St David's Day
Happy St David's Day
St David is the patron saint of Wales. He was born in the year 500, the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, King of Ceredigion. According to legend, his mother St Non gave birth to him on a Pembrokeshire clifftop during a fierce storm. The spot is marked by the ruins of Non's Chapel, and a nearby holy well is said to have healing powers.
St David became a renowned preacher founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Brittany and southwest England – including, possibly, the abbey at Glastonbury. He reputedly made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, from which he brought back a stone that now sits in an altar at St David's Cathedral, built on the site of his original monastery.
St David died on the 1st March 589 and was buried at the site of St David's Cathedral, where his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages. His last words to his followers came from a sermon he gave on the previous Sunday ‘Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.’ The phrase ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’ - ‘Do the little things in life’ - is still a well-known maxim in Wales.
Be warm and well Polly x
And a happy St David's day to you as well. He has a lovely cathedral down in Pembrokeshire.
ReplyDeleteThank you John
DeleteHey, I've been to the abbey ruins at Glastonbury! I didn't know of the St David connection at the time.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know of the connection either.
DeleteI have Welsh heritage and should know all about this -- and I didn't, so thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Jeannie :-)
DeleteI somehow doubt his mother St Non gave birth to him on a Pembrokeshire clifftop during a fierce storm. Who in their right mind would be on a clifftop during a fierce storm? But it's an entertaining yarn, I guess!
ReplyDeleteMaybe she was on her way home and got caught short!! :-)
DeleteI learned something new today, thanks Polly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how much is fact and how much is fiction Beatrice.
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