Llyr, and his brother, Manawyddan, and sister, Branwen, are all mythological characters. The Brân story, with all its details, has been described as forming "what is perhaps (next to Geoffrey of Monmouth's performances) the most impudent forgery in Welsh literature." 1 S. BRANWALADER, Abbot, Confessor BRANWALADER is invoked in the tenth century Litany of S. Vougay in that from Rheims, published by Mabillon, and in the Exeter Litany of the same period in the Salisbury Library, published by Warren. 2 M. Loth, in an article on these Celtic Litanies says:-" Brangualatre, Branwalatre. This Saint seems to be the same as S. Brelade in Jersey, and S. Broladre in the ancient diocese of Dol. He has given his name to Loc-Brevelaire in Léon; in the sixteenth century Loc-Brevalayz, which leads to an early Breton form Brewalatre, and probably Brenwalatre or Branwalatre." 3 Loc-Brevelaire is stated by M. Pol de Courcy to have been described in medieval documents as Monasterium Sti. Brendani, but no references are given. Both Albert le Grand and Lobineau identify the two. The Breviary of S. Malo of 1768 does so as well. Against the identification is the fact that the names apparently have little in common, but this shall be considered presently. In 935 Athelstan translated the body, or relics, of S. Branwalader, together with the arm and pastoral staff of S. Samson, to Milton in Dorsetshire. The day of commemoration of this Translation was January 19. William of Worcester mentions Branwalader under the name of Branwalan. He says that the body then reposed" at Branston, eight miles from Axminster, and four miles from the South Sea." William of Worcester's writing is peculiarly crabbed. The original MS. is in 1 Mr. Egerton Phillimore in Y Cymmrodor, xi, p. 126. 2 Litany of S. Vougay, see Albert le Grand, Vies des Saints de Bretagne, new ed. Quimper, 1901, pp. 224-227. Rheims Litany, Mabillon, Vetera Analecta, ed. Paris, 1723, ii, p. 667. Exeter Litany, Warren, Revue Celtique, 1888, p. 88, et seq. 3 Revue Celtique, 1890, p. 139. 4 Cartulaire de Redon, 1863, p. 579. 5 "S. Brandan, que nos Bretons appellent Sant Brevalazr," Le Grand, ed. cit., P. 591. Corpus Christi College Library, Cambridge, and Nasmith printed it fairly accurately in 1778.1 Branston is Branscombe, and it is a quarter of a mile, and not four miles from the sea. Leland calls the Saint, Brampalator, and speaks of a chapel of S. Breword near the shore at Seaton, between Axminster and Branscombe. 2 There can be little doubt that Breword is the same as Branwalader, and the chapel may have marked a resting-place of the relics, when being translated. The name Brennain, which has become Brendan, means a shower. This adhered to the Saint in Ireland, and in those parts of Armorica where there was a considerable Irish settlement. But the Britons would seem to have changed the Bren into Bran, a raven, and to have tacked on to it the epithet Gwalader. Gwaladr, in Welsh, is a leader or ruler. It was by no means unusual for saints to have two names. Brendan was not the Saint's baptismal name, which was Mobi. S. Cadoc's original name was Cathmail, that of S. Meven was Conaid; Kenan was known as Coledoc, one Fintan was also called Munna, a second Berach; Cronan was also known as Mochua, Carthach as Mochuda, Darerca is likewise known as Monenna. Kentigern is one with Munghu, and the great teacher of saints at Ty Gwyn is known as Ninnidh or Maucan. Celtic personal names consist of a substantive to which an adjective or a qualifying substantive is annexed. Brangwalader means the Raven Lord. Gwlad in Modern Welsh means "country"; in Old Welsh it signified “power, authority," from a root " vald," whence also English" wield," German "walten," etc. Gwaladr is "one possessed of power," a ruler." We have the same in composition in Cadwaladr. Branwalader appears in Breton and British Litanies only. In the Irish Martyrologies such a name does not occur, but Brendan or rather Brennain. In Brittany S. Branwalader receives local commemoration on the day of S. Brendan, May 16. MS. Missal of S. Malo, fifteenth century; Breviary of S. Malo, 1537; Breviary of Dol, 1769, on July 5: Breviary of Léon, 1516; Garaby also May 16, as Brendan or Broladre. He is the S. Brelade of Jersey, and the S. Broladre of Ille-et-Vilaine. Hampson's Cal. Jan. 19, so also the Cals. of Winchester and Malmesbury. 