Cynog son of Brychan ( cy, Cynog ap Brychan; born c. 434), better known as Saint Cynog ( owl, Kennauc), was an early

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 peopl ...

saint and martyr. His shrine is at Merthyr Cynog in Wales and his feast day is observed on 7 or 9Tristam, Simon K.
Exciting Holiness
'. Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd, 2007. Accessed 9 Feb 2013. October. Cynog was reputedly a son of Brychan, a powerful

prince of the British Dark Ages. Cynog's mother was reputedly Benadulved, daughter of Benadyl, a prince of Powys, whom Brychan seduced while a hostage at the court of her father.Vision of Britain: Gerald of Wales, The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through Wales, Chapter 2
/ref> He is said to have been murdered on the mountain called ''the Van'' (

Bannau Brycheiniog The Brecon Beacons ( cy, Bannau Brycheiniog, ) are a mountain range in South Wales. In a narrow sense, the name refers to the range of Old Red Sandstone peaks which lie to the south of Brecon. Sometimes referred to as "the central Beacons" t ...

). His relics are housed at Merthyr Cynog. In 1188, Gerald of Wales wrote that there still existed a certain relic purported to be a royal torc that had once been worn by Cynog, presumably as an item of

royal regalia Regalia is a Latin plurale tantum word that has different definitions. In one rare definition, it refers to the exclusive privileges of a sovereign. The word originally referred to the elaborate formal dress and dress accessories of a sovereign ...

. Gerald encountered this relic while travelling through Brycheiniog. He wrote of this relic: The detailed description, which, though not easy to interpret, points, in the opinion of Sir T. D. Kendrick, to its probably being Welsh or Irish work of the Viking period, i.e. the 10th or the 11th century. He is chiefly commemorated in Brycheiniog, where Defynnog, Ystradgynlais, Penderyn, Battle, Llangynog, and Merthyr Cynog, are all named after him, the last being reputed his place of burial.Lloyd, John Edward. "Welsh Biography Online", National Library of Wales
/ref>

References

External links

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at Early British Kingdoms {{DEFAULTSORT:Cynog ap Brychan Monarchs of Brycheiniog Medieval Gaels 5th-century Irish monarchs 5th-century Welsh monarchs Medieval Welsh saints Children of Brychan Torcs History of Powys 5th-century Christian saints