Saint Keyne

Who is Saint Keyne?

Saint Keyne or Cain was a late 5th-century holy woman in the West Country, between Liskeard and Looe in south-east Cornwall.

Keyne was a pious virgin, one of the many daughters of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. She may have lived at Keynsham in Somerset but founded St Keyne in Cornwall, in the late 5th century, and left her name to a church and to a well, the latter whose waters are said to give the upper hand to whichever of two newlyweds first drinks of them. In 490 she visited her nephew Saint Cadoc at St Michael's Mount, where a granite chair or throne supposedly is said to grant matrimonial advantage.

She died a virgin on 5 October in either 490 or 505, more likely the later. She ... "grew up to be very beautiful, and many young men sought her hand in marriage, but she rejected them all." Her feast is celebrated on 8 October, although it is also recorded as 30 September.

She was the original patron of what is now St Martin-by-Looe and is linked with the River Kenwyn in Truro. She is known to have founded a few churches: Llangeinor in mid Glamorgan, Llangunnor and Llangain in Dyfed, at Rockfield, Runston, in Gwent ['Llan', in Welsh, means 'Holy Place'] and St Ceinwen's Church, Cerrigceinwen, where the churchyard encloses and Christianizes another holy well. She is also recorded as being a dragon-slayer, on par with St George.