Bangor, at Llangenydd, now generally Llangennith, also in Gower. The ruins of a chapel of S. Cenydd, at the new village of Senghenydd, are still pointed out, and there is a Bryn Cenydd or Cynydd at Caerphilly. It was probably somewhere about 520 that Gildas 1 moved into Brittany and established himself at Ruys. Later, about 544-5, after he had launched his tract De excidio Britanniæ, there would seem to have been an exodus of his brothers and sons from Wales and Cornwall, to escape the vengeance of the princes assailed by him in that work. Whether then, or later, we do not know, but at some time, both Cenydd and his sons seem to have been in Bro-weroc, in the neighbourhood of the settlements of Gildas, where they have left their mark. In Brittany Cenydd is called Kinède, Kidi, Quidi, Guidec and Kihouet. His most important settlement was at Languidic, between Hennebont and Baud, at no great distance from his father's foundation at Castanec. There the name is variously written as Kintic, Guindic and Guidic. Here are five avenues of upright stones, like those at Carnac, now called "les soldats de S. Cornely," but probably originally attributed to S. Kinède, and the tradition is that as they pursued the Saint, he cursed them and they were turned to stone. In the parish are several early Celtic Christian lechs or tombstones, one of which bears an inscription. Also, in the same commune is a Kervili, Caer-ffili, bearing the name of one of the sons of Cenydd.3 S.Cenydd has a chapel in the parish of Ploumelin, close to his father's monastery of Locminé. It is picturesquely situated on a granite rock in a hamlet, and is in the flamboyant style, cruciform, with a bellturret to the north transept. A carved Calvary has fallen, and the remains strew the ground at the west end. Within is an early sixteenth century statue of the Saint as a hermit, bare-footed, holding a book in one hand and a staff in the other. A cowl is drawn over his head. At Plaintel also, near Quintin, in Côtes du Nord, he is patron, and there is a château in the place called after him, Saint Quihouet, now transformed into a hospital. It was formerly a house of the Knights Templars. Here is shown a stone trough, supposed to have been S. 1 For the dates in the life of Gildas we must refer to our article on this Saint. 2 In 1160 Languidec was called Lankintic; in 1290 Languindic. Le Méné, Paroises du Diocèse de Vannes, 1892, i, p. 408. 3 Ibid., i, pp. 408-15. The lechs are sometimes menhirs with crosses and other Christian symbols cut on them; but often quite distinct, round-headed stones. On one in Languidec is the inscription, Crax Harenbiuib Fil Heranhal. See on the Lechs, De la Borderie, Hist. de Bretagne, ii, p. 520. VOL. II. I Cenydd's bed, and frescoes represent his legend. Plaintel, again, is at no great distance from the Gildas settlements of Magoar and La Harmoye. Near Loudéac, in the same department, is S. Caradec, and here is a chapel of S. Quidi, with his statue in it, representing him as an abbot, staff in hand, and holding in the other an open book. Not far from S. Caradec is La Croix des Sept Chemins. The legend goes that seven brothers, SS. Gonery, Merhé, Connec, Derdanaon, Quidec, Geran and Joret embraced there, and separated to preach the Gospel throughout the land, and each founded a chapel in the direction that he took. All the seven brothers had been brought up by a doe. In remembrance of this, annually, on the eve of the Pardon, in the chapel of S. Merhé in the parish of Kergrist-Neuillac (Morbihan) fresh straw is strewn in the porch, and the doe is supposed to pass the night there sleeping on it.1 This is an extension to others of the legend of S. Cenydd, nourished by the doe. Who S. Merhé or Mérec was is unknown; the name seems to be a corruption of Meurig. Connec may be Cynog ; Geran is Geraint the great-grandfather of Cenydd; Gonery is known, but not Derdanaon nor Joret. The sons of Cenydd have left some traces also in Brittany. S. Cenydd is given in Nicolas Roscarrock's Calendar on August 1. This is the day also in Capgrave. The Pardon at S. Quidi is on the Sunday after August 1. Garaby gives S. Kinède on August 1, and a short sketch of his life. Whytford on August 1, says: "In Englonde the feest of Saynt Kenede that was lame borne, and therefore he was cast in to a ryver whiche ryver caryed hym in to yo see, and yo see cast hym upon a rocke in to an ylelonde where he was fedde and brought up by an aūgel, and he was of singuler holynes and many wonderous myracles died in ye tyme of Saynt David." S. Cenydd's body was translated, and his translation kept on June 27. William of Worcester says: 2 Translatio Sancti Kenneth heremitæ die 3° post nativitatem Sancti Johannis Baptistæ; jacet apud ecclesiam villæ Sancti Keneth in Gowerland." But he tells us further that the Saint's relics were removed with those of SS. David and Teilo to North Wales. "Sanctus Davidicus de ecclesia Menevensi, Sanctus Thebaus (Teilo) de Llandaff sepultus. Sanctus Keneth de villa Keneth in Gowerland. Isti tres sancti et non plures sunt translati in North Wallia." 