280 CORNISH DEDICATIONS. 



Ill 1067, the cliurcli of S. Olave in Exeter was given l>y 

 William the Conqueror to Battle Abbey. It had previously been 

 endowed with land by Gytha, the mother of Harold, for the 

 benelit of the soul of her husband, Godwin, who died in 1053, 

 but we do not know that it was then founded. As S. Olaf had 

 been killed in lighting against Canute, who had driven him from 

 his kingdom, and as Olaf was the favourite saint of the national 

 Norse party which opposed Danish domination, it is scarcely likely 

 that so early as 1053, Gytha should have had a church in 

 Exeter re-dedicated to such a Saint. I think that perhaps in 

 Exeter and probably at Poughill the Danish king has been 

 mistakenly substituted for a British saint. 



Newport on the Usk is situated much as Exeter was at the 

 point of junction of the British and English peoples. At 

 Newport is the church of S. Gwynlly^A-, in Latin Gundleus, which 

 the English inhabitants of Newport converted into Olave. 

 Leiand says {It/'n. IV) "The chirch of 8. Guntle — Olave in 

 English."* 



Mr. Egerton Phillimore says, "With regard to the form S. 

 Olave, Olave must be a deliberate alteration of some form 

 assumed by S. Gwynllyw's name into an English (Northman) 

 saint's name of somewhat similar sound. Such substitutions 

 occur in Wales, and are especially common in Brittany, where 

 they are the work of Gallicising priests." He gives an instance 

 near Milford, when S. Budoc has within a few years been 

 transformed into S. Botulph. 



I take it then that possibly at Exeter and at Poughill we 

 have churches of S Gwynllyw, perhaps inadvertently, and then 

 delibei-ately altered to dedications to S. Olaf. As both were 

 kings, the change was easily effected. 



The cult of S. Gwynllyw was carried into Brittany, where 

 he is called S, Gonlay. 



Gwynllyw was, however, never out of Gwent, so far as we 

 know, and it is possible that the real saint who has become Olave 

 in Exeter and at Poughill may be, not Gwynllyw himself, but 

 his son Gwodloyw. Another son, Gluvias, we know" did settle in 

 Cornwall. It is worthy of note that the inscribed stone at 



* See also. Johns (W.H.) History of the Church of b. Gwynllyw, Newport, iSgi, 



