Saint Gwynllyw Milwr | |
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![]() Drawing of a statue of Gwynllyw (Welsh Portrait Collection) | |
King | |
Born | 17 January 450 traditionally Gwynllwg |
Died | 29 March 529[1] Stow Hill, Newport |
Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church Anglican Communion |
Major shrine | St Woolos Cathedral |
Feast | 29 March |
Attributes | crowned warrior, carrying spear sometimes accompanied by an ox |
Patronage | Newport; pirates; soldiers |
Controversy | place of death (see text) |
Gwynllyw Filwr or Gwynllyw Farfog (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɡwɪnɬɪu]), known in English in a corrupted form as Woolos the Warrior or Woolos the Bearded (Latin: Gundleus, Gundleius or Gwenleue; c. 450 – 500 CE) was a Welsh king and religious figure.
He was King of Gwynllŵg in South Wales and is the legendary founder and patron saint of the City of Newport, living in the 5th century. According to medieval tradition, he was a feared warlord and lifestock raider who was acquainted with the mythical King Arthur, but later encountered religion and became a hermit, founding St Woolos Cathedral in Newport. He was the father of one of the most revered of Welsh saints, Saint Cadoc the Wise.