Celtic saints names beginning T-Z

TALLAND

There was a Celtic Holy place on the brow of a hill where the medieval church now sits. It’s not clear which saint is associated with Talland.

ST TANWG

Associated with the church in the sands near Harlech in Wales. Little is known about him other than he was a relative of St Cadfan who is associated with the founding of a monastery on Bardsey Island. Tanwg is 5th century and in the church in the sands there is a massive grave stone which originated in Kilkenny in Ireland. It was carried to Llandanwg in a substantial boat and inscribed to Ingenuus. These monumental stones were erected elsewhere, such as the Samson stone at Llantwit Major and indicate the early nature of the church.

Llandanwg is also linked to Clochaeneg near Ruthin by a chain of early 5/6th century gravestones. These are Trawsfynnyd, Tomen y Mur, Ffestiniog, Penmachno, Pentrefoelas and Clochaenog. Also in the chain is the church of St Mary Magdalene at Cerrydydrurion. This church was founded by Evanus a disciple of St Patrick in 440AD.

The oldest gravestones are in the west and the youngest in the east of Wales showing there was a significant evangelistic thrust from Ireland through Wales in the 5th century. It entered south Wales at Fishguard and north Wales at Llandanwg. The purpose of the Christian community at Llandanwg becomes clear and was most probably in existence before 440AD and was the ‘mother church of north Wales.’

St Patrick sailed to Ireland to convert the Irish in 432AD and was sending monks from Ireland to Britain. The route from Llandanwg bypassed the Snowdonia mountains and was the safest and quickest.

Text credit to the noticeboards in St Tanwg's church, Wales

TEATH

Welsh

St Teath

One of Brychan’s children.Sibling to Advent, Endellion, Mabyn , Kew, Keyne, Tudy among others, all of whom had sites nearby and give their names to the villages. Not much is known about Teath, except she was a fifth century virgin, companion to Breaca.

Associated with St Teath parish in north Cornwall where there was probably a prayer oratory on the site of the current parish church. It looks like it’s built on a ‘Lan’, a circular enclosure indicative of the prayer settlement of early Celtic Christians.

TYSILLIO:

Tysillio is a Welsh saint associated with the Menai Straights in Anglesey, north Wales. He was a Welsh aristocrat but renounced his title to become a hermit. He became a monk at Meifod, a major monastic centre but to spare him from his family's pressure  to act as regent for his nephew, he was released by the abbot to live on a tiny island in the Menai Straight. 

In another version he is said to have escaped his brother's widow, who wanted to marry him, by continuing his vocation at St Malo in Brittany later founding a monastery at nearby Saint-Suliac.

What is known is that he was a peregrini, a pilgrim monk who favoured the prayerful life.

UNY:

Irish, male

Lelant,

Redruth

Crowan

Sancreed

Venton Uny

Brother of Ia, Anta and Erth. He landed at Gwinear and converted the chief who ruled Carn Brea.  He is the saint of Lelant, Redruth, Crowan, Sancreed. Sancreed means the healing well of St Uny. The well was thought to cure ‘dry humours and heal wounds and sores.’ There is another well at Venton Uny.  He was martyred at the battle of Merthy Uny. (Marooney)

WENNA:

Cornish female

St Wenn 6 miles west of Bodmin

St Morval

She was born in 475 AD and died 18th October 544AD. She was the daughter of Lord Cynyr of Ceinfarfog of Caer Goch, Wales and wife of King Salom of Cernw (Cornwall). She founded churches at St Wenn and Morval and died in Cornwall. She is the mother of St Cuby and sister of St Non (mother of St David, patron saint of Wales).

WOLVELA:

Breton or Welsh, female

Bosulval

She lived in the 6th century. Bosulval named after her (the house of Wolvella). It could be the place of her nunnery or hermitage.

WYLLOW:

(Vylloc) Irish male

Lanteglos

He came to Fowey and on arrival at Fowey was guided by a fish across the estuary to PONT PILL and established a hermitage there.  St Wyllow means the valley of the church.  The original site was at the head of the creek half a mile from the present site of the church.  He was beheaded by Melyn ys Kyrenrede. He picked up his own head and carried it to the site of the present church at Lanteglos. He lived in the 6th century.

WINWALOE:

Brittany male

Gunwalloe on the Lizard

Towednack in west Penwith

St Winnolls, nr St Germans

He trained under the Irish monk BUDOC in Brittany and places are named after him.

Legends:  he was vegetarian and never sat down in church. He was a healer.  He healed his friend’s leg which was damaged in a childhood game.  His sister’s eye was pecked out by a goose. He retrieved the eye from within the goose and restored his sister’s sight.

He’s from either a Cornish or Welsh family who moved to Brittany. He slept on a hard bed with a stone pillow and ate only barley bread and cheese.

 ZOTA:

Lanzota valley nr Withiel