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am i still ill?
January 25, 2006 at 15:56
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Translation: Happy Saint Dwynwen’s day!
For those of you that aren’t in the know, St Dwynwen’s day is Welsh Valentines day.
Many Welsh natives celebrate it on the 25th January instead of, or as well as, St Valentines Day.
The story goes that Dwynwen lived in the 5th Century AD and she fell in love with a young man named Maelon.
Her father refused to allow her to marry Maelon, for whatever reason, so she prayed to God for her to forget her love for him.
God sent down an angel bearing a poition for Maelon to drink. After drinking this potion, Maelon turns to ice.
As well as receiving the potion, Dwynwen also receives 3 requests from God.
The first one she uses to have Maelon released.
The second she asks that, through her, God look after all true lovers.
And finally, that she remains unmarried. At which point, she then retreats to the solitude of Llanddwyn Island off the west coast of Anglesey to become a hermit.
Quite a moving story, ahem.
But, I do find Welsh folklore rather interesting, being a real patriot and all.
Naturally, S4C, the Welsh language TV channel, are celebrating with a string of romatically themed programmes airing tonight.
Dan wrote @ January 26th, 2006 at 14:19
What was achieved by him turning to ice?
Why did she become a hermit?
Why?
Sera wrote @ January 26th, 2006 at 18:49
That’s a really sweet story actually, well, not sweet but ya know.
Happy St. Dwynwen’s day to you too!
Sera
xx
Hannah wrote @ January 19th, 2007 at 15:12
Actually I’ve heard a different version. Apparently Maelon’s love for Dwynwen was unrequited, so he kidnapped and raped her. He was turned into ice but she prayed for him to be turned back into a man. It was then she retreated to Ynys Llanddwyn where she remained unmarried.
Well that’s one version of the tale.
Hannah x
Sarah wrote @ January 21st, 2007 at 16:22
I heard that Maelon spurned her love and so she retreated to Llanddwyn, there she saw and apparition while looking into a pond and was granted three wishes, the first was to turn Maelon into ice for not requiting her love, the second was for her to remain on Llanddwyn for the rest of her life and thirdly that all lovers who visited Llanddwyn would be happy forever.
Just another version of the tale
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