Did you know that the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil has Christian origins and gets its name from a (possibly historical) legendary figure named Tydfil?

Tydfil, according to legend, lived in the 5th century AD and was a daughter (the twenty-third, to be exact) of King Brychan Brycheiniog of the early Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog.

The legend tells that young Tydfil was an early convert to Christianity. While there were already some Christians in Britain as early as the 3rd century AD, it wasn’t until the 6th when it became so widespread. So, given Tydfil belonged to the 5th century, it is safe to assume that she would have been an early convert and that, certainly, this would have angered some of the Briton society who was not yet ready for this new fad religion.

Anger it did, in fact, as Tydfil (along with her brother, Rhun) was murdered by either Saxon or Welsh pagans – the answer is unclear and varies from version to version. It is believed that her body was buried in the town which would eventually take her name, Merthyr Tydfil (Merthyr meaning “martyr”, so “Martyr Tydfil” in English).

The attached image is a depiction of St Tydfil from Llandaf Cathedral, Caerdydd/Cardiff.

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Niklas George

Niklas is the founder, owner, manager, editor, writer, video creator, voice over artist, and so forth, of Welsh Histories. He is passionate about the preservation of Welsh culture; the rejuvenation of the Welsh language and the promotion of Welsh history. Niklas currently resides in Pune, Maharashtra, with his beloved wife.