Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

TE PU

454602

Church of Llangwyfan. From Sketch by Mr. Harold Hughes in the

"Archæologia Cambrensis "

PAGE

201

S. Cybi. From Painting on Rood-loft, Lew Trenchard, Devon

204

Doorway of Holy Well, Llangybi, Carnarvonshire .

213

S. David. From Statue at S. Yvi, near Quimper

304

[ocr errors]

327

[ocr errors]

358

368

378

379

S. Deiniol. From Fifteenth-Century Glass in Chancel Window, Llandyrnog
Church, Denbighshire

SS. Dredenau. Statues in their Chapel at S. Geran

Map of the Settlements of S. Dubricius and his Disciples
Map of the Foundations of S. Dubricius and his Disciples
Bardsey Island

S. Dubricius.

From Ancient Roll, copied in one of the Dugdale MSS.

in the Bodleian Library

S. Edeyrn. From Fifteenth-Century Glass at Plogonnec, Finistère

Shrine of S. Elian at Llaneilian

Shrine of S. Endelient, Endelion, Cornwall

S. Ernin. From a Statue at S. Nicholas, Prisiac

S. Eugrad (Ergat). From a Statue at Tréouergat

MEM AOBK

YRARELI

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

LIVES OF THE BRITISH SAINTS

Vol ii

S. CADELL, Confessor

THE early gedigrees in Peniarth MSS. 16 and 45 and Hafod MS. 16 enter this Saint simply as Cadell ab Urien; but the Iolo MSS.,1 through the mistake of making the next entry (S. Buan) part of his pedigree, give him as son of Urien Rion ab Llywarch Hên, Urien Foeddog ab Rhun Rhion ab Llywarch Hên, and Urien ab Rhun. He was a member, we are told, of S. Catwg's Côr at Llancarfan, and the founder of Llangadell, now extinct, but a capella at one time under Llancarfan.2 He is also stated to have founded Sili, in Glamorgan,3 that is, Sully, now dedicated to S. John Baptist. "Grang' de Eglescadel" is mentioned among the bona of the Abbot of Bardsey in the Taxatio of 1291. His festival is not given in any of the calendars.

One document gives us another S. Cadell, the son of Cawrdaf ab Caradog Freichfras. He had as brothers Cathan and Medrod. But the name appears to be a misreading. There was a Cadell bishop of S. David's in the 9th century.

S. CADFAN, Abbot, Confessor

JUST after the middle or towards the close of the fifth century, a large company of British who had settled in Armorica, crossed over into Wales. They were led by Cadfan, son of Eneas Lydewig and his wife Gwen Teirbron, the daughter of Emyr Llydaw. According to Welsh traditions, the party accompanying Cadfan, "saints and learned men," were Padarn, Tydecho, Trunio, Maelrys, Cynon, Mael,

1 Iolo MSS., pp. 103, 128, 145; also Cambro-British Saints, p. 266, and Myv. Arch., p. 419. Geoffrey of Monmouth mentions Cadell ab Urien (Bruts, ed. Rhys and Evans, p. 200).

2 Rees, Welsh Saints, p. 336. VOL. II.

3 Iolo MSS., p. 221.

1

4 Ibid., p. 123.

B

3

Sulien, Ethrias (or Eithras), Henwyn, Tanwg, Llywen, Llyfab, Tegai, Trillo, Llechid, Dochdwy, Tegwyn, Baglan, Meilir, Fflewin, Gredifael, Lleuddad, Sadwrn, Gwyndaf, Ilar, Cristiolus, Rhystyd, and many more. The total number has been given as 847,2 but they represent "three distinct migrations. They were called the Gwelygordd or Saintly Clan of Emyr Llydaw, and they take up a good deal of place in the Welsh genealogies. The names of some of these occur in the Life of S. Padarn, under earlier forms, as Hetinlau, Catman, Titechon.4 In the Breviary of S. Malo, 1537, they occur as Tinlatu, Cathinam and Techo; in the Tréguier Legendarium, in the Bibliothèque Nationale, at Paris, MS. Lat. 1148, as Quilan, Cathinam, Techucho. Cathinam or Cathinan is probably Cadfan; Techo or Techucho is Tydecho. Cadfan, we are told by one authority, came to this island "in the time of Gwrtheyrn Gwrtheneu (Vortigern) with Garmon, the son of Rhidigys, from Gaul, his native country, to renew Faith and Baptism in this Island." "15

Garmon, as we hope to show under Germanus the Armorican, did leave Brittany, about 462. This was not Germanus of Auxerre, but the Germanus who later became Bishop of the Isle of Man, and died

in 474.

The name Cadfan appears earliest in the form Catamanus, which occurs on the Llangadwaladr (Anglesey) early seventh century inscribed stone, put up to the memory of "King Cadfan, the wisest, the most renowned of all Kings." The intermediate form Catman occurs in the Vita S. Paterni. An Anglian version of it is Cædmon, the name of the seventh century poet-monk of Whitby.

The reason of the migration can only be conjectured. Some, such as came with Germanus, doubtless did so to assist in the work that Saint had in hand along with Patrick, the supply of evangelists for Ireland. But this does not explain the advent in Wales of the great party of Cadfan, composed almost wholly of his kinsmen. It has been supposed by Rees that these Britons fled Armorica because of the encroachments of the Franks. But this supposition will not avail.

There had been colonists from Britain settled in Armorica for some

1 Iolo MSS., pp. 103, 111; Myv. Arch., pp. 415, 419-20; Cambro-British Saints, p. 266. Iolo MSS., p. 130, is wrong in making Cadfan's mother a granddaughter of Emyr.

2 Cambro-British Saints, p. 189.

3 One band is said to have accompanied Garmon and settled at Llantwit; another accompanied Cadfan and settled eventually in Bardsey. Iolo MSS., p. 131.

4 Cambro-British Saints, p. 189. 6 Cambro-British Saints, p. 189.

5 Iolo MSS., p. 103.

« ForrigeFortsett »