• History of Santes Dwynwen
• Aphrodisiac Information
• Aphrodisiac Foods

HISTORY OF SANTES DWYNWEN

• Dwynwen is the patron saint of Welsh lovers and lived during the 5th century. She is also known as Dwyn; Donwen; Donwenna; or Dunwen.



• Dwynwen was said to be one of 24 children fathered by the then King of Wales, Brychan Brycheiniog of Brechon (Brecon).



• She was renowned to be both very religious and pure and was also said to be enchantingly beautiful thereby attracting the attention of many lovestruck young men.



• As the legend goes, one evening Dwynwen's father held a feast where everyone attended in the finest attire to eat and dance the night away.



• At the feast, Dwynwen's beauty captivated the attention of a young prince by the name of Maelon Gwynedd (also referred to as Maelon Dafodrill). He fell in love with her immediately and soon made clear to Dwynwen of his desire to marry her.



• Due to many a tale becoming distorted with the passing of time there are several diversities as to what subsequently occurred between Dwynwen and Maelon;
  1. Dwynwen returned her love but couldn't marry Maelon as her religious beliefs had encouraged her to become a nun.
  2. Brychan refused consent due to his dislike of Maelon.
  3. Brychan refused consent due to arranging for Dwynwen to wed another suitor.



• Consequently, there are several outcomes that have been determined by the above;
  1. Following her father's refusal, Dwynwen is asked by Maelon to run away with him to his court. Dwynwen rejects this, which angers Maelon who leaves never to return again.
  2. Some interpretations of this tale claim that Maelon was so outraged by Dwynwen's chosen life of a nun (or by Brychan's refusals) that he raped and left her.
  3. More whimsical versions say that Maelon simply 'goes away' after realising that he and Dwynwen will never be spliced together.



• Consistency in the tale arrives when Dwynwen's sadness impels her to console herself in the woods nearby. There she prays to God to rid her of her feelings for Maelon. In the version where she is raped Dwynwen prays to God to help her 'forget' Maelon.



• Answering her prayers, an angel visits Dwynwen who gives her a potion to help rid her of her feelings or make her forget Maelon. Unfortunately, Maelon drinks the same potion and is turned into ice. There is another difference of opinion here where some tales say that this was an actual visitation whilst others claim that the angel came to Dwynwen in a dream. Also some claim that Maelon was turned to ice as a direct result of Dwynwen drinking the potion. This would probably be apt in the version where Dwynwen is raped.



• Dwynwen is horrified to learn of Maelon's misfortune and prays again to God, who answers her prayers by granting her three requests (some say 'wishes');
  1. The first was to have Maelon thawed and brought back to life.
  2. The second was that God would look kindly on the hopes and dreams of true lovers whilst mending the broken hearts of the spurned. Most versions claim that Dwynwen requested this to be done through her, therefore making her a patron saint.
  3. Her final request was that she was never to marry nor have the desire to do so in order to devote the remainder of her life to God.



• Dwynwen then became a nun and she settled (some say with her sister, Cain) on Llanddwyn Island, which rests off the west coast of Anglesey. There they founded a church or convent on the island where, it is said, that they were joined by many a broken hearted woman.



• Dwynwen's most known saying was "nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness".



• Dwynwen died of natural causes around 460 AD. The remains of the16th century Tudor church in Llanddwyn can be seen today although the site is attributed to that of the church founded by Dwynwen.



• The church and the nearby well has attracted pilgrimages by people over the centuries, particularly from young lovers seeking assurances of their future lives together.



• The water of the well was said to be the home for a magical and sacred fish (or eel) whose behaviour and movement predicted the future for young lovers. Questions were asked of the fish and the answers were determined by the direction in which it moved. Women would test the faithfulness of their husbands by sprinkling breadcrumbs into the water and then placing a handkerchief on the surface. The husband would be deemed faithful if the fish disturbed the surface.



• People still visit the well today where a few bubbles breaking on the surface of the water are enough to encourage a future of happiness for young lovers.



• Dwynwen also became known as the patron saint of sick animals with her name often being invoked when necessary in an attempt to heal an injured beast or pet.



• Recent years have seen an increase amongst Welsh people in the celebrating of St. Dwynwen's Day by exchanging cards and gifts such as lovespoons. Special events such as parties and concerts are also held on the 25th of January to signify a greater popularity of celebrating St. Dwynwen's Day amongst the Welsh.