Happy St David's Day!

Happy St David’s Day! Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus!

Here are some photos to celebrate my national patron saint’s day today. Beautiful daffodils – the symbol of Wales - with droplets on their petals and leaves. I love droplets on things, I think they look so gorgeous like little jewels shimmering in the light.

I wondered if you might like to know a bit about Saint David (Dewi Sant in Welsh).

He was born around 5oo AD but no one is sure exactly when. It is said that an angel foretold his birth to Saint Patrick 30 years before. His mother was Saint Non, daughter of a Chieftain and his father was the son of a king. David was born on a clifftop in Pembrokeshire during a storm and apparently you can still see the handprints of Non on a rock. At David’s birth a bolt of lightning split the rock. Non later became a nun and near the site of David’s birth are the ruins of St Non’s Chapel. A new chapel has been built nearby and there is also St Non’s well which is said to have healing properties.

Stained Glass Window of St David.

(Artist unknown.)

Saint David was taught by Saint Paulinus in Carmarthenshire. He became a teacher and preacher, a bishop and later an archbishop, founding several monasteries and churches in Wales. A monastery he founded in the Glyn Rhosyn valley became St David’s Cathedral. He was at the centre of the Welsh Church in the 6^th century and went on pilgrimages to Jerusalem and Rome.

Saint David’s symbol is a dove and he is also patron saint of vegetarians and vegans. I’m a vegetarian so he’s my patron saint twice over. This is due to the fact that he only drank water and ate only bread, vegetables and herbs. He also taught his followers not to eat meat or drink beer and as well as that, the monks had to pull their own ploughs instead of using animals. He lived simply and encouraged monks to spend their evenings in prayer, reading and writing. Apparently though, some monks were not happy with the austere life he insisted on and they tried to poison him. Saint Scuthyn knew about this and travelled from Ireland on the back of a sea monster to warn him. (I’d love to have seen that!) David blessed the bread he was about to eat, ate it and was all right.

The most famous miracle associated with Saint David was when he was preaching in Llanddewi Brefi. Such a large crowd had gathered that not everyone could hear him. In order for him to be heard and seen, the ground rose underneath him forming a small hill. As the late historian John Davies commented, it was quite an unnecessary miracle considering how many hills there are in Wales!

In the late 11^th century, a book called Buchedd Dewi (Life of St David) was written by a man called Rhygyfarch. It contains the traditional tales that we now have about St David and is said to have been taken from documents discovered in the archives of the cathedral, though it is believed to be more legend than truth.

Saint David is said to have lived for 100 years. He died on 1^st March and it is also said that the monastery was ‘filled with angels as Christ received his soul.’ His last sermon, according to Rhygyfarch, contained the words,

‘Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about.’

‘Do the little things’ (‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain’ in Welsh) is well known in Wales and is about simplicity in life.

David was buried at St David’s Cathedral in St David’s, Pembrokeshire – the smallest city in Britain. It was, and still is, a popular place for pilgrims and visitors. They say that four journeys to St David’s is equal to one pilgrimage to Jerusalem and two to Rome. (If that’s the case, I’ve been to Jerusalem at least once and to Rome several times considering the number of trips I’ve taken to St David’s.)

His shrine resides inside the cathedral, containing relics that are meant to be his bones. It was restored and re-dedicated in 2012 with five icons painted by Sarah Crisp. They were made with egg tempera and gesso and are displayed in niches around the shrine. St David is in the centre, St Patrick to the left, St Andrew to the right and at the back are St Non and St Justinian, a contemporary of St David.

St David by Sarah Crisp.

St David’s Day has been a festival since the 18^th century, though sadly still not a holiday, but we love celebrating it. An Eisteddfod is usually held in many schools with competitions for poetry, singing etc. and lots of girls wear traditional Welsh costume consisting of a tall black hat, shawl, pinafore and red skirt. Many of us wear daffodils pinned to our chests. Men sometimes wear leeks though – the other symbol of Wales – and our flag with the red dragon will be flying. We may also eat lots of Welsh cakes!

You can find more about St David and the Cathedral by clicking stdavidscathedral.org.uk

I hope you’ve found some of this interesting. If not, I hope you’ve liked the photos. Whether you’re Welsh or not, have a lovely day.