The primary day of March is St David’s Day. Who was St David and why is he the patron saint of Wales? That is the story …
St David
St David was born in or across the yr 500 AD. Based on the story, his mom was Non (later St Non), daughter of Lord Cynyr Ceinarfog. She lived as a nun at Ty Gwyn close to Porth Mawr (Whitesands Bay) in Pembrokeshire, in south-western Wales. She was mentioned to have been raped by Prince Sant, son of Ceredig ap Cunedda, King of Ceredigion in western Wales. It’s mentioned that Non gave delivery to a son, whom she known as Dewi, at Caerfai on a Pembrokeshire clifftop throughout a storm. The spot was later marked by a chapel devoted to St Non. After the Reformation it was transformed to a dwelling and in the present day is a wreck. Dewi Sant was baptised and introduced up by his mom.
Dewi was identified in Latin as Davidus, and thus in English as David. What little is understood about David is essentially based mostly upon an account, or hagiography, of his life written some centuries later in Latin, by Rhigyfarch about 1080. In Latin it’s known as ‘Vita sancti Davidis episcopi’ which interprets as ‘The lifetime of St David the bishop’. The historical past was based mostly on information and oral custom and is a mix of details and legend. This ebook was translated into Welsh within the Center Ages as ‘Buchedd Dewi’ and led to his elevated reputation as a saint.
Lifetime of St David
David was apparently very tall for the time, and a strong speaker. As a younger man he turned a monk and was ordained. Tales inform of his kindness and his humility. His native language was Welsh, however as a monk he additionally needed to know Latin, and he additionally in all probability knew Irish.
Probably the most well-known legend related to him was when he was preaching about Jesus on the Synod of Brefi (now known as Llanddewi Brefi) in Ceredigion (Cardiganshire), in or round 545 AD. Regardless of being tall, the folks on the again complained that they might not hear him, so miraculously the bottom beneath his toes rose as much as type a hill, so the gospel may very well be heard. Consequently the lectionary studying on St David’s Day is commonly Isaiah 52:7 which begins: ”How stunning on the mountains are the toes of those that carry excellent news, who proclaim peace, who carry good tidings, who proclaim salvation” (NIV).
From about 547 AD he travelled across the Celtic world to evangelise. He later went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Sooner or later he was anointed as a bishop of Caerleon. In or round 550 AD, David settled at Glyn Rhosyn in Pembrokeshire the place he established a monastic group, alongside what we’d in the present day name Jap Orthodox rites, perhaps influenced by what he had seen within the Holy Land. He additionally moved the seat of the bishopric there. David was the abbot of hermits who led a easy and austere life-style. It’s mentioned that they ploughed the fields by hand, not utilizing oxen. They’d one meal a day consisting of fruit, bread, honey, and greens, perhaps together with leeks, and drank water. They refused beer and meat, and they also had been successfully what we now name vegetarian and teetotal. Their routine was centred on farming, prayer, studying and writing (in Latin).
There was no Bible in Welsh then, in order that they used the Bible in Latin, however preached within the previous British language, which was the forerunner of Welsh, Cornish and Breton. St David drew followers from everywhere in the Celtic lands. The monastery turned a centre for mission and David and his monks went to evangelise the Celtic world travelling and church-planting not solely in Wales, but additionally in Eire, Brittany, and Dumnonia which was the previous Celtic kingdom within the west nation of what’s now England, protecting Cornwall, Devon, and elements of Somerset.
Dying
St David’s final phrases to his monks got here from a sermon he gave on the earlier Sunday earlier than he died. He mentioned: ‘Be joyful, maintain the religion, and do the little issues in life that you’ve heard and seen me do.’ The Welsh phrase is ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’ or ‘Do the little issues in life’, which is a widely known saying in Wales. David died on 1st March in or about AD 589. He was thought-about a Celtic saint, however was seemingly by no means formally canonised by the Roman Catholic Church.
St David’s Shrine
David was buried at his monastery in Pembrokeshire, and his shrine turned a well-liked pilgrimage website. Regardless of being ravaged by hearth, and raided by Vikings, it was all the time rebuilt. A later mediaeval shrine attracted pilgrims. In mediaeval occasions pilgrimages had been common and had been thought-about a part of spiritual responsibility and will apparently earn advantage. Among the many pilgrims was King William the Conqueror who got here in 1081. In 1120 Pope Callixtus II mentioned that two visits to St David’s had been thought-about equal to 1 to Rome, and three visits had been equal to 1 to Jerusalem. St David’s shrine earnt the monastery a lot wealth that from 1182, they began to construct a big cathedral on the positioning of the unique monastery, which is by far the most important in Wales. In 1284, after his navy conquests in Wales, the English King Edward I took St David’s head and arm from his shrine on the cathedral and displayed them in London.
