GERALD MORGAN.

IN PURSUIT OF SAINT DAVID.

(Patron Saint of Wales)

A Digest of Rhygyfarch's

Life of Saint David.

Note: "I have rendered the words Brittones and Britannia as 'Britons' and 'Britain', rather than as 'the Welsh' and 'Wales'. This is a hard decision: I would argue that Rhygyfarch understood correctly that'Welsh' and 'Wales' were not viable concepts in the sixth century; he would have known that even in his own day they were still valid terms for the Welsh, Cornish and Cumbrians." Not to forget the Britons of Armorica (my words).

1-2) (the numbers refer to chapters in Rhygyfarch's book). God foretells the coming of certain people by signs and revelations. Thus an angel told Sant, king of Ceredigion, that he would find three gifts in the Teifi valley, a stag, a fish, and a honeycomb which foretell his future son's gifts of spiritual power and abstinence.

3) The virtuous Bishop Patrick came to Dyfed and chose to dwell in Vallis Rosina. But an angel told him that the land would be evangelised by someone to be born in thirty years time. Patrick was disheartened, but was told by an angel to go to Ireland, and was shown that land. Patrick sailed from Porth Mawr after resurrecting a dead man from twelve years in his grave.

4-5) Sant came to Dyfed and saw the beautifulnun, Non, whom he raped. She became pregnant. When she entered a church where Saint Gildas was preaching, he fell silent, and was only able to resume when she left the building. Gildas foretold that her son would become the greatest of all the saints of Britain, and that he himself would leave for another place (to be continued).