| Wenna | |
| Death Date: | c. 492 AD |
| Death Place: | Talgarth |
| Feast Day: | 18 October |
| Patronage: | St Wenna's Church, Morval, Cornwall St Wenn |
Wenna (Welsh: Gwen) was a medieval princess and Christian martyr who flourished in Wales and Cornwall. Later venerated as a saint, she is honored at multiple churches in Cornwall and Devon.
According to the 12th-century Life of Nectan, Wenna was one of the twelve daughters of Brychan, a legendary king of Brycheiniog (modern-day Wales).[1] Her siblings included Nectan, Mabyn, Ninnoc, and numerous other Brythonic saints.[2] According to tradition, she was martyred by Saxons at Talgarth in 492.[3] [4]
Two churches and two chapels have been dedicated to a saint by the name of Wenna: a 12th-century chapel at Cheristow in Hartland parish in Devon, the 13th-century parish church of St Wenn, a 14th-century chapel at St Kew, and the 15th-century parish church of Morval, Cornwall. The dedication of the parish church of Morval, however, is sometimes attributed to another Saint Wenna, a 5th-century queen of Cornwall and sister of Saint Non.[5] Wenna may have also had a holy well dedicated to her at St Wenn, but no specific records corroborate this.
Her feast day is 18 October, which is shared with the other Saint Wenna.