'''Erfyl''' (also known as '''Eurfyl''', among other names) was a female Welsh virgin. A church in Llanerfyl, Powys, where her grave is thought to be located, has been dedicated to her. A holy well in her name was formerly located nearby.

==History== Records of the feast day of the virgin Saint Erfyl first appear in Wales during the 15th century, recorded as 6 July. Her name may have changed over time, as when listed in the 16th century ''Llanstephan MS 47B'' manuscript,{{sfn | Baring-Gould|Fisher| 1907|p=463}} her name appears as Gwerfyl. In a manuscript written in 1508, ''Additional MS 12.913'', a "Urvul a Gwenvul" is listed on the same day. Further similar names have been attributed to her over the years, including Eurfyl, Eurful, Erful, Urful, Urfyl and Yrfyl.{{sfn | Baring-Gould|Fisher| 1907|p=464}}

A church in Llanerfyl, Powys is dedicated to Saint Erfyl, and is supposed to be her place of burial. She has been attributed as a daughter of Padarn and a cousin of Cadfan, though this is a misreading of an inscribed stone, referred to as her gravestone, in the churchyard.{{sfn | Baring-Gould|Fisher| 1907|p=464}} The church holds a reliquary of Erfyl and within the grounds there are the remains of a wooden shrine.{{sfn | Higitt|Forsyth|Parsons| 2001|p=11}} A yew tree stands in the churchyard, which has had the trunk divided into four. Tradition states that it grew from Erfyl's staff.{{sfn | Hooke| 2010|p=208}}

A holy well devoted to Erfyl formerly stood {{convert|400|ft|m}} away from the church. The water was attributed with curing ability, and was previously used as baptismal water in the church. It became a tradition for the children of the surrounding area to drink the water with sugar added on Easter Mondays.{{sfn | Baring-Gould|Fisher| 1907|p=464}}

==Notes== {{reflist|30em}}

==References== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book|last1=Baring-Gould|first1=Sabine|author-link1=Sabine Baring-Gould|last2=Fisher|first2=John|title=Lives of the British Saints|date=1907|publisher=Charles J. Clark|volume=2 |location=London}} *{{cite book|last1=Higitt|first1=John|last2=Forsyth|first2=Katherine|last3=Parsons|first3=David N.|title=Roman, Runes and Ogham|date=2001|publisher=Shaun Tyas|isbn=978-1-90028-944-3 |location=Donington, Lincolnshire}} *{{cite book|last1=Hooke|first1=Della|title=Trees in Anglo-Saxon England|date=2010|publisher=Boydell Press|isbn=978-1-84383-565-3 |location=Rochester, N.Y.}} {{refend}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Christian saints in unknown century Category:People from Powys Category:Female saints of medieval Wales Category:Year of birth unknown