1 The passage is not distinctly written and turned in by the original binder after the letter n. 2 Leland, Coll., iv, 82; Itin., iii, 58. S. BREACA, Virgin, Abbess LELAND (Itin., iii, p. 15), quoting from a Life of this saint in use in Breage Church, Cornwall, says that she was one of the company of Irish Saints that arrived under the conduct of S. Sinninus the abbot, i.e. of S. Senan of Inis Cathy. She was born in " the parts of Leinster and Ulster," and was associated with S. Brigid in the foundation of a community in these parts. The whole passage runs as follows, a summary of what he found in the now lost Vita Sanctae Breacae. Barricius socius Patricii, ut legitur in vita Sti. Wymeri. Sta. Breaca nata in partibus Lagoniae et Ultoniae. Campus Breacae in Hibernia in quo Brigida oratorium construxit, et postea Monasterium, in quo fuit Sta. Breaca. Breaca venit in Cornubiam comitata multis Sanctis, inter quos fuerunt Sinninus Abbas, qui Romae cum Patricio fuit; Maruanus monachus, Germochus rex, Elwen, Crewenna, Helena. Breaca appulit sub Rivyer cum suis, quorum partem occidit Tewder. Breaca venit ad Trenewith. Breaca aedificavit eccl. in Trenewith et Talmeneth, ut legitur in vita Sti. Elwini. Now who was this Breaca? Breaca is but a Latin form of Brig, or Breeg, as the name is pronounced alike in Cornwall and in Ireland. There were several female saints of this name. Brig was Virgin Abbess of Killbrig, and was a pupil of S. Brigid. Some doubt exists as to her father's name, whether it were Cairpre or Finlug. The glossator on the Martyrology of Oengus says the former. In the Book of Leinster she is said to have been the daughter of Fergus. But Brig, daughter of Fergus, was sister of Brennan, father of S. Boethin. Another brother was S. Brendan of Clonfert. Although called his sister, she may have been a half-sister, and this would account for her being called in one place the daughter of Fergus, and he being described as a son of Finlug. S. Brigid founded Kildare in 480 and died in 525. S. Brendan was ninety-six when he died in 577, consequently he was born in 481. If Brig was a half-sister, by a second marriage, she may have been younger by some years. Brendan paid his sister a visit before his death, and gave her a parting kiss. She was accordingly not at this time in Cornwall. This throws Brig, sister of Brendan, too late. According to her Life, as summarized by Leland, Breaca came to Cornwall with Senan. He died in 554. He travelled much in his early days. Now Senan was in close communication with a holy virgin of the name of Brig or Brigid, daughter of Cu Cathrach, of the Hy Machtail sept, who had her church at Cluain Infide, on the banks of the Shannon. The story is told of her that she had a chasuble she desired to present to Senan, but having no messenger she made a little basket of holly twigs, put moss in it, and then packed into it the chasuble as well as a letter entreating him to come and communicate her. Then she cast the little hamper into the river, and said to the stream, "Bear that with thee to Iniscathy." Actually the basket was washed up on the bank of the islet, and was taken to Senan, who at once took measures to comply with her request. As she was short of salt as well, he sent her that likewise. According to the form in which the legend reaches us, he committed two bars of salt and the Blessed Sacrament to the Shannon to carry it back, in the same basket. It is not difficult to see that this is a miraculous gloss on a very simple incident. Brig sent down a messenger in a coracle of plaited holly twigs, to make the request known to the Abbot, and to offer him her present, and by the same vehicle he sent to her what she desired.1 Another with whom Brig came