Saint Materiana
Encyclopedia
Saint Materiana is a Welsh saint and princess of the 5th century who is patron of two churches in Cornwall and one in Wales. Alternative spellings are Madrun, Madryn, Merthiana, and Mertheriana: the name was corrupted to Marcelliana in medieval times. She was the eldest of three daughters of King Vortimer
the Blessed and after her father's death ruled over Gwent with her husband Prince Ynyr.
is Minster
, dedicated to St Materiana, and nestling among the trees of Minster Wood in the valley of the River Valency
half-a-mile east of Boscastle at . The original Forrabury / Minster boundary crossed the river so the harbour end of the village was in Forrabury and the upriver area in Minster. The churches were established some time earlier than the settlement at Boscastle (in Norman times when a castle was built there). The Celtic name of Minster was Talkarn but it was renamed Minster in Anglo-Saxon times because of a monastery on the site. Until the Reformation St Materiana's tomb was preserved in the church. (Another spelling of her name sometimes used is 'Mertheriana' but the usual Latin form is Materiana.) Traditions of the saint were recorded by William Worcestre in 1478: he states that her tomb was venerated at Minster and her feast day was April 9. However the parish feast traditionally celebrated at Tintagel was October 19, the feast day of St Denys
, patron of the chapel at Trevena (the proper date is October 9 but the feast has moved forward due to the calendar reform of 1752).
at Tintagel
was probably in the 6th century, founded as a daughter church of Minster
: these are the only churches dedicated to the saint though she is usually identified with Madryn, Princess of Gwent, who has a church dedicated to her at Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd. At Tintagel Parish Church
there are two memorials which portray St Materiana: a statue in the chancel and a stained glass window in the nave.
Vortimer
Vortimer is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for his fierce opposition to his father's Saxon allies...
the Blessed and after her father's death ruled over Gwent with her husband Prince Ynyr.
Minster church
The mother church of BoscastleBoscastle
Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the civil parish of Forrabury and Minster. It is situated 14 miles south of Bude and 5 miles north-east of Tintagel....
is Minster
Forrabury and Minster
Forrabury and Minster is a civil parish on the north coast of Cornwall. The parish was originally divided between the coastal parish of Forrabury and inland parish of Minster until they were united in 1779....
, dedicated to St Materiana, and nestling among the trees of Minster Wood in the valley of the River Valency
River Valency
The River Valency is located in north Cornwall with many tributaries, and after running past Lesnewth cuts a valley before entering the sea at the harbour of the village of Boscastle. One of its tributaries is the River Jordan, which it joins in Boscastle just before the B3263 road bridge.The...
half-a-mile east of Boscastle at . The original Forrabury / Minster boundary crossed the river so the harbour end of the village was in Forrabury and the upriver area in Minster. The churches were established some time earlier than the settlement at Boscastle (in Norman times when a castle was built there). The Celtic name of Minster was Talkarn but it was renamed Minster in Anglo-Saxon times because of a monastery on the site. Until the Reformation St Materiana's tomb was preserved in the church. (Another spelling of her name sometimes used is 'Mertheriana' but the usual Latin form is Materiana.) Traditions of the saint were recorded by William Worcestre in 1478: he states that her tomb was venerated at Minster and her feast day was April 9. However the parish feast traditionally celebrated at Tintagel was October 19, the feast day of St Denys
Denis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
, patron of the chapel at Trevena (the proper date is October 9 but the feast has moved forward due to the calendar reform of 1752).
Tintagel and Trawsfynydd churches
The first churchTintagel Parish Church
The Parish Church of Saint Materiana at Tintagel is an Anglican church in Cornwall, UK. It stands on the cliffs between Trevena and Tintagel Castle and is listed Grade I....
at Tintagel
Tintagel
Tintagel is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The population of the parish is 1,820 people, and the area of the parish is ....
was probably in the 6th century, founded as a daughter church of Minster
Forrabury and Minster
Forrabury and Minster is a civil parish on the north coast of Cornwall. The parish was originally divided between the coastal parish of Forrabury and inland parish of Minster until they were united in 1779....
: these are the only churches dedicated to the saint though she is usually identified with Madryn, Princess of Gwent, who has a church dedicated to her at Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd. At Tintagel Parish Church
Tintagel Parish Church
The Parish Church of Saint Materiana at Tintagel is an Anglican church in Cornwall, UK. It stands on the cliffs between Trevena and Tintagel Castle and is listed Grade I....
there are two memorials which portray St Materiana: a statue in the chancel and a stained glass window in the nave.
- Extract from a Hymn to St Materiana in use at Tintagel
"Materiana, holy Mother, / Over thy people still preside, / Over thy household clothed in scarlet, /
Vesture of love and holy pride; / Thy children rise and call thee blessed, / Gathered around thee at thy side."
See also
- Puerto MadrynPuerto MadrynPuerto Madryn is a city in the province of Chubut in the Argentine Patagonia. It is the head town of the Viedma Department, and has about 57,571 inhabitants according to the last census in 2001....
-- a town in Argentina named after Madryn, NefynNefynNefyn is a small town and community on the north west coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 2,619. Welsh is the first language of almost 80% of its inhabitants. The A497 road terminates in the town centre.-History:...
, Wales - Carn Fadrun—a hill in North Wales named after the saint
- NefynNefynNefyn is a small town and community on the north west coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 2,619. Welsh is the first language of almost 80% of its inhabitants. The A497 road terminates in the town centre.-History:...
-- a town in North Wales (the Madryn estate is nearby)