurelian ...

. ''Kervénal'' also occurs three times, in

Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor (, ; ; br, Aodoù-an-Arvor, ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord ( br, Aodoù-an-Hanternoz, link=no, ), are a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.

, Finistère and

Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastli ...

. The surnames ''Guénal'', ''Guénel'', ''Trévinal'' and ''Kervennal'' doubtless have a connection with this saint's name, either directly or through a place name, such as the examples above.

References

Medieval Breton saints 6th-century Christian saints 6th-century Breton people {{France-saint-stub