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Saints' names

The names of some of the early Christians who established their 'llannau' (churches) across the country are prominent in some of our place names. Many of them contain the names of some of our most famous saints: Dewi (St David) - Llanddewi Brefi, Ceredigion; Llanddewi Ystradenni, Powys and Ty Ddewi (St David's) in Pembrokeshire; Teilo (Latinised as 'Teliaus') -Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire; Llandeilo Graban, Powys and Llandeilo Bertholau in Monmouthshire and Padarn (Latinised as 'Paternus') - Llanbadarn Fawr, Ceredigon and Llanbadarn Fynydd in Powys.

Some of the most prominent saints gained new popularity centuries after their death, when several cults were established in the saints' names. This had the effect of spreading their names a great distance from the llan (church) originally connected with their names.

In some cases there is no certainty that a saint's name follows elements that have a religious connection such as llan, betws and capel (chapel). It is possible that the name of a local person who had given land for the purpose of building a church is commemorated.

For example, it is likely that this is the case for Betws Bledrws. It is believed that it is the name of Gwerful Goch, daughter of Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd in the 13th century, that occurs in the name Betws Gwerful Goch, which demonstrates how the families of the Welsh princes were patrons of the early churches.

Industrialists' names

To give an extreme example, consider the name Llandarcy near Swansea, where a large oil refinery was built at the beginning of the 20th century. The Darcy in question is not a saint, but rather the Englishman William Knox D'arcy who established the Anglo-Persian Oil Company which became a part of the BP company. And wealthy industrialists from the Victorian era gave their names to Port Talbot, Porthmadog and Bute Docks, for example. More on industrialists' names.

Biblical names

The names of Celtic saints (such as Tudno, Elli and Cybi) occur in the names of many of our churches, but after the Norman conquest in the 11th century the custom of the Catholic church was adopted, namely of commemorating saints with biblical names such as Pedr (Peter), Mair (Mary) and Mihangel (Michael). The name of the patron saint of the local church was often joined with another name, for example Llanbedr Pont Steffan (Lampeter) and Llanfair Caer Einion.

There are several places called Llanfihangel. Mihangel (St Michael) is the angel who wields a sword - the divine 'enforcer'! According to tradition, churches bearing St Michael's name were established in areas where early Christians had fought the local pagans in order to establish a church.

Corrupted names

We can get an idea of this from the story about the conflict between St David and an Irish pagan called Boia. Remains bearing his name can still be seen at Clegyr Boia near St David's. Because natives of Pembrokeshire tend to pronounce 'o' as 'w' the name became 'Bwya' and then 'Clegyr Fwya(f)'; but it was originally Clegyr Boia, and that name has been restored on the map.

Clegyr Boia is a large piece of rock which stands like an island on flat land, and it is likely that clegyr is a description of such a rock. There was a hillfort there which dates back thousands of years.

Boia was not the only person whose name has been lost over the centuries, as people corrupted place-names and forgot the original meaning. For example, Llanfihangel Iorwerth (or Yorath) became Llanfihangel-ar-arth.

Ceredig

'Glyn Caredig' is a pleasant enough name of a house in the village of Rhydargaeau near Carmarthen, but it is likely that 'Clun Ceredig' was the original name. The meaning of clun is 'meadow', like in the name Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire.

It is possible that this was the same Ceredig as the prince who gave his name to Ceredigion - Ceredig ap Cunedda Wledig. (Gwledig being equivalent to the Roman title 'Protector'). One of his descendants, Seisyll ap Clydog, conquered the Vale of Tywi circa 730, naming the conquered lands as Seisyllwg. Allt Ceredig and Nant Ceredig, latterly Nantgaredig, are in the same area.

Suffixes that denote ownership of land

Ceredigion is an example of a place name which contains a personal name and a suffix which denotes ownership of land. There was more than one way for a prince or nobleman to denote the ownership of his land. The suffix -wg occurs in Morgannwg (Glamorgan), -i in Arwystli and -iog in Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire). The Brychan commemorated in the name Brycheiniog ruled the area in the 5th century, and according to tradition he fathered a great number of children.

Cydweli (Kidwelly) is another example - land that belonged to a man called Cadwal. Previously Cydweli was not only the name of a town, but also of an area that stretched from the outskirts of Llanelli to Pensarn near Carmarthen.

In an era that had long forgotten poor Cadwal, people tried to explain the name by saying that the small town on the shore of Carmarthen Bay had been named Cydweli from the elements cyd (joint, join) and gwely (bed, riverbed) because it was the site of the confluence of the rivers Gwendraeth Fawr and Gwendraeth Fach. Although the explanation makes sense, it is utter rubbish without historical nor linguistic foundation.

Like in the case of Cydweli, there was a romantic and ludicrous fashion in the Victorian era to invent meanings for place names.

Romantic stories

Llyn Llech Owain is a lake located near Cydweli, in the Gorslas area near Cross Hands. When I was at school, Owain was one of King Arthur's knights, according to the teacher. Legend has it that on his way back from a battle on a hot summer's day Owain drank from the well to quench his thirst. The fountain was covered by a stone (or slate, 'llechen') to stop it overflowing. But after drinking, Owain fell asleep under a tree on a nearby hillock, without replacing the stone. When he awoke, the water from the fountain had formed a large lake.

However, according to local people today, the name commemorates Owain Lawgoch (Owain of the red hand), a famous knight who fought for many years on behalf of the king of France against the English. He intended to liberate Wales from English rule, but was assassinated in France by an agent of the English crown, believed to be called John Lamb, before he had the chance to fulfil his dream. At least this Owain was a real person, although the attempt to attribute the name Llyn Llech Owain to him is another romantic fantasy.

It is possible that 'Llyn Llwch y Waun' was the original name of this lake on the high moorland above Gorslas. The meaning of llwch, as in 'loch', is a lake in a very marshy place. Indeed, in Llan-llwch, which is very near the Carmarthen Showground - site of the 2007 Urdd Eisteddfod - the lake has dried up completely. As people forgot the meaning of the element llwch in Llwch y Waun, they began to call the place Llyn Llwch y Waun ('Llyn' and 'Llwch' are almost identical in meaning). Then only a slight change was required to turn it into Llyn Llech Owain.

Place names today can be very deceptive.