The city close by turned generally known as Tyddewi, which interprets as David’s home, however is understood in English as St David’s. The scale of the cathedral is uncommon in not being in a big necessary city. The existence of the cathedral signifies that St Davids is the smallest place within the UK with official metropolis standing.
St David’s shrine was destroyed within the Reformation. Nowadays, pilgrimages are rising in reputation once more, not for superstitious causes to achieve advantage marks for years off purgatory, however as enjoyable strolling trails and methods to discover historical past and heritage. The shrine at St David’s was restored and rededicated on Saint David’s Day, 2012.
Saint David’s Day
As with most saints, the date of his demise turned his saint’s day. As so it was that 1st March turned Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant (St David’s Day). In 1398, St David’s Day was made a feast day for all church buildings within the Province of Canterbury, which then included Wales.
Church buildings devoted to St David
As we speak there are numerous historic church buildings devoted to St David, both as a result of he apparently based them, or they had been named after him. By the twelfth century, over sixty church buildings in Wales had been devoted to St David, and likewise some in Eire and Brittany. There are additionally church buildings devoted to St David in some elements of what’s now England, which on the time of St David had been Celtic-speaking lands, in Herefordshire, Devon and Cornwall, and one in Somerset. Extra fashionable church buildings named after St David outdoors Wales normally have a reference to a Welsh group.
Bishop of St David’s
The bishop at St David’s was known as the Bishop of Mynyw, which was Latinised as Menevia. The Bishop of Menevia was thought-about the Archbishop of Wales till 1115, when the Normans introduced Wales ecclesiastically beneath the Archbishop of Canterbury. Within the 1530s when Henry VIII created the Church of England, the bishops in Wales turned bishops of the Church of England, and in 1536 the monasteries, together with the one at St David’s, had been closed. In 1560 the diocese was known as St David’s. As we speak there’s nonetheless a Bishop of St David’s, and the diocese, which is within the Anglican Church in Wales, traces itself again to St David, the primary bishop. Since 1920, the Church in Wales has been disestablished as a Church inside the Anglican Communion however separate from the Church of England. Wales has its personal archbishop once more, chosen from among the many different bishops. In 1898, the title Menevia was resurrected when the Roman Catholic Church established a brand new Catholic Diocese of Menevia in south-west and mid-Wales.
Patron Saint of Wales
Over time St David turned a logo for Wales, and for the reason that twelfth century has been thought-about the patron saint. Though saints’ days had been abolished within the Reformation, nonetheless St David’s Day retained the thought as a nationwide day for Welsh communities, inside and outdoors Wales. Within the seventeenth century Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary how the Welsh celebrated St David’s Day in London. All over the world many Welsh teams, for Welsh folks dwelling abroad or these of Welsh heritage, are known as a ‘Cymdeithas Dewi Sant’ (St David’s Society).
St David is the one native-born patron saint of the international locations of Britain and Eire. Whereas St Andrew of Scotland was one of many apostles, St George of England was from Asia Minor, St Patrick of Eire was British, St David of Wales was truly Welsh.
St David’s Cross
The patron saints St George, St Andrew and St Patrick have their very own crosses which had been used as flags and mixed to make the flag of the UK. St David additionally has a flag based mostly on the cross which is much less well-known outdoors Wales, however which may nonetheless be seen on the arms of the Diocese of St David’s. It’s a golden cross, like the color of the daffodil, on a black background. Because the mid-Nineteen Nineties this flag has been more and more used instead flag of Wales, after the Welsh dragon flag.
St David’s Day occasions
St David’s Day is just not a public vacation, however it’s typically marked by Welsh folks, and people of Welsh heritage. Conventional festivities embrace carrying daffodils and leeks, that are symbols of Wales and Saint David. Folks could eat conventional Welsh meals resembling cawl, Welsh lamb, bara brith or Welsh truffles. Folks could put on conventional Welsh costume or a Welsh rugby shirt, or folks could put on a leek or a daffodil, that are symbols of Wales.
If St David’s Day falls on a weekday, Welsh colleges will typically do particular occasions, and should maintain an eisteddfod, which is a Welsh cultural occasion with music, singing and poetry. Since 2003, there was an annual St David’s Day parade in Cardiff, and parades have turn into extra widespread throughout cities and cities of Wales. Welsh folks outdoors Wales will typically collect collectively and use it as an excuse for a celebration. On St David’s Day folks could wave a flag with St David’s cross on it, and want one another “Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus” or “Joyful St David’s Day”.
Within the liturgy, the accumulate for St David’s Day is “God in heaven, you gave David to the folks of Wales to guide us in our religion: inspired by David’s instance and following your Holy Spirit, could we joyfully proclaim your glory and generosity; this we ask in Jesus’ title. Amen.”
