Saint Melangell of Powys

Saint Melangell, also known as Monacella, was a 7th‑century Irish princess who chose a life of prayer and solitude over the marriage her father had arranged for her. Around the year 590, she fled Ireland to preserve her virginity and devotion to God, settling in the secluded valley of Pennant Melangell in Wales. There she lived as a hermit, dedicating herself to prayer and communion with nature.

Fifteen years later, in 604, Melangell’s life intersected with that of Brochwel Ysgithrog, Prince of Powys and Earl of Chester. While hunting, Brochwel pursued a hare that sought refuge beneath Melangell’s cloak. To his astonishment, his hounds refused to advance, retreating instead at her command. Struck by her courage and sanctity, Brochwel conversed with the young woman. Though captivated by her beauty, he was even more moved by her story of devotion. In admiration, he granted her the valley as a place of sanctuary, where she could continue her monastic life among the wild creatures.

News of Melangell’s holiness spread, and other women joined her, forming a small religious community. As abbess, Melangell guided them in a life ordered around prayer and works of mercy. They offered refuge to the poor and needy, and their community became known for its compassion and spiritual strength. Melangell herself was often seen surrounded by hares, creatures that came to symbolize her gentle guardianship.

Melangell’s association with hares became deeply rooted in local tradition. Welsh antiquarian Thomas Pennant recorded that hares were nicknamed “St Monacella’s lambs” (Ŵyn Melangell). Until the 19th century, superstition held that hares in her parish could not be killed, and even when pursued by dogs, they were believed to escape if someone invoked her name. This reverence for hares may reflect older Celtic traditions, as hares were often linked to moon goddesses in pre‑Christian mythology. Melangell thus became celebrated not only as a saint but also as a protectress of these small, vulnerable creatures.

Melangell led her community for 37 years until her death. Her tomb quickly became a place of healing, drawing pilgrims from afar who sought her intercession. Brochwel’s successors decreed that the valley should remain a place of solace for those in need of restoration, as well as a sanctuary for animals. For centuries, Pennant Melangell continued to be a site of pilgrimage and devotion.

During the Reformation, many holy sites were desecrated, and Melangell’s shrine was dismantled to protect it from sacrilege. Local people hid her relics, though their location was eventually forgotten. In the late 20th century, restoration work on the church uncovered bones dating from the 6th or 7th century, believed to be hers. The shrine was reconstructed from scattered stones, and her relics were once again enshrined, restoring Pennant Melangell as a place of pilgrimage.

The Shrine Church of Saint Melangell has always been a pilgrims’ church, welcoming visitors from across the UK and beyond. Without endowments or financial support from church or state, it relies on the generosity of pilgrims and visitors to sustain its ministry. Today, the restored church remains open daily for prayer and worship, offering a place of peace far removed from the rush of modern life. Pennant Melangell, meaning “head of the stream,” continues to be described as a place beyond words, where silence speaks of God and pilgrims experience the presence of the holy.

Melangell and Saint Winefride are the only two Welsh female saints with Latin hagiographies, a testament to their enduring importance. Her cult flourished locally for centuries before formal histories were written, and the Romanesque shrine built over her grave in the 12th century confirms that her veneration was well established long before the Norman conquest of Wales.