St David of Wales: Cult, Church and Nation (Studies in Celtic History)

409 Pages·2007·3.693 MB·English

by  J. Wyn Evans, Jonathan M. Wooding

Studies in Celtic History XXIV
St DaVID of WaleS
Cult, CHurCH anD natIon
the cult of St David has been an enduring symbol of Welsh identity
across more than a millennium. this volume, published to commemorate
the fourteenth centenary of the death of the saint, traces the evidence for
the cult of St David through archaeological, historical, hagiographical,
liturgical, and toponymic evidence, and considers the role of the cult
and church of St David in the history of Welsh society, politics, and
landscape. the collection includes a new edition and translation of the
Life of St David by rhygyfarch, based on the text in British library MS
Cotton Vespasian a.xiv, as well as new evidence concerning the relics
of the saint enshrined in St Davids Cathedral.
J. Wyn Evans is the Dean of St Davids Cathedral.
Jonathan M. Wooding is Director of the Centre for the Study of
religion in Celtic Societies at university of Wales lampeter.
StuDIeS In CeltIC HIStorY
ISSn 0261–9865
General editors
Dauvit Broun
Máire ní Mhaonaigh
Huw Pryce
Studies in Celtic History aims to provide a forum for new research into all aspects
of the history of Celtic-speaking peoples throughout the whole of the medieval
period. the term ‘history’ is inderstood broadly: any study, regardless of discipline,
which advances our knowledge and understanding of the history of Celtic-speaking
peoples will be considered. Studies of primary sources, and of new methods of
exploiting such sources, are encouraged.
founded by Professor David Dumville, the series was relaunched under new
editorship in 1997. Proposals or queries may be sent directly to the editors at the
addresses given below; all submissions will receive prompt and informed considera-
tion before being sent to expert readers.
Dr Dauvit Broun, Department of History (Scottish), university of Glasgow, 9
university Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QH
Dr Máire ní Mhaonaigh, St John’s College, Cambridge, CB2 1tP
Dr Huw Pryce, Department of History and Welsh History, university of Wales,
Bangor, Bangor, Gwynedd ll57 2DG
for titles already published in this series
see the end of this volume
St DaVID of WaleS
Cult, CHurCH anD natIon
Edited by
J. WYn eVanS
JonatHan M. WooDInG
tHe BoYDell PreSS
© Contributors 2007
All Rights Reserved. except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owner
first published 2007
the Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBn 978–1–84383–322–2
the Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer ltd
Po Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3Df, uK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope avenue, rochester, nY 14620, uSa
website: www.boydellandbrewer.com
a catalogue record of this publication is available
from the British library
this publication is printed on acid-free paper
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
antony rowe ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire
ContentS
List of illustrations vii
Preface ix
Contributors xi
Abbreviations xiii
1 the figure of David 1
Jonathan M. Wooding
2 transition and survival: St David and St Davids Cathedral 20
J. Wyn Evans
St DaVIDS: froM earlY CoMMunItY to DIoCeSe
3 the geography of the cult of St David: a study of dedication patterns 41
in the medieval diocese
hEathEr JaMEs
4 St Davids and a new link with the Hiberno-norse world 84
Mark rEdknap
tHe lIfe of St DaVID
5 Which text is rhygyfarch’s Life of St David? 90
richard sharpE
6 rhygyfarch’s Life of St David 107
richard sharpE and John rEubEn daviEs
7 Some observations on the ‘nero’, ‘Digby’, and ‘Vespasian’ recensions 156
of Vita S. David
John rEubEn daviEs
tHe Cult of St DaVID
8 Armes Prydain Fawr and St David 161
g.r. isaac
9 the cult of St non: rape, sanctity and motherhood in Welsh 182
and Breton hagiography
JanE cartWright
10 the cults of SS. nonne and Divi in Brittany 207
bErnