On being a Polish writer, living in Wales

Joanna Bonarek-Gnat

As Dydd Santes Dwynwen (St. Dwynwen’s Day) is upon us, it is a great opportunity to remind us of Wales’ very own patron saint of love, St. Dwynwen.

On 25 January, many of us exchange thoughtful gifts, cards, and sweets, as we would on Valentine’s Day, but also traditional love spoons – today, acquired in gift shops but, in the past, carved by men and handed to their loved ones as beautiful love poems hidden in the wood.

The history of the holiday dates back to the fifth century. Legend has it that Dwynwen was one of twenty-four daughters of King Brychan Brycheiniog (the number of his daughters varies depending on the source).

Magic potion

King Brychan did not agree to Dwynwen’s marriage to Maelon, so she prayed and asked God to free her from her feelings. An angel came down from heaven and, in a dream, gave Dwynwen a magic potion, thanks to which she forgot him and, at the same time, turned Maelon into a block of ice.

God granted Dwynwen three wishes. The first thing she asked for was to free Maelon from his freezing prison, unaware that she was helping her beloved. Then, she wished that all sincere prayers of faithful love would always be fulfilled through her intercession (or, if this was contrary to God’s will, that they would be freed from the desire to marry).

The Lord heard her prayer: Maelon was unthawed immediately, and Dwynwen became the heavenly guardian of those who are in love and those who are looking for a husband or wife. Finally, she asked never to marry again. She left her father’s house and lived the life of a hermit in the south of Anglesey for the rest of her life, healing the sick with herbs. She was therefore proclaimed the patron saint of the sick and the patron saint of animals.

Modern form

Of course, traditions have changed over time. If one were to attempt to point out a person who contributed to giving that tradition a modern form, Welsh writer Jane Edwards would be the name to mention.

Growing up in Anglesey, she learned many local legends and visited the place of worship of the saint in the south of the island. For some time, she lived in Aberystwyth (the town where I am writing these words).

Around 1965, Jane was asked to appear on a radio program to talk about a place that the Welsh like to visit.

She decided to tell the story of St. Dwynwen and also spoke about Ynys Llanddwyn (Island of the Church of Dwynwen), the legendary hermit’s sanctuary, where there is still a well of revelation, supposedly revealing the will of God. According to legend, when a woman throws a handkerchief into it, the movement of the fish will reveal whether she will be happy with the man she is in love with.

The program with Jane was broadcast on St. David’s Day and was met with great interest, laying the foundation for further activities aimed at promoting the beauty of Welsh culture, and in particular, the establishment of St. Dwynwen’s Day.

It is a cliché to say that legends and myths are the inspiration for all fantasy novels, but at least that was the case for me. Myths, legends, and landscapes… I cannot speak for everyone, but for me, as someone who grew up in Poland, where the sea is 330 miles (about a 6-hour drive) from the nearest mountains, the sight of mountains rising straight from the sea is an incredible view every time.

And last but not least, sunsets over the sea – a breathtaking spectacle, admired with the roar of the waves and the cries of seagulls, tirelessly hunting for chips (I can tell from experience that they can snatch food from your hands before you know it).

Nevertheless, the sun vanishing on the horizon and marking the waters with liquid gold hypnotizes everyone. It never stops to amaze me when almost all the promenade visitors stop for a couple of minutes just to appreciate the view.

So, it was inevitable that, with its abundance of picturesque landscapes, slate quarries, mines, rich culture, and enchanting language (which I am still learning), Wales has had an enormous influence on my writing. That’s where the history of Kalôn: Heart of the Beast begins.

Chance

I need to mention here that one important element of the narrative was decided by chance (if not all of them). I remember the day when I drove north with my husband Michal and my cousin Eliza to pick up her just-bought car (later named ‘Scarlett’).

I knew only that the seller was living somewhere in the Eryri National Park. We wandered for a while before we found the right turn and climbed a winding road up a gentle slope at the foot of Rhobell Fawr Mountain. As we pulled into the driveway, the mountains were all around us, and I looked up at one of the peaks (I now know I was looking toward Cadair Idris) and said to my cousin that I had no idea what the book was going to be about yet, but it would take place in a place like this. And so it did.

Two months later, I started working on the first draft, and a year and a half later, Kalôn hit the online bookstores.

The title is written with the letter ‘k’ instead of ‘c’ to mark the evolution of the alphabet. The letter ‘k’ (and others) disappeared after William Salesbury translated the New Testament in 1567, making the spelling of Welsh words more similar to Latin.

In addition, the word calon, meaning heart in Welsh, spelled as kalon, has its roots in Ancient Greek and describes unspeakable beauty, both physical and spiritual.

I set the events in a quiet and peaceful area overlooking the Welsh countryside, with stunning views from every corner of the property, including the mountains of Aran Fawddwy, Aran Benllyn, Rhobell Fawr, and Cader Idris.

I enriched the descriptions of the evergreen land with local myths associated with the area. The main character, a Polish immigrant, Anna Mnich (in translation, Monk), runs a cozy B&B cottage named Dwynwen (no further explanation is needed, I believe).

She is unwittingly entangled in a plot to destroy an ancient manuscript, and a Welsh policeman, Aidan Pryce, is assigned to the case. He rents a room from her for the duration of the investigation. Pryce becomes a fierce enemy of Anna’s boyfriend, Chris Pebr, a curator of collections at the National Library. Although the events take place in fictional Wales, one will notice certain similarities to other locations, and they very likely won’t be accidental.

Translated

The first volume of the novel was published in Polish, but I hope that shortly, all three volumes will be translated into the languages ​​of the countries they were inspired by. The characters of different nationalities communicate in English, but I have kept the most important phrases spoken by detective Pryce in Welsh because they are so romantic. It’s not surprising Tolkien was inspired by the Welsh language, Landscape and Culture and I cannot agree more.

Getting back to where we started, 25 January is an important day in the Welsh calendar. Although it can be said that people in love celebrate every day by focusing on the little things that make the other person smile, however on a day like St. Dwynwen’s Day (and with a sincere attempt not to compare these two, also on Valentine’s Day), a romantic declaration somehow acquires a deeper meaning. Like offering a cwtch to someone on a rainy day. And for those who are still looking for their other half, I believe Saint Dwynwen is taking care of them and one day will light their way to this unspeakable treasure that mutual love is.

Thank you for your time and Dydd Santes Dwynwen Hapus!

Personal note:

My name is Joanna and I moved to Wales from Poland in 2010 with my husband and our son. The same year our daughter was born, here in Aberystwyth. I graduated from Aberystwyth University and after five years of work in a local secondary school as a DT Technician, I made a decision to change my career path completely and followed my intuition. This way I discovered my passion for writing. Inspired by the beauty of the Welsh culture, language, and landscape intertwined with my Polish background I write romantic fiction for young and adults, and poetry. I also enjoy reading, taking photographs, visiting cinema and dancing.

If you would like to contact me, please email: [email protected] or visit my Instagram profile: joannabonarekgnat

Diolch yn fawr.