Adwen or Adwenna was a 5th-century
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
and
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
.
[Baring-Gould, Sabine & al]
''The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in Britain'', Vol. II, pp. 107 ff
Chas. Clark (London), 1908. Hosted at Archive.org. Accessed 18 Nov 2014. She is recorded as a daughter of
Brychan
Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales.
Life
According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and h ...
, king of
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was an independent kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans be ...
in south
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 ...
, in the
Cornish ''Life of
Saint Nectan
Saint Nectan, sometimes styled Saint Nectan of Hartland, was a 5th-century holy man who lived in Stoke, Hartland, Devon, Hartland, in the nowadays England, English, and at the time brythonic-speaking county of Devon, where the prominent St Necta ...
'' and in
Robert Hunt's collection of Cornish legends. These sources associate her with the establishment of the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
of
Advent
Advent is a Christian season of preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas. It is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity.
The name was adopted from Latin "coming; arrival", translating Greek ''parousia''.
In ...
in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
.
The saint's feast day is unknown. In Cornwall Adwen was traditionally the patron saint of sweethearts.
[Ellis, P. B. (1992) ''The Cornish Saints''. Penryn: Tor Mark Press, p. 5]
See also
*
Saint Dwynwen
Saint Dwynwen (; 5th century), sometimes known as Dwyn or Donwen, is the Welsh patron saint of lovers. She is celebrated throughout Wales on 25 January.
History and legend
The original tale has become mixed with elements of folktales ...
, the related Welsh saint
*
St Adwen's Church, Advent
St Adwen's Church, Advent is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Advent, Cornwall. It is the only church in Cornwall to have eight pinnacles to its tower. It is dedicated to St Adwen, one of the daughters of King Brychan o ...
References
Medieval Cornish saints
Medieval Welsh saints
Children of Brychan
5th-century Christian saints
5th-century Welsh people
5th-century Welsh women
Female saints of medieval Wales
{{saint-stub