to Cornwall was Finbar, or Baricius as he is also called. Finbar's death is usually put far too late, he was a friend of S. Senan, and we are inclined to hold that he did not die later than 560. Now Finbar is expressly stated to have had a congregation of holy women over whom presided a Her and a Brigid.2 Her we take to be Hy or Ia who came to Cornwall, and Brigid may be the same Brigid who was at one time under the direction of S. Senan. In the Life of S. Monynna we read of one of the sisters whose name was Brig, who was greatly trusted by her.3 4 One evening after she had been sent to the dormitory, she rose and approached the cell of her superior, when she saw two swans flying over it, and came to the conclusion that they were angels who had visited Monynna. In punishment for inquisitiveness she was struck blind. The name Brig, Brignat, or Briget, all forms of the same name, was so common in Ireland, and there are so many saints so called, that with the limited information we possess, it is not possible to fix, with anything approaching to certainty, which of them was she who came over to Cornwall. All the particulars we learn from Leland are that she was at one 1 Book of Lismore, Anecd. Oxon., pp. 218-9. 2 O'Hanlon, Lives of the Irish Saints, ix, p. 561. We have been unable to find the authority. The list of disciples is not in the Life in the Kilkenny Book, of which we have obtained a transcript. 3 "Inter alias Dei famulas quædam virgo, nomine Brignat, cum sancta virgine cohabitasse traditur." Vita SS. Hib., Cod. Sal., col. 179. 4 Ibid., col. 179. See further under Brigid of Cilmuine. time in the community of S. Brigid at Kildare and that she was a native of that district. Keating, in his History of Ireland, says, "The religious women that were known by the name of Bridget were fourteen, and were as follows: Bridget, daughter of Dioma; Bridget, daughter of Maianaig; Bridget, daughter of Momhain; Bridget, daughter of Eana; Bridget, daughter of Colla; Bridget, daughter of Eathair Ard; Bridget, of Inis Bride; Bridget, the daughter of Diamair; Bridget, the daughter of Seannbotha; Bridget, daughter of Fiadnait; Bridget, daughter of Hugh (Aed); Bridget, daughter of Luinge; Bridget, daughter of Fiochmaine; Bridget, daughter of Flainge." 1 But this by no means exhausts them. There was a Brigid, daughter of Comgall," mother of the daughters of Christ in the province of Leinster." When S. Brigid of Kildare visited her, the latter washed the holy mother's feet, and a nun who suffered from gout was cured by this water.2 The Book of Leinster gives these Brigs as disciples of S. Brigid :Brig, daughter of Fergus, at Cill-Brig, and this was near Kildare. Another was the daughter of Amalgaid, in Achad Eda, this is Huachtarard in Kildare. Colgan adds others, Brig, daughter of Doma (February 7), a daughter of Mainach, another of Manan (June 24), another of Enda, another of Colla, Brigid of Inis Brig, another of Fithmuine; the daughter of Murdach, and of Rathbrig near Curah of Kildare; and the daughter of Eochaid and of Magluinge. Consequently the statement made by Leland that Breaca was a disciple of S. Brigid does not help us much. Her companions, he tells us, were Senan, Maruan (Mo-Ruan) Germoc the King, Elwen, Crewenna, and Helena. There were more, and among these Achebran, Tressan, and Gibrian, and as we have already seen. (under S. ACHEBRAN) we can pretty well fix the date when seven of the swarm arrived at Rheims, i.e. 509. This would give the close of the fifth century, or the very beginning of the sixth, as the date of their arrival in Cornwall, approximately 500. If this be the date, it excludes the half-sister of S. Brendan, who survived him. When the party came over to Cornwall, and arrived in Hayle Bay, Tewdrig resisted their landing. They however made their way to Reyvier, where he had a castle, to ask permission to settle. Reyvier is on a creek just west of Phillack Church," now as some think drowned with sand," says Leland.3 1 Keating, Hist. Ireland, tr. O'Connor, Dublin, 1841; ii, p. 66. |