Winnold

Old English form of Winwaloe, Gunwalloe or Guenole. A Breton name which means “he who is fair”.

Saint Winnold was a 6th century Cornish saint. He was the son of a prince and a holy woman called Gwen who is supposed to have had three breasts as a sign of God’s favour (almost certainly a confusion with some local pagan deity).

His family fled to Brittany to avoid the Saxons, and this is where he grew up. He founded an abbey, and his Rule was the standard one for monks until Saint Benedict.

His feast day is the 3rd of March. According to English weather folklore, this day of the year is supposed to be especially windy, as seen in this piece of verse:

“First comes David
Next comes Chad
Then comes Winnold, roaring like mad”.

(St David’s Day is the first day of March and St Chad’s Day is the second day).