02Knights Templar - Julian Emperor

SAINTS
St David
Although it is known that David lived and worked as a monk
and bishop during the sixth century AD, the exact year of his
birth is not known. He is most closely linked with South
Wales and Pembrokeshire in particular. His current status as
the patron saint of Wales began during the twelfth century
and, in the Welsh language, he is known as ‘Dewi Sant’. The
earliest known written reference to St David is found in an
Irish document called ‘The Catalogue of the Saints’ that dates
from 730AD.The text describes St David,Teilo and Gildas administering
the mass to the Irish and also refers to St David as
a bishop. Irish martyrologies dating from around 800 AD
record that his feast day was held on 1 March and that his
monastery was based at ‘Menevia’, an ancient name for St
David’s.
In 1090 AD, a ‘Life of St David’ was written by a man
named Rhygyvarch although today it is not viewed as being
wholly reliable.The author was the son of the then Bishop of
St David’s, Julien, and he wrote it with the aim of achieving
Welsh religious independence from England. He describes St
David as being the son of the king of Ceredigion. His father is
said to have forced himself onto the mother of St David, St
Non.According to Rhygyvarch, St David was actually born in
extremely dramatic circumstances on top of a cliff whilst a violent
storm was raging.The historian Geoffrey of Monmouth
claimed that St David was actually related to the legendary
King Arthur. It is stated in the ‘Life of St David’ that he was
educated under St Paulinus in Carmarthenshire. He went on
to found ten monasteries and was said to have instructed the
monks to live like the monks of Egypt, devoting themselves to
study and hard physical work.
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