Elen of the Hosts

Saint Elen of Caernarfon (in Welsh Elen Luyddog, "Elen of the Hosts", often rendered Helen) was, by tradition, a founder of churches in Wales at the end of the fourth century. Although never formally canonized by Rome, she is held a saint in the Church in Wales. She is remembered on 22 May. In English she is sometimes called Saint Helen of Caernarfon, so as not to be confused with Saint Helena of Constantinople, the mother of Constantine the Great. Our sources show no Orthodox veneration, but a Welsh, local one, in which legend and history are mixed.

Church tradition

By tradition, she was the daughter of the Romano-⁠British ruler Octavius (Eudaf Hen), and so sister of Conan Meriadoc, and wife of Magnus Maximus (Macsen Wledig), the fourth-⁠century emperor of Britain, Gaul and Spain, killed in battle in 388. She was mother of five, among them a boy named Custennin or Cystennin (Constantine). A Russian source calls her the second wife of Magnus Maximus and says it is not known whether Eugenius was her son, or whether her first-⁠born was Antoninus Donatus Gregory. The same sources give her also two daughters, Gratiana (born 367, with husband Tudwal) and Severa (born 370, with husband Vortigern). She lived some sixty years after Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, with whom she was often confused. She is patron of the church of Llanelan, in West Gower, and of the church of Penisa'r-⁠waun, near Caernarfon, where her commemoration is 22 May. Together with her sons Cystennin and Peblig (Publicus, named in the calendar of the Church in Wales) she is said to have brought into Wales Celtic monasticism from Gaul. Saint Gregory of Tours and Sulpicius Severus write that Maximus and his wife met Saint Martin of Tours when they were in Gaul.

Literary tradition

Her story is told in "The Dream of Macsen Wledig", one of the tales linked with the Mabinogion. Welsh mythology remembers her as the daughter of a chieftain of north Wales named Eudaf or Eudwy, who probably lived near the Roman base of Segontium, now Caernarfon. She is remembered for having made Macsen build roads across her country, so that the soldiers could defend it more easily from attackers, and for this she was given the name Elen Luyddog.

Legacy

She is said to have ordered the making of Sarn Helen, the great Roman road from Caernarfon toward south Wales, through Dolgellau, Pennal and Bremia (Llanddewi Brefi). Though the road bears her name, it is much older than her time. Many other Roman roads in Wales bear her name, and she is held patron of British roadbuilders and of travellers. In Britain there are over twenty holy wells dedicated to a "Saint Helen", though these are often taken as in honour of the mother of Constantine.