Brychan

{{About|fifth-century Welsh king|sixth-century Welsh saint|Brynach}}

{{Infobox saint

| name = Saint Brychan Brycheiniog

| image =Brychan (straightened) Eglwys Aberhonddu (Brecon, Wales) 02.jpg

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| caption =Brychan depicted in a window of the church in Brecon, Wales

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| venerated_in = Wales, Cornwall

| feast_day = April 6

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Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire)Richard Morgan & R. F. Peter Powell, A Study of Breconshire Place-Names, ( Llanrwst Wells: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1999). in Mid Wales.

Name variations

Brychan had Irish ancestry and came from Ireland to Wales, therefore his original name was likely to have been Irish prior to his being called Brychan which is of Welsh etymology. In some sources he is called Brocanus which is the Latinized version of the Irish name Broccan.{{Cite web |title=EBK: King Brychan Brycheiniog of Brycheiniog |url=http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/brychbbg.html |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=earlybritishkingdoms.com}} He is also sometimes referred to as Braccan, Brachan,{{Cite web |title=Pedigree: Brychan (Brachan) (II; Prince) of MANAU |url=https://fabpedigree.com/s042/f750950.htm |access-date=2023-07-05 |website=fabpedigree.com}} Brecin and Breccan.

Life

According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach Goronog mac Cormach, son of King Cormach mac Urb, and his wife, Marchel verch Tewdrig ap Teithfal, heiress of the Welsh kingdom of Garthmadrun (Brycheiniog), which the couple later inherited. Upon his father's death, he returned to Garthmadrun and changed its name to Brycheiniog.Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: a historical encyclopedia Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio (15 March 2006) {{ISBN|978-1-85109-440-0}} p. 301 Brychan's name may be a Welsh version of the Irish name Broccán and that of his grandfather Coronac may represent Cormac.Thornton, "Brychan Brycheiniog (fl. c. 500)." ODNB. Brychan's education was entrusted to one Drichan.{{Cite DWB|id=s-BRYC-APA-0419|last=Emmanuel|first=Hywel David|title=Brychan|year=1959}}

The Life of St. Cadoc by Lifris (c. 1100) portrays Brychan fighting Arthur, Cai and Bedwyr because of King Gwynllyw of Gwynllwg's abduction of his daughter St. Gwladys from his court in Talgarth.

Portraiture and veneration

He is occasionally described as an undocumented saint[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1849 Catholic Online, "St Brychan"] but the traditional literature does not call him a saint, referring to him as a patriarch instead, and he has no churches named for him.Orme, Nicholas (2000) The Saints of Cornwall Oxford: Oxford University Press (6 January 2000) {{ISBN|978-0-19-820765-8}} p. 77 A 15th-century stained glass window in the parish church at St Neot in Cornwall, supposedly depicts Brychan, seated and crowned, holding in his arms eleven children. This, however, has been described by a standard modern guide as "God with Souls in his lap".Pevsner, N. (1970) Cornwall; 2nd ed., revised by Enid Radclife. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 198 He is given a saint day on 6 April.{{Cite web|url=https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/KalenderApril/6.htm|title=April 6|website=Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon}}

Children of Brychan

According to Christian tradition, Brychan was married three times – to Prawst ferch Tydwal, Banhadlwedd ferch Banadi, and Gwladys – and had a very large family. These wives are mentioned in several manuscripts, including those by William Worcester, John Leland, and Nicholas Roscarrock. The number of children attributed to him varies from twelve to sixty-three, the number most frequently encountered being twenty-four. There are two main lists however, one of Welsh origin and one of Cornish origin. Most of his children appear to have travelled from Brecon to evangelise Cornwall and North Devon, where they are now venerated, but there is little agreement between the two lists.

