DYDD GŴYL DEWI SANT

 Hello Friends!

The Shrine of David, St Davids Cathedral.  L to R Saints Patrick, David, Andrew

DYDD GŴYL DEWI SANT HAPUS

Happy Saint David's Day

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my last blog two days ago concerning the local Saint David's Day Eisteddfod, and now, today is March 1st, the day when Welsh people, and people of Welsh heritage, all over the world celebrate the life of our Patron Saint, Dewi Sant, or Saint David.

Very early example of a Celtic Cross at St Non's Chapel {ruins}

Dewi was born around 500 A.D..  He was the son of a Welsh noble woman and nun, Non.  Much of what we know of his life and hagiography was committed to parchment 500 years after his death, in the 11th century by Bishop Rhygyfarch in the book "Life of David" or "Buchedd Dewi".  The "facts" being handed down through the centuries between by the oral traditions of story telling.  His exact age is unknown, and some sources would have us believe he lived to the age of 147 years, but he did live a long life of service dedicated to God.

Although known by the Anglicised name David , his Welsh name is Dewi.

The following account is how I recall what I learned about the history of Dewi Sant in school and as I grew up.  The accompanying images are all important locations in the life of Dewi and his mother, Non.

He was born on the high cliff tops overlooking Saint Bride's Bay during a raging thunderstorm.  Such was Non's pain, her fingers clawed at a stone which rent asunder in sympathy with her agony, and which is now incorporated in a nearby altar.  A healing well sprung up on the spot, and is there to this day.  Its specific healing properties are to heal complaints of the eyesight.

The rock formation, above, is known as Beddau Non, or Non's Grave {although her actual grave is in Brittany} and below is her icon at the rear of the Shrine at St David's Cathedral.

These are the ruins of a mediaeval church built in the field near to the spot of Dewi's birth

And, this is the well that sprung up during the thunderstorm

This shrine to the honour of the Virgin Mary is situated opposite the well

And, nearby is a 20th century chapel, built in 1934 and dedicated to Our Lady and Saint Non.  It is tiny, seating around a dozen or so, and I do think this is my most favourite altar {below}, along with the altar in Trinity Chapel at St David's Cathedral.

An image of Saint Non contained within the chapel

Dewi was a humble man, an early Celtic Christian, of deep faith, who founded a monastic settlement in the valley just below where I live, Glyn Rhossyn, or Vale of Roses.  He lived a simple, frugal life of abstinence, refraining from eating meat or drinking beer, living only on water, bread, salt, and herbs.  The monks tended the land without the use of animals, and they are known to have kept bees.

He spent many hours, up to his neck, in the cold waters of a nearby river, or in the sea, reciting psalms and praying, as a form of penance. 

It is hardly surprising, therefore, to learn he is often known as "The Waterman".

Many miracles of healing are attributed to Dewi, but his best known miracle was when he stood in the centre of a large crowd at the Synod of Brefi, but as he addressed them, the crowd was so great that many could not see him.  He placed a small cloth on the ground which the ground then rose up to form a small hill from which all could see and hear him speak.

At this moment, a white dove came and settled upon his shoulder, and now Dewi is depicted with this in illustrations.

He also healed the failed eyesight of his teacher, the monk Paulinas, who had become totally blind from old age.  I wonder if this has a connection with the eyesight healing properties associated with the healing well?

On his Feast Day, Welsh people proudly wear a leek on their coat. Legend has it that St David suggested Welsh soldiers wear a leek on their helmets to distinguish them from the invading Saxon soldiers who wore similar uniforms. The leek features in the uniforms of Welsh regiments to this day.

He became a renowned preacher, and founded many churches and monasteries across south and west Wales, and Britany, many of which are still in evidence today.

A little known fact is that Dewi, or David, is the only British saint actually born in the country of which he is Patron Saint. 

Upon his death, March 1st circa 589 A.D. he was buried at his own monastery in the Vale of Roses.  His remains were later moved to the mediaeval shrine, built in his name and honour, in St David's Cathedral, which was recently restored in 2012.  I was honoured to be in the congregation for the service of dedication.

The Shrine, restored, adjacent to the Presbytery.  His shrine was so important that Pope Callistus II declared two pilgrimages to St Davids were equal one to Rome, while three pilgrimages to St Davids equalled one to Jerusalem.  {the tomb to the foreground is that of Edmund Tudor, father and brother of Kings}

Every Friday, at noon, within strict lockdown guidelines, the Cathedral broadcasts weekly Prayers from the Shrine which you can find on both their YouTube channel and live on their Facebook page.  In normal times, the prayers are preceded with a short pilgrim's walk from St Davids to Saint Non's Chapel and Well, before returning to the Shrine by midday.  One day, very soon, I hope the freedom to do this again will be returned to us.  For now, it is a focal point of my week from my living room.

There now stands, as was described recently by a travel magazine, a "whopping mediaeval cathedral" on the site where it is widely believed Dewi's settlement originally stood.  The building of the present cathedral began in 1181, and it has a rich and diverse history, full of prosperity and peril, as does the site in general dating back 1500 years to Dewi's monastic days, until we see the building as it stands before us in it's present form.

The last words he spoke to his followers were

“Be joyful, keep the faith, do the little things you have seen me do”.

which are still associated with him today.

Our usual celebrations, as outlined in the blog I published yesterday, will not be happening this year, but there is every hope they will take place as normal next year, as we gather to celebrate our Patron Saint once more.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Deborah xo