{"product_id":"saint-dwynwen-medal-necklace","title":"Saint Dwynwen Medal Necklace – Welsh Patron Saint of Lovers \u0026 Sick Animals","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSaint Dwynwen, Patron Saint of Lovers and Sick Animals\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDwynwen lived in fifth-century Wales, one of the many daughters of King Brychan. According to the story told about her, she fell in love with a man named Maelon, but her father had already promised her to someone else. Grief-stricken, she fled into the forest, and in the version of the tale passed down through the centuries, God granted her three wishes: that Maelon be released from his suffering, that all true lovers find help in her name, and that she herself never marry. In thanks, she became a nun and founded a small church on Llanddwyn Island, off the coast of Anglesey, where a holy well later became a pilgrimage site. Visitors watched the movements of the well's eels for signs of whether their love would last, a tradition that eventually extended her patronage to sick and injured animals. Her feast day, January 25, is now celebrated across Wales as Dydd Santes Dwynwen, the Welsh counterpart to Valentine's Day. This particular telling of her life reaches us largely through folklore recorded centuries after she lived, and the earliest church records simply list her as a genuine local saint with a long-standing devotional following in Wales, not as someone formally canonized by Rome.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eA Gift For...\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWelsh partners, spouses, and anyone with Welsh heritage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Dydd Santes Dwynwen or Valentine's Day gift, especially for a couple who wants something other than the expected\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSomeone who loved and lost, and found their way through it\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnimal lovers, veterinarians, and vet techs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone drawn to Wales, its saints, or its holy sites\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA couple building a life together, however it started\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eA Confirmation Gift for Dwynwen\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf a confirmation name is being chosen, \"Cariad yn wir\" (\"true love,\" Welsh) on the first line and the confirmation date on the second makes a fitting engraving. Dwynwen suits a confirmand who has already learned that love and faith sometimes ask for patience rather than the outcome you wanted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eThe Saint Dwynwen Medal\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSaint Dwynwen is shown half-length in a simple robe, braided hair falling past her shoulders, holding a small stone chapel in her cupped hands, framed by a ring of Celtic knotwork. The natural gold or silver of the metal forms the illustration itself. Black ink is applied to the pendant surface and the metal shows through as the image. A shatterproof liquid glass coating seals the surface. The result has a depth and precision that printed medals don't achieve.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003ePersonalization and Engraving\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse can be engraved in Tangerine cursive, up to 2 lines of 20 characters each. Some ideas:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Cariad yn wir\" \/ a couple's initials\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Dydd Santes Dwynwen\" \/ the date they met\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"True love, true self\" \/ an anniversary date\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA partner's name \/ \"Llanddwyn\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSaint Dwynwen's feast day is January 25\u003c\/b\u003e. Her ruined church still stands on Llanddwyn Island today, reachable on foot at low tide, and remains one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Wales.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"western\"\u003eRelated Devotions for Welsh Saints and Steadfast Love\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-melangell-medal-necklace\"\u003eSaint Melangell Medal\u003c\/a\u003e: another early Welsh saint whose legend, like Dwynwen's, centers on protection and refuge, hers extended to hunted animals.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSaint Valentine Medal: the patron most associated with romantic love internationally, a natural companion piece for a couple who wants both traditions represented.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/collections\/patron-saints-for-pets-animal-lovers\"\u003ePatron Saints for Pets \u0026amp; Animal Lovers\u003c\/a\u003e: browse the full collection, including Dwynwen's fellow patron of sick and injured animals.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Sanctum Medals","offers":[{"title":"Stainless Steel \/ No","offer_id":53622975693136,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Stainless Steel \/ Yes","offer_id":53622975725904,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18k Gold Finish \/ No","offer_id":53622975758672,"sku":null,"price":70.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18k Gold Finish \/ Yes","offer_id":53622975791440,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0939\/7852\/6032\/files\/Saint-Dwynwen-Medal-Gold-frontview.jpg?v=1789580088","url":"https:\/\/sanctummedals.com\/products\/saint-dwynwen-medal-necklace","provider":"Sanctum Medals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}