St. Non, mother of St. David of Wales

Lady Non was the most notorious daughter of Lord Cynyr Ceinfarfog of Caer Goch. She was a nun at Ty Gwyn near Whitesands Bay (Dyfed) who was seduced, if not raped, by Prince Sandde of Ceredigion in the latter years of the 5th century. The poor pregnant girl went into hiding and ended up giving birth at Caerfai, on the coast just south of Mynyw (St. Davids), in the middle of a violent storm.

Non named her son Dewi and he became the greatest saint in all of Britain (St. David). A chapel was built where Dewi was born and its ruins can still be seen there today. St. Non's Well, sporting her statue, is nearby.

Non brought Dewi up at Henfeynyw near Aberaeron and together they founded a nunnery at Llanon nearby. In later years, she moved to Cerniw to be near her sister, St. Wenna. Non sent out some oxen to drag her portable altar to the place where she would live. They stopped at Altarnon, where she settled down and founded a monastery. Non eventually retired to Brittany and settled in Dirinon in Finistère. Here she set up a third monastery, where she finally died on 3rd March. Her shrine can still be seen in the parish church today.

Courtesy of EBK