Saint Melangell
The patron saint of hares and small creatures
A saint for hares and little creatures is a saint I can get behind, so let’s learn some more about Saint Melangell!
Who was Saint Melangell?
Melangell (pronounced Mel-an-geth in Latin Monacella which translates to “little nun”) was a seventh or eighth century Irish princess who fled Ireland after her father set up an arranged marriage for her. Melangell wanted to live a life of prayer and solitude and found a home in what is now Wales.
Melangell lived there peacefully for fifteen years when a man named Brochwel, the Prince of Powys whose wilderness Melangell was living on, came upon her when hunting with his hounds. Brochwel’s hounds were chasing a hare who then took refuge in Melangell’s cloak. Brochwel tried to urge his hounds forward to continue hunting for the hare but they refused to go near Melangell and fled.
Having never experienced anything like this before Brochwel was moved and after hearing Melangell’s story asked her to be his wife. She refused, but Brochwel was in such awe of her story that he allowed her to take sanctuary on the land she had made a home for herself on and that no small creatures on the land would be hunted. Eventually other women found sanctuary and community with Melangell who became the Abbess of the small religious community.
Melangell spent the rest of her days there in peace helping others and after her death her tomb became a place of healing and for pilgrimage. While the abbey no longer exists a church was built in the twelfth century which became Pennant Melangell which still stands today.
Who should pray to Saint Melangell?
Saint Melangell is the patron saint of hares and small creatures, so I would say owners of hares, rabbits, and other small rodents would find some comfort in praying for their small creatures to a saint that cared about them. Since Melangell was also a woman fleeing an arranged marriage and created a sanctuary for women who may have been fleeing similar circumstances, I would say she’d accept prayers from anyone in that boat as well.
Is Saint Melangell still a saint?
Yes! Saint Melangell has two feasts days, January 31st and May 27th and is one of two female Welsh saints to have Latin hagiographies (a writing on the lives of saints). Pennant Melangell is still active and many people take pilgrimage to the site to pray to Saint Melangell.
Sources:
Bailey, Joanne. “Melangell – Saint of Hares and Rabbits.” Rabbit Retail, Rabbit Retail, 16 May 2023, rabbitretail.co.uk/blogs/news/melangell-saint-of-hares-and-rabbits?srsltid=AfmBOopCxNttjnkRAsk8QnwOY9v0O_HBZYtjkeM1Buj3zMJfXEj23FFD.
Catholic Online. “St. Melangell - Saints & Angels.” Catholic Online, www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5057. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
“Home.” St. Melangell (Monacella), 29 Jan. 2017, saintspreserved.com/small_creatures/.
“Melangell and the Hare - the Story behind the Bronze Sculpture.” Mallon Ireland, mallonireland.com/pages/melangell-and-the-hare?srsltid=AfmBOopFyp7-94EB06uyXF2KYD70rrjTmH2UPYeX1xWZxW9vPdWHNd7X. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
“Saint Melangell - Patron Saint of Hares.” Saint Melangell Shrine Church & Centre, stmelangell.org/saint-melangell/. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
“Saint Melangell’s Orthodox Church.” Our Patron Saint - Saint Melangell’s Orthodox Church, www.orthodoxmanchester.org.uk/ourpatronsaints.htm. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.