Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. He then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. Dwynwen became a nun, fulfilling her wish to never marry, and left for the island of Anglesey to build a Church. This is referred to as Llanddwynwen, literally meaning 'Church of Dwynwen'.
Isn't that a romantic (if rather sad) story?
Happy St Dwynwen's Day!
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The lighthouse and cross at Llanddwynwen
(Picture courtesy of Wikipaedia)
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| The remains of St Dwynwen's Church today |
Oh, and of course Happy Burns Night to our friends North of the Border!
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Love, love Wales, especially Anglesey. I'd live there if I could! Seems to me that Welsh legends are almost always sad, bittersweet at best. Certainly a nation of realists. But with their history it makes sense. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, thanks so much for visiting - I agree, most Welsh legends to seem to be sad or bittersweet, beautiful nonetheless though!
DeleteWhat a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Mary, glad you liked it!
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