Saint Edeyrn ( century) was a pre-congregational saint of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, related to

Vortigern Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in ...

and the royal house of

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

and the brother of Saint Aerdeyrn and Elldeyrn. Edeyrn is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of Lannédern in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Llanedeyrn Llanedeyrn ( cy, Llanedern) is a former village, now a district and community, in the east of the city of Cardiff, Wales, located around 3.5 miles from the city centre. The parish of Llanedeyrn rests on the banks of the river Rhymney and is visi ...

in Wales, where he founded a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

of over 300 people.

Legend

Legend holds he was a companion of King Arthur, before moving to

where he became a

Hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

. Being from the family of

Vortigen Vortigern (; owl, Guorthigirn, ; cy, Gwrtheyrn; ang, Wyrtgeorn; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; gle, Foirtchern; la, Vortigernus, , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in ...

, however, would make a relationship with King Arthur unlikely.

Legacy

He is remembered in churches across Wales and Brittany including Monmouth and

near

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

in Wales and Lannédern in Brittany France. He is often depicted riding a deer and his feast day is 6 January.There may also have been another Edern, a semi legendary 9th century French

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

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 ...

whose feast day is celebrated on August 26.

Gallery

File:Lannédern 24 La chapelle de Coat ar Roc'h.JPG, The chapelle de Coat ar Roc'h, Lannedern File:Loqueffret 15 Eglise Sainte-Geneviève Bannière de procession de saint Herbot.JPG, The banner of Saint Edeyrn at Loqueffret France File:Lannédern 18 Calvaire saint Edern sur son cerf.JPG, Saint Edern on his stag Lannédern Brittany (France) File:Loqueffret 25 Calvaire route de Lannédern Saint Herbot sur son cerf.JPG, Statue of Edeurn at Loqueffret

References

6th-century births Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown {{UK-saint-stub