The number of Brychan's children may have grown over time, as more and more secular people as well as saints wished to claim descent from one of the "Holy Families of Britain". Listed below are children from Welsh, Cornish, Irish, and Breton sources:

=Sons in Welsh sources=

The sons listed in the Cognacio Brychan, De Situ Brecheniauc and the genealogies of Jesus College MS 20 are Cynog, Rhain Dremrudd, Clydwyn, Arthen, Papai, Dingad, Berwyn and Rhydog. Also listed, but not in all three, are Cynon, Pasgen, Cylflifer, Marthaerun and Rhun. Other Welsh sources claim the following additional sons: Caian, Cynbryd, Cynfran, Cynin, Dogfan, Dyfnan, Dyfrig, Hychan, Llecheu, Neffei, Rhawin, Llofan, Llonio, Heilin, Afallach and Gwynnws.{{cite web |url=http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/articles/brychild.html |title=Children of Brychan Brycheiniog |last=Ford |first=David Nash |date=2001 |website=Early British Kingdoms |publisher=Nash Ford Publishing |access-date=25 July 2021}}

=Daughters in Welsh sources=

The De Situ Brecheniauc lists: Meleri, Hunydd, Gwladys, Ceingar, Tudglid, Nyfain, Gwawr, Marchell, Lluan, Gwrygon Goddeu, Arianwen, Bethan, Ceinwen (Keyne), Cerddych, Clydai, Cynheiddon (identified with Saint Endelienta), Dwynwen, Eiliwedd, Goleudydd, Gwen, Lludd, Tudful, Tudwystl and Tybie. Other Welsh sources claim the following additional daughters: Beiol (Bilo), Tydieu, Eufail, Hawystl, Edwen, Gwenrhiw, Tudwen, Callwen, Gwenfyl, Gwennan and Mwynwen. An Irish scource claimed another daughter, Saint Almeda, the fourth of Brychan's daughters.{{cite journal |last1=Redmond |first1=Gabriel O'C. |title=History and topography of the parish of Hook, Co. Wexford |journal=Journal of the Waterford & South-East of Ireland Archaeological Society |date=1898 |volume=IV |page=21-35 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Journal_of_the_Waterford_South_East_of_I/mRwOAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq="Saint+Almeda"&pg=PA23&printsec=frontcover |access-date=3 May 2025}}

=Descendants in Cornish sources=

Listed in the Life of Saint Nectan are, by his wife, Gwladys:

Adwen, Canauc (Cynog), Cleder (Clether), Dilic (Illick), Endelient (Endelienta), Helie, Johannes (Sion), Iona, Juliana (Ilud), Kenhender (Cynidr), Keri (Curig), Mabon (Mabyn), Menfre (Menefrewy), Merewenne (Marwenna), Morewenna (Morwenna), Nectanus (Nectan), Tamalanc, Tedda (Tetha), Wencu (Gwencuff, Gwengustle, name of Saint Nennocha), Wenheden (Enoder), Wenna (Gwen), Wensent, Wynup (Gwenabwy) and Yse (Issey).

Of the holy children that settled in Cornwall, the following gave their names to Cornish churches:

Endelient at St Endellion
Menfre at St Minver
Tethe at St Teath
Mabon at St Mabyn
Merewenne at Marhamchurch
Wenna at St Wenn
Keyne at St Keyne
Yse at St Issey
Morwenna at Morwenstow
Cleder at St Clether
Keri at Egloskerry
Helie at Egloshayle
Adwen at Advent
Lanent at Lelant

=Irish sources=

The Book of Leinster lists the following sons by Brychan's wife, Dína daughter of the King of the Saxons: Mo-Goróc, Mo-Chonóc (Cynog), Diraid, Dubán (Dyfnan), Cairinne (Caian), Cairpre, Iast, Ellóc (Dilic), Paan, Cáemán and Mo-Beóc.

=Breton sources=

Breton tradition says that Brychan married Menedoc daughter of Constantine, King of the Scots. Together they were the parents of Saint Nennocha.

References

=Secondary sources=

Thornton, David E. "Brychan Brycheiniog (fl. c.500)." [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/51949 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]. Oxford University Press, 2004.