"Dydd Santes Dwynwen"

Translation: Saint Dwynwen's day

[To-bach]

Just wondering why does 'Santes' come before 'Dwynwen'? With 'Dewi Sant' it seems to be the other way around.

[ibisc]

Dewi Sant is a historical figure of some importance in Welsh history, so he is accorded a name equivalent to 'Dewi the Saint', rather like Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good), Owain Lawgoch (Owain Bloody-hand), Rhodri Mawr (Rhodri the Great) and many others. Similary, Richard Lionheart, Ethelred the Unrede, Alfred the Great, William the Bastard, and so on

Other saints such as Santes Dwynwen, Sant Celert, Sant Catwg, and so on were just common or garden saints of the early Welsh church.

[To-bach]

Lovely, thanks for the explanation.

[enfys76]

What I mean is: Is Santes Dwynwen a translation of St Valentine, or a Saint herself whose Day happens to fall on the same as St Valentine's?

[ibisc]

Two different dates, and San Ffolant is the Welsh name for St Valentine (all two or three of him!).