Brychan ap Anlach (abt. 419 - abt. 490)

Born about 0419 in Ireland

Ancestors

Husband of Rigrawst Unknown — married about 0468 in Brycheiniog

Husband of Roistri Unknown — married about 0488 in Brycheiniog

Descendants

Died about 0490 at about age 71 in Ynys Brychan, Brycheiniog

Biography

Brychan was a saint who flourished in the mid 5th century. ^[1] Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog. ^[2]

Brycheiniog may refer to Brecknockshire, or alternatively Breconshire) in South Wales. ^[3]

Brychan exists primarily in legend and his actual existence is uncertain.

Name and Birth

"According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and his wife, Marchel, 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." ^[4]

He was the son of Anlach, son of Coronac, an Irish prince, and Marchell, daughter of Tewdrig, king of Garthmadryn. At her father's bidding, Marchell had crossed to Ireland, where Anlach wedded her, and where too Brychan was born. Anlach then returned with his wife and son to Wales, and set up their home at Benni (probably the ancient ' Bannium ' near Brecon). The education of their son was entrusted to one Drichan. Some years later, Brychan was given by his father as a hostage to Benadel, king of Powys, whose daughter Banadlinet was violated by Brychan and gave birth to a son named Cynog. Brychan eventually succeeded to the kingdom of Garthmadryn, which was then renamed Brycheiniog. ^[1]

"Brychan's name may be a Welsh version of the Irish name Broccán and that of his grandfather Coronac may represent Cormac." ^[5]

Brychan's education was entrusted to one Drichan. ^[6]

Brychan was the son of Mac_Cormac-1.

Marriages

According to Christian tradition, Brychan was married three times: ^[2]

1. Prawst ferch Tydwal,
2. Banhadlwedd ferch Banadi
3. Gwladys

These wives are mentioned in several manuscripts, including those by William Worcester, John Leland, and Nicholas Roscarrock. ^[2]

His spouse was Prawst ferch Tudwal. ^[1]

He also had a mistress, Banadlinet ferch Benadel ^[1]

Reign

Saint Brychan "Brycheiniog" was the 1st King of Brycheiniog.

The Life of St. Cadoc by Lifris (c. 1100) portrays Brychan fighting Arthur, Cai and Bedivere because of King Gwynllyw of Gwynllwg's abduction of his daughter St. Gwladys from his court in Talgarth. ^[2]

"He is occasionally described as an undocumented saint^[7] 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."^[8]

Stained Glass Portrait

The Wikipedia site presents "Brychan depicted in a window of the church in Brecon, Wales." ^[2]

"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' ".^[9]

6 April is generally quoted as his feast day. ^[1]

Research Notes

Line of Descent by Brian Starr

1. Brn Fendigaid King of Siluria (38th in Descent from biblical Abraham) + Anna Arimathea. ^[10]
2. Caradog ap Bran King of Siluria born in Trevan, llanilid, Glamorganshire, Britain ^[10]
3. Saint Cyllinus (Coellyn) (Linus) Lleyn), born in Trevan, Llanilid, Glamorganshire, Wales.^[10]
4. Stradwawl (Baine) + Coel (Coilus) (Beli) ap Cyllin (High King of, born 104 in Colchester, Boudicca or Essex, England, d. 170. ^[10]
5. Llewfer Mawr (Lucius) ap Coellyn, King of xx, b. 115 in Ewyas (now Monmouth), Mid-Glamorgan, Wales, d. 181, + Gwladys, b. 117 in Siluria, Southern Wales. ^[10]
6. Eurgen verch Llewfer, b. 140 in Ewyas now Monmouth, Wales. + Ammadab (aminabad) (Alphanye) de jure King, b. 125 in Edyas now Monmouth, Wales ^[10]
7. daughter of Ammadab, b. 168 Monmouth, Wales, m. Meirchion Fawdfilwr ap Owain (King of Ewyas), b. 140 in Ewyas (now Monmouth) mid-Glamorgan, Wales ^[10]
8. Cwrrig Goric Fawr ('the Great') ap Meirchion, b. 180 in E#wyas, Wales.^[10]
9. Gwrddwfn ap Cwrrig (King of Ewyas), b. 250 in Ewyas, now Monmouth, Wales. ^[10]
10. Gerontius (Caradoc) (Gerant) ap Einydd, b. 285 ^[10]
11. Conan (Cynan) Meriadoc (King of Dumnonia, b. 305, d. 367. m. Saint Ursula ferch Dynod b. 305 ^[10]
12. Cadfan (Gadeon) ap Conan (Cynan) King of, b. 325 in Dumonia now Cornwall, Britain, d. 405 + Gladys verch Llewfer, b. 327 in Britain ^[10]
13. Gwfawr (Guoremor) ap Cadfan, King of, b. 3258, d. 415. ^[10]
14. Tudwal ap Gwrfawr (King of Dumnonia), b. 375 in Wales, d. 425 + Gratianna verch Macsen, b. 370 in Gwent now Monmouth, Wales ^[10]
15. Prawst verch Tudwal, b. 419 in Dumonia now Cornwall, Britain. + Saint Brychan King of Brycheiniog, b. 419 in Brycheniog now Breconshire, Wales. ^[10]
16. Saint Sefin Verch Brychan Brycheiniog + Cynyr Ceinfariog The Fair ^[10]

Issue

The most notable feature of the Brychan tradition is the large progeny attributed to Brychan and Prawst, his wife. The ' De Situ Brecheniauc ' (Wade-Evans, Vitae Sanctorum Britanniae et Genealogiae, 313-15), which, together with the ' Cognacio Brychan ' (Wade-Evans, op. cit., 315-18), forms the main authority for his legend, attributes to Brychan eleven sons and twenty-five daughters, and his family forms one of the three saintly tribes of Wales. ^[1]

"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." ^[2]

"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"." ^[2]

Reports of his children vary greatly based on the source.^[11][12].

His children included

1. Geingar ferch Brychan ^[1]
2. Cain ferch Brychan ^[1]
3. Gwladys ferch Brychan ^[1]
4. Cynog ap Brychan ^[1]

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, Gwennan and Gwynnws." ^[2]

Daughters in Welsh sources

"The De Situ Brecheniauc lists: Eleri, 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, Tydieu, Eufail, Hawystl, Edwen, Gwenrhiw, Tudwen, Callwen, Gwenfyl, Gwennan and Mwynwen." ^[2]

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)." ^[2]

Cornwall

"According to Robert Hunt, of the holy children that settled in Cornwall, we learn that the following gave their names to Cornish churches: ^[2]

Johannes at St Ive

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," ^[2]

Breton sources

Breton tradition says that Brychan married Menedoc daughter of Constantine, King of the Scots. Together they were the parents of Saint Nennocha. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9} Hywel David Emanuel, (1921 - 1970). Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Brychan, Saint. Emanuel cites the following sources:
   • The Lives of the British Saints, i, 303-21
   • Y Cymmrodor, xix, 1906, 18-50
   • Wade-Evans, Vitae Sanctorum Britanniae et Genealogiae (Cardiff 1944), 313-18
   • Antiquity, 1945, 182-3
   • A History of Wales: from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest (London 1912), 270-1
   • The Transactions of the Brecknock Society and Records of the Brecknock Museum (1928–9), i, 7-24
   Accessed 31 August 2021 jhd
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12} Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
3. ↑ Richard Morgan & R. F. Peter Powell, A Study of Breconshire Place-Names, ( Llanrwst Wells: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1999). Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
4. ↑ Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: a historical encyclopedia Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio (15 March 2006) ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0 p. 301. Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
5. ↑ Thornton, David E. "Brychan Brycheiniog (fl. c.500)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press, 2004. Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
6. ↑ Emmanuel, Hywel David. "Brychan", Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1959, National Library of Wales. Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
7. ↑ Catholic Online, "St Brychan". Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
8. ↑ Orme, Nicholas (2000) The Saints of Cornwall Oxford: Oxford University Press (6 January 2000) ISBN 978-0-19-820765-8 p. 77. Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
9. ↑ Pevsner, N. (1970) Cornwall; 2nd ed., revised by Enid Radclife. Harmondsworth: Penguin; p. 198. Cited by Wikipedia: Brychan Accessed 4/29/2019 jhd
10. ↑ ^{10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15} Brian Starr. The Life of Saint Brychan. By the author, 2008. Page 152 Starr's materials, covering historic periods where documented facts are rare, are presented without sources and their origin is not clear. Therefore they must be considered fictional in the absence of other documentation. Accessed 4/28/2019 jhd
11. ↑ David E. Thornton, "Brychan Brycheiniog," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (http://www.oxforddnb.com: accessed 31 May 2015), http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/51949.
12. ↑ Rev W. J. Brees, Lives of the Cambro British Saints: (London: William Rees, 1853), pp. 602-608, digital images, https://books.google.com/books?id=x_AgAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA602. Google Books (http://books.google.com : accessed 2 July 2015).

See also:

• Prichard, Thomas Jeffery Llewelyn. The Heroines of Welsh History: Comprising Memoirs and Biographical Notices of the Celebrated Women of Wales, pp. 101-122. Publisher: W. and F. G. Cash, 1854