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Two Welsh saints bear the nameSadwrn[1] (Welsh pronunciation:[ˈsadʊrn]): St Sadwrn ofLlansadwrn[2] nearBeaumaris in Anglesey, and St Sadwrn ofHenllan in Denbighshire.
A burial stone dating from AD 550 at the latest, discovered in 1742, suggests that St Sadwrn of Llansadwrn may also have been known as Sadyrnin (Saturninus), creating a link to two churches inCarmarthenshire in south Wales: Llansadwrn, a chapel under Cynwyl Gaeo and Llansadyrnin, both of which were dedicated to Sadwrn and had fairs on 5 October.[1]
This Sadwrn is mentioned in theLife ofSaint Winefrid (Welsh: Gwenfrewy) byRobert of Shrewsbury and also in the Welsh hagiographyBuchedd Gwenfrewy. According to these, Winifred was sent to Sadwrn at Henllan inRhufoniog byDeifer of Bodfari. However, Sadwrn evidently did not want to be troubled with her and sent her on to Prince Eleri atGwytherin.[1]
The festival at Henllan is held on 19 November,[3] but as this is also the feast day ofSaturnin, martyr bishop of Toulouse, it may have been adopted only in mediaeval times.[4]