1 Oheix (R.), Les Saints inconnus, in Association Bretonne, 1880. S. Cenydd's day was observed in Llangennith on July 5, and was the greatest and most popular of all the Gower Mabsants or wakes. One of its peculiarities was the great quantity of what is called in Gower" milked meat," or white pot," a mixture of flour and milk boiled together, that was consumed, probably in allusion to the bringing up of the Saint in infancy on the milk of a doe injected into a bell. This bell is said to have been called by the Welsh “Cloch Dethog," i.e. the Titty Bell. An ancient stone, with interlaced work on one side only, in the centre of the chancel floor of Llangennith church, has been supposed to mark the grave of the Saint.1 S. Caradog, at the close of the eleventh century went into Gower, and found there the church of S. Cenydd abandoned and desolate, and he cleared the sacred edifice of the brambles that had occupied it.2 It is probable, therefore, that the elevation or translation took place about this time. Whether Lesnewth church, in Cornwall, which is said by Ecton to have been dedicated to S. Knet, had originally Keneth or Cenydd as its founder, it is impossible to say. S. Michael is now considered. the patron. The church, which was early Norman and of great interest, has been wantonly rebuilt in a most uninteresting manner. S. CERDECH, or CERDYCH, see S. CEINDRYCH S. CERWYDD, see SS. CARWED and CARWYD S. CEWYDD, Confessor CEWYDD was a son of Caw of Prydyn (Pictland), whose family, on being expelled their territory in North Britain, sought an asylum in Wales. His name occurs in most of the lists of Caw's children printed 1 Davies (J. D.), West Gower, iii, pp. 104-6. Owen, in his Sanctorale Catholicum, London, 1880, p. 331, enters Cenydd under August 1. 2 See under S. CARADOG. in the Iolo MSS., where we are also told that he was a saint of Côr Catwg at Llancarfan, and one doubtful entry makes him the father of a S. Garrai of Llanarrai, i.e. Llanharry (now S. Illtyd) in Glamorganshire.1 Local nomenclature to-day connects him more especially with Radnorshire. He is there the patron of two churches, Aberedw and Disserth, in the Deanery of Elwel. His name enters into place-names in two of the neighbouring parishes. There is a farm, Cil Cewydd (his retreat), in the parish of Llanfihangel Bryn Pabuan, and a mountain track above Llandilo Graban bears the name of Rhiw Gewydd (his hill-slope), over which he may have journeyed to visit his brother Meilig, or Maelog, at Llowes. 2 To him was also dedicated the church of Llangewydd, near Bridgend, Glamorganshire, now extinct, but its site is still traceable in a field called Cae'r Hên Eglwys. In the fifteenth or sixteenth century tract on "The Winning of the Lordship of Glamorgan" by Sir Robert Fitzhamon and his Twelve Knights, in the eleventh century, it is stated that Sir Richard Grenville, one of the Knights, brought with him from the Holy Land" a famous Sarasin that was turned Christian, Lales, a curious man in masonry . . . which Lales built the Town of Laleston a goodly place, and pulled down the Church of Langewydd and moved it to his new Town of Laleston." 3 The church, now dedicated to S. David, is subject to Newcastle. The Lann Ceuid (translated Podum Ceuid) of the Book of Llan Dâv 4 is believed by Mr. Egerton Phillimore 5 to be the Landcawet of the grant cited in Kemble's Codex Diplomaticus, iii, p. 450, the modern Lancaut, on the Wye near Chepstow. Cewydd (as Cewi, like Dewi for Dewidd) is also perhaps found in Kewstoke, North Somerset ; in Cusop, anciently Ceushope, near Hay; and in Capel Cawey, an extinct capella peregrinationis causa erecta," in the parish of Monachlog Ddu, Pembrokeshire. Steynton church, in the same county, is given as dedicated to a S. Cewyll, afterwards S. Peter, by whom may possibly be intended Cewydd. Cwm Cewydd is the name of one of the town 1 Pp. 107, 109, 117, 136, 142. jos termination is patronymic. to compile the Welsh Laws. 2 Arch. Camb., 1888, p. 270. Cewydd means the son of Caw. The Gaulish 3 Powell, History of Wales, ed. 1584, pp. 124-41; Cardiff Records, 1903, iv, pp. 10, 17. According to Caradog of Llancarfan's Brut removed the church to Trelalys (Laleston) about 111. Laleston was named after the family of Lageles (G. The church may be the Eccl. de Landewddith 4 Pp. 166, 175. 5 Owen's Pembrokeshire, ii, p. 189. (Myv. Arch., p. 705) Lales It is a doubtful story, as T. Clark, Carta, iii, p. 423). of the Norwich Taxatio, 1254 • Ibid., i, pp. 96, 509. |
