Venerable Teneu of Glasgow, Abbess of Gwytherin

Traprain Law, Lothian

The eighteenth of July is the feast-day of Saint Teneu. First mentioned in the Life of Saint Winefride, she was the mother of several saints, including Saint Cyndeyrn, or Mungo, of Glasgow. A royal scion of the kingdom of Gododdin in Yr Hen Ogledd, Saint Teneu suffered sexual abuse and attempted execution by her father, before giving birth. She later married a Welsh prince, became an anchoress and founded a hermitage at Gwytherin, where she was mentor to Saint Gwenffrewi.

Teneu [also Denw, Theneva or Tenoi] was born in the sixth century, the daughter of King Lot of Gododdin. Her story is remarkably similar to that of Saint Senara, the mother of Saints Beuzeg and Maodez of Brittany. She was raped by Owain mab Urien, who was hiding himself in Gododdin by dressing as a woman. He then confused her by saying, ‘Weep not, sister, for I have not known thee as a man is used to know a virgin. Am I not a woman like thyself?’ She conceived, and when it became obvious to her father that she was pregnant, King Lot flew into a rage and ordered her to be executed, by having her driven in a chariot off of Traprain Law.

She managed to survive, however. Now suspected of being a witch, King Lot had his daughter put in a raft and set afloat in the Firth of Forth. She floated across the firth and landed at Culross, where she took sanctuary at the priory of Saint Serbán. There she delivered her son, whom she named Cyndeyrn. Saint Serbán, however, took to calling the lad Mungo, meaning ‘very dear one’.

Teneu lived with Cyndeyrn under Saint Serbán’s protection at Culross for some time; however, she eventually made her way to Wales, where she married the prince of one of the southern kingdoms, Dyngad ap Nudd. They had several children together before Dyngad died, including Eleri – one of the few hermits who was willing to listen to Saint Gwenffrewi’s proposal for monastic communities in Wales. Saint Teneu eventually became an anchoress herself. When her son introduced Gwenffrewi to her, it appears that Saint Teneu readily took the younger woman under her wing. This is not surprising – both women were subjected to sexual violence from powerful men. As a result, Saint Gwenffrewi’s proposal for a monastic community in the Benedictine style may have appealed deeply to Teneu, who took it for the Rule in her own hermitage. After Saint Teneu’s repose, she was succeeded as abbess of Gwytherin by her disciple Saint Gwenffrewi. Holy abbess Teneu, earthly and spiritual mother of saints, intercede with Christ our God for us sinners!

Gwytherin Church, site of Saint Teneu’s and Saint Gwenffrewi’s abbey