Gwen Teirbron

Saint Gwen Teirbron (French: Blanche; Latin: Alba Trimammis or Candida; possibly English: Wite) was a Breton holy woman who supposedly lived in the 6th century. Her epithet is Welsh for 'of the three breasts' from Proto-Celtic "*tisres" and "*brundā". [http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/PCl-MoE.pdf Proto-Celtic—English lexicon] and [http://www.wales.ac.uk/documents/external/cawcs/MoE-PCl.pdf English—Proto-Celtic lexicon] . University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.]

Traditional biography

Gwen was one of the many daughter of the King of Brittany, Emyr Llydaw. By her husband, Saint Fragan, she is said to have been the mother of the twins, Saints Wethnoc and Iacob (more commonly called Jacut). They were born in Britain, where Fragan appears to have been a member of the Dumnonian or Cornish Royal family. During a time of plague, the family embarked for Brittany and settled at PlouFracan, near Saint-Brieuc, where they had a further son, Saint Winwaloe of Landevennec, and a daughter, Chreirbia.cite book | last = Doble | first = Gilbert H. | title = The Saints of Cornwall Part II | publisher = Dean and Chapter of Truro | year = 1965 | location = Truro] Gwen, presumably later, married Eneas Ledewig and became the mother of Saint Cadfan.cite book | last = Bartrum | first = P.C. | title = Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts | publisher = University of Wales Press | year = 1966 | location = Cardiff]

Veneration

Popular devotion interpreted Gwen's unusual physical and spiritual fecundity by God's gift to her of a third breast. Her iconography naïvely followed suit. Gwen is invoked for women's fertility. She is commemorated on 3 October in the Catholic Church (although this has been transferred from Saint Candidus of Rome), and on 18 July (NS) by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in Australia.Canberra Parish of the Russian Orthodox Church (Abroad). [http://www.stjohnthebaptist.org.au/saints/day.php?month=11&day=5&mode=xhtml Brief Lives of Saints] , 2007.]

Possible identification

David Nash Ford suggests she be identified with Saint Wite of Whitchurch Canonicorum in Dorset.cite web | last = Ford | first = David Nash | title = St. Gwen Teirbron | work = Early British Kingdoms | url = http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/gwentby.html | year = 2001 | accessdate = 2007-08-09] She is interpreted by Dyfed Lloyd Evans as having been a euhemerized mother goddess. [ [http://www.celtnet.org.uk/gods_g/gwen.html Nemeton: Gwen Teir Bron] ]

ee also

*Dorset Flag

References