Saint Armel was an early 6th century holy man in Brittany

Brittany

Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...

.

Armel is said to have been a Breton

Breton people

The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...

 prince, born to the wife of King Hoel

Hoel

Hoel or Howel is a legendary king of Brittany and one of the oldest characters associated with Arthurian legend. He is the son of King Budic of Brittany, and serves as one of King Arthur's vassals and loyal allies...

 while they were living in Glamorgan

Glamorgan

Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...

 in Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

 in the late 5th century. He founded the abbey of Plouarzel

Plouarzel

Plouarzel is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.The westernmost point of continental France, the Pointe de Corsen, lies within the commune.-Population:Inhabitants of Plouarzel are called in French Plouarzélistes....

 in Brittany and was, from there, called to attend the court of King Childebert I

Childebert I

Childebert I was the Frankish king of Paris, a Merovingian dynast, one of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511...

 of Paris. On the journey, he established churches at Ergué-Armel, Plouharnel

Plouharnel

Plouharnel is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:Inhabitants of Plouharnel are called in French Plouharnelais.-References:* * -External links:* * *...

 and Saint-Armel

Saint-Armel, Ille-et-Vilaine

Saint-Armel is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department of Brittany in north-western France.-Demographics:-Notes:* * -External links:*...

 which remember his name. He remained seven years at the royal court, curing the lame and the blind. The king gave him land at Saint-Armel-des-Bochaux in Ille-et-Vilaine

Ille-et-Vilaine

Ille-et-Vilaine is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country.- History :Ille-et-Vilaine is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...

 where he founded a second monastery

Monastery

Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...

. He then removed himself to the Forest of Teil and is said to have defeated a dragon which was terrorising the area. He died in his monastery around 570. His feast day is 16 August.