Saint Gwrddlew or Gwrtheli, Gartheli, was a pre-congregational saint of the 5th century

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

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 ...

Life

Gwrddlew was born about 480 AD at

Twrcelyn Twrcelyn is an electoral ward in the north of Anglesey, Wales. It includes the communities of Amlwch, Llanbadrig, Llaneilian, and Rhosybol. Twrcelyn elects three county councillors to the Isle of Anglesey County Council. Twrcelyn was cre ...

commote,

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

, Wales. He was the son of Caw of Strathclyde. His father had moved from southern

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

with his family after being deposed in the turbulence caused by the

Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain is the process which changed the language and culture of most of what became England from Romano-British to Germanic. The Germanic-speakers in Britain, themselves of diverse origins, eventually develope ...

. He founded churches at

Llanddewi Brefi Llanddewi Brefi () is a village, parish and community of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion, Wales. In the sixth century, Saint David (in Welsh, ''Dewi Sant''), the patron saint of Wales, held the Synod of Brefi here and it has borne his ...

, Cardiganshire, Anglesea Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (1959) p. 91
and

Caerleon Caerleon (; cy, Caerllion) is a town and community in Newport, Wales. Situated on the River Usk, it lies northeast of Newport city centre, and southeast of Cwmbran. Caerleon is of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman ...

Legacy

Gwrtheli or Gartheli is entered as patron of Capel Gartheli in the Myvyrian Archaiology. This was formerly a chapelry within the parish of

, Cardiganshire, but as of 1907 was a separate benefice. Other chapels in Llanddewi Brefi were Blaenpennal chapel ( Saint David), Capel Bettws Lleicu ( Saint Lucia) and Capel Gwenfyl (

Saint Gwenfyl Saint Gwenfyl was an early Welsh Christian saint from the Brychan family. Little is known of her life. Life Saint Gwenfyl was one of the children or descendants of Brychan. She founded a chapel named Capel Gwenvyl, which no longer exists, subor ...

). Nicholas Roscarrock lists 7 January as the festival of Gwrthelu, who may be identified with Gwrddelw. Sir John Rhys in his ''Celtic Folklore'', page 537, writes of the chapelry in Llanddewi Vrevi, "The ascription of this church to a Saint called Gartheli is more than doubtful, as Gartheli is simply garth Eli, that is, Eli's enclosure. If, therefore, the name of the place involves that of a saint, it must be an otherwise unknown Eli. In the account of the hunting of the boar Twrch Trwyth, in the Welsh romance of Culhwch and Olwen, there is a huntsman of Arthur's called Eli, who pursues Grugyn, one of the Twrch's offspring, to Garth Grugyn in Ceredigion. Garth Grugyn is supposed to be near Llanilar. Possibly the original story located at Garth Eli the death of Eli, or some other incident in which Eli was concerned, just as Garth Grugyn is for some reason associated with Grugyn."

Etymology of his name

The

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

of the name is ''Vehemently Brave''.

Notes

Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gartheli, Saint Medieval Welsh saints Medieval Scottish saints Northern Brythonic saints 6th-century Welsh people 6th-century Christian saints People from Anglesey