Conuur, Cynmur, Cinmur, Congur, and Cyngur. The earlier one, as Congur and Cynmur, occurs in the Lives of SS. Dubricius and Teilo as a disciple of both saints in succession.1 The other one we read of in the Life of S. Clydog, 2 as a hermit at Merthyr Clydog, now Clodock, in Herefordshire. "Two brothers, Lybiau (Llibio) and Guruann (Gwrfan), and their sister's son, Cinuur, came from the region of Penychen (in Central Glamorgan), leaving their country on account of a quarrel, and chose to lead a hermitical and solitary life" at Clodock, of which they became " the first inhabitants and cultivators after the martyrdom of Clydog." Here, "with the advice and assistance of the Bishop of Llandaff, they built an improved church," and they received a grant of land on both sides the Monnow from Pennbargaut, king of Morganwg.

The first-named Saint had a foundation at Bishopston (S. Teilo), in Gower, known formerly by the Welsh as Llandeilo Ferwallt and Llanferwallt, from Mergualdus, its princeps, or abbot, in the time of Oudoceus. It is called in the Book of Llan Dâv Lann Conuur, Ecclesia Cyngur Trosgardi, and Cella Conguri (or Conuur). He probably founded it under the direction of his master, S. Teilo. In the time of Bishop Lybiau, 927-9, it was known as Monasterium Sancti Cinuuri, from which may be inferred its existence still as a monastery.

The same name occurs also in the Book of Llan Dâv under the forms Conmor, Conmur, Conuor, and Cinuor, but at least three distinct persons bore the name. An older form is the Cvnomori on the stone near Fowey, in Cornwall.

It is very probable that after a saint of this name the church of Llangynwr or Llangunnor,3 near Carmarthen, is called; at any rate it cannot have been after Cynyr, as has been supposed. We have him also in Capel Cynnor, the name of a now extinct chapel in the hamlet of Pendryn, in the parish of Pembrey, in the same county.

It is possible Cynfwr may have been one of those who migrated with Teilo to Armorica in 547 on account of the Yellow Plague, and that he may have left his traces there at S. Senoux in Ille et Vilaine. The name in 1427 was Cenneur, in 1513, Sennour. The church there is now transferred to the patronage of Abden and Sennen, whose relics were given to it in 1869.4 The local tradition is that he was a native of Britain who fled to Armorica because of a plague. He is represented in the church as a hermit astride on a stag.

1 Myv. Arch., 80, 115.

2 Pp. 194-5.

name.

See also the index to the book under the various forms of the 3 On the chalice (1616) "Llangonor."

4 De Corson, Pouillé de Rennes, s.n. S. Senou.

S. CYNFRAN, Confessor

CYNFRAN was one of the reputed sons of Brychan. His name, however, does not appear in the Cognatio. In the late accounts he is esteemed a saint who had his church at Llysfaen (formerly called also Llangynfran1), on the North Wales coast, which "was destroyed by the pagan Saxons." 2 His brother Cynbryd is patron of the adjoining

parish of Llanddulas.

His holy well, Ffynnon Gynfran, is at Llysfaen, a little below the church. Edward Lhuyd, in his so-called Itinerary, 1699, says that the people "offered into it to prevent disease among their cattle," 3 with the invocation, "Rhad Duw a Chynfran Lwyd ar y da!" ("The blessing of God and Holy Cynfran be upon the cattle!") He adds that "their wake is the eleventh night of winter," i.e., of November. Bishop Maddox (1736-43) in his MS. Z in the Episcopal Library at S. Asaph gives the parish feast as "12 Nov., on wch day & the Sunday following the Common People formerly offer'd here for their horned cattle. Another Montpellier." Browne Willis gives against Llysfaen, "S. Cynfran, November 11, though in some accounts said to be dedicated to All Saints." His festival does not occur in any of the Welsh calendars.

4

S. Dubricius had a disciple named Cynfran at Hentland on the Wye. 5 He, and clerics of the name, witnessed a number of grants to the church of Llandaff during the time of Dubricius, Teilo, Oudoceus, and Arguistil.

We might here append to what has been said about Ffynnon Gynfran Lhuyd's entry under the parish of S. George, Abergele, as it is not far distant. "At St. George's Well they usd formerly to offer horses, and one to the parson." The account which the Rev. H. Ffoulkes, rector of the parish, supplied Lhuyd with later is, however, more detailed. "The Carnarvon and the people of Uwchmynydd, Denbighshire, offer in our Saints Well (St. George's) for their Horses, imagining St. George to be a patron of those Animals. Rhad Duw a St. Sior arnat!'" ("The blessing of God and S. George be upon thee!"). According to the Valor of 1535, "Oblaciones Sancto Georgio" here amounted to 26s. 8d. annually. Under Llansant ffraid Glan Conwy, also in the neighbourhood, he wrote-" It was lately the custom to offer in this church to S. Ffraid (Brigid) for horned cattle and sheep."

1 J. Gwenogvryn Evans, Report on Welsh MSS., i, p. 913.

2 Iolo MSS., pp. 111, 119, 140; Myv. Arch., p. 419.

3

I hon yr offrymman rhag clevyde ar y gwartheg." See also Myv. Arch., p. 422. 4 Survey of Bangor, 1721, p. 363.

5 Book of Llan Dav, p. 80. A brook named Cinbran is mentioned (p. 161) in the boundary of Llandeilo Talybont. With the name compare Morfran and other Bran names.

S. CYNFYW, Confessor

THAT Gwynllyw Filwr had a son of the name of Cynfyw-liable to be reduced to Cyfyw and Cynyw-is clear; but in the older pedigrees it appears under a variety of spellings, which are at first a little puzzling. In Peniarth MS. 16 it occurs as Kemmeu, in Hafod MS. 16 as Cennen, in Peniarth MS. 12 as Cannan, and in Cardiff MS. 25 (p. 116) and Peniarth MS. 27 as Kymynyn. In Peniarth MS. 75, however, we have it as Kynvyw, and in Cardiff MS. 25 (p. 33) as Kynnyw. The Kemmeu of the thirteenth century Peniarth MS. 16 obviously stands for Kenmeu, which would be a very old form of the name; and the late forms Cammab, Cammarch, and Cannen, given as names of sons of Gwynllyw, are really misreadings by transcribers of this entry.

In the late pedigrees his name occurs as Cynfyw, Cynyw, Cyfyw, and Cifiw, and he is said to have been a saint or monk at Llancarfan, where he was his brother Cadoc's cofedydd or registrar.1

He is, no doubt, the original patron of Llangyfyw or Llangifiw (but to-day generally spelt Llangeview), near Usk, now said to be dedicated to S. David. Ecclesia S. Ciuiu (Cyuiu), mentioned in the Book of Llan Dâv, is a church which was once at or near Llangadwaladr, now Bishton, near Newport, Mon. The church of Llangynyw (spelt also Llangynviw in the Red Book of S. Asaph 2), in Montgomeryshire, was in all probability originally dedicated to him; but Browne Willis 3 gives All Saints as its dedication.

His festival is not entered in any of the Welsh calendars.

3

S. CYNGAN FOEL-see next article

S. CYNGAR AB CAW, Confessor

IN the Iolo MSS., at pp. 142-3, is mention made of a Cyngar son of Caw, but at p. 137 he is called Cyngan Foel.

'On referring to the list of the children of Caw of Twrcelyn' given in the Hanesyn Hên, of which we have two copies in the Cardiff MS., we find no Cyngar there, but a Bangar (pp. 13, 46); and there seems little doubt but that this rare name has been manufactured into Cyngar or Cyngan of the four lists referred to in the Iolo MSS., in three of which there is no other name resembling Bangar, though in the fourth 1 Iolo MSS., pp. 109, 130; Myv. Arch., pp. 422-3. The name Conbiu or Conuiu, borne by a layman in the Book of Llan Dâv, is a distinct name. Survey of Bangor, p. 360.

2 P. 54.

3

"1

he appears as Bangawr." He is said to have been a saint of Côr Illtyd, at Llantwit.

S. CYNGAR AB GARTHOG, Confessor

IN the saintly pedigrees in the thirteenth century Peniarth MSS. 16 and 45, this Saint's name only occurs as the father of S. Gwynlleu. In Hafod MS. 16 (circa 1400), however, he is entered as a saint, as well as the father of SS. Gwynlleu and Cyndeyrn (not Kentigern). So also as a saint in the later MSS.2 He was the son of Garthog ab Ceredig ab Cunedda Wledig. In the Iolo MSS. he has been confounded with S. Cyngar ab Geraint. He does not appear to have had in Wales any church dedicated to him, nor a festival day assigned him.

It is possible that he is the patron saint of Landeda near Lannilis in Léon, Brittany, for there a S. Congard is culted as founder. This may be the more famous Cyngar ab Geraint, but it is more likely that it was the son of Garthog, for Landeda is in the midst of a number of settlements of the family of Cunedda. S. Tyrnog founded Landerneau and Plabennec; S. Carannog, his brother, was at Tregarantec and Carantec; Dogfael, a cousin, has left his impress in the adjoining diocese of Tréguier; S. Tyssul is probably the saint culted at Crozon; S. David has a parish adjoining Landerneau, and S. Non was buried at Dirinon.

Landeda is on the tongue of land between the Aberfrach and the Aberbenoit, looking out on the ocean, which here unceasingly rages and foams against the granite cliffs.

In the church is a statue representing the patron mitred and with pastoral staff, giving benediction.

S. CYNGAR (CUNGAR) AB GERAINT, Abbot, Confessor

CYNGAR, also called Docwin and Dochau, was the brother of Iestyn, Selyf, Caw, and Cado or Cador, Duke of Cornwall. He was the son

"

1 Mr. Egerton Phillimore, Notes on Place-names in English Maelor," in Bye-Gones, 1889-90, p. 535. Cyngar occurs also in the lists on pp. 109, 117. 2 Cambro-British Saints, p. 265; Myv. Arch., p. 421; Iolo MSS., pp. 104, 125. His father's name is sometimes wrongly spelt Arthog and Arthwg.

of the heroic Geraint, who fell at Llongborth, and uncle of S. Cybi and of S. Constantine.1 His mother was Gwyar, daughter of Amlawdd Wledig.

The Life of S. Cyngar, in Latin Cungarus, is by John of Tynemouth, probably, though it is not in the Cottonian Collection, Tiberius E. 1. It is, however, printed in Capgrave's Nova Legenda Angliæ. It is an unsatisfactory document, based on no genuine documents, betraying at every point the work of a hagiographer making bricks without straw. In place of historic facts it is stuffed with pious commonplaces. Further information is obtained from the Life of his nephew, S. Cybi. The Life, as given by Capgrave, states that Cungarus was the son of an "Emperor of Constantinople," and of his wife Luciria. The name of the emperor is judiciously kept back. Loving the things of God rather than worldly pomp, Cungar ran away from home and formed for himself a hermitage by the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, but when his father sent after him he took ship, crossed to Italy, then passed the Alps into Gaul, and from Gaul migrated to Britain. He settled in that part of Britain "quæ vocatur Somersete." Finding a suitable spot surrounded by water and rushes, he settled there," postea suo vocabulo Cungresbiria nominatum." Cungar, as he was called by the English, was known to the Britons as Doccuinus. 2

He was led, in the way so common to Celtic Saints, to fix on the site of a monastery by finding the lair of a wild boar. It was his wont every morning to stand in cold water till he had recited the Lord's Prayer thrice. By diligent culture and drainage, he succeeded in reclaiming the land and converting it into pasture fields. He planted his yew staff in the cemetery he had formed at the outstart, and this grew and became a memorable tree.

Ina, king of the English, gave to Cungar as much land as he desired. But no Saxon king dared to visit Congresbury, as it was held that such a visit entailed sickness and speedy death; 3 a curious instance

1 Myv. Arch., p. 421; Cambro-British Saints, p. 269; Iolo MSS., pp. 116, 136. In the Abbatia (and Abbas) Docunni of the Book of Llan Dav we seem to have the Goidelic for an early form of Cyngar, viz. Cuno-caros, from which would be formed To-chun or Do-chun (Rhys, Celtic Folklore, p. 163). The forms Docguinni and Dochou occur in the same MS. In the Life of S. Cadoc he is called Docguinnus, Doguuinnus, and Dochu (Cambro-British Saints, pp. 48, 50). See also Birch, Margam Abbey, London, 1897, pp. 2, 3. Browne Willis (Llandaff, 1719, append., p. 2) gives Llandough as dedicated to a S. Tocho," on May 1. Cynghar is Welsh for the burdock.

2 44

Cungarus apud Angligenas vocabitur, Doccuinus, quasi Doctor, apud Britannigenas vocabatur." Capgrave, ed. 1901, p. 249.

3 "Si enim contingeret casu, ut reges aut viderent aut visitarent a beato Cungaro incultum, aut graviter et continuo inciperent infirmari, aut viso loco non haberent longius spacium vivendi." Ibid., p. 250.