Saint David
Saint David ( Dewi Sant Welsh; * 512, † 587 ) was Bishop of Menevia (Welsh " Mynyw ", today St David's ) and is the patron saint of Wales. Unlike common in other national saint is relatively much is known about his life.
David was a member of the royal family of Cunedda. After Rhygyfarch he was the son of sanctus rex ceredigionis, where Sanctus is interpreted in this case as a proper name of the person who is revered by the Welsh as Saint Sant, while the actual meaning of holy king of Ceredigion is. The king of Ceredigion in that period, according to the country's tradition Gwyddno Garanhir. The title Garanhir or crane leg called among the Druids, which gave him a certain spiritual ability. As the son of King David Gwyddno was grandson of King Ceredig, nephew of the King of Gwynedd Maelgwn and a brother of the heir Elphin, the foster-father and first patron of the bard Taliesin.
He became known as a teacher, preacher and founder of the monastery in Britain and Brittany in a period ( the first three were pooled hundred years later to England) as adjacent regions were still largely pagan. He got into a diocese, sat two synods before, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he was anointed by the Patriarch to the bishop, and Rome. The Cathedral of St David's is now in the place of the monastery, which he founded in a remote and inhospitable place in Pembrokeshire.
David's monastery rules stated that monks had to pull the plow themselves without the help of the power of animals; they were only allowed to drink water, eat only bread with salt and herbs; they should spend the night in prayer, read and write. No personal possessions were allowed: to say even my book was a violation. His symbol as the symbol of Wales is the leek.
The most prominent have placed in contact with him wonder a sermon is delivered in the midst of a large crowd. As the crowd in the background complained of being able to see him or hear, to have the ground on which he stood, raised on a hill so that everyone had a good view of him. The village in which this should have happened is, today Llanddewi Brefi. A more prosaic version of the story is that he had simply advised the participants to climb a hill.
The document, which contains many traditional stories about David, is Buchedd Dewi, a hagiography written by Rhygyfarch in the 11th or 12th century. One of Rhygyfarchs goals with this work was to achieve more independence for the Welsh church, which in 1066 was in danger after the Norman invasion of England. It is significant, that being said, David had accused Pelagianism, as the ground on which he stood, lifted.
William of Malmesbury reports that David visited Glastonbury to consecrate the intention of the Abbey of Glastonbury, as well as to donate her a travel altar including a great sapphire. But he had a vision of Jesus who had said that the church was dedicated by himself a long time ago his mother, and it was not seemly, they devote new by human hand. So David gave instead an extension in order, east of the old church ( the extent of this expansion was verified in 1921 by archaeologists ). A manuscript indicates that a sapphire altar was among the goods that King Henry VIII had confiscated a thousand years later in the dissolution of the abbey. Whether this sapphire now among the British Crown Jewels, is not in detectable.
His last words were, according to the Buchedd Dewi: "Be steadfast, brothers, and makes the little things. "
Unlike many contemporary saints who gave themselves the Welsh themselves, David was actually canonized by the Pope Calixtus II in 1120.
His feast day, the Saint David 's Day, is March 1.
The unfinished Leicester 's Church in Denbigh should be dedicated to him.