Silver Melangell Brooch £185.00
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Details
One day in the year 590, Brochwel, a Prince of Powys, was hunting for hares. His hounds chased one into a thicket of thorns, but would not follow it any further. The Prince found that the hare had taken refuge under the skirts of a beautiful woman, deep in prayer. She told him that her name was Melangell, that she was the daughter of an Irish king, and that she had been living as a hermit on Brochwel’s land for 15 years. Brochwel was so impressed with her that he granted her some land as a perpetual sanctuary of refuge and protection. She lived there for a further 37 years, establishing a small community of female hermits. During this time the wild hares continued to be protected, and they are still regarded locally as having the protective blessing of Melangell. One of the local names for the hare is still ‘Ŵyn Bach Melangell’, meaning Melangell’s Little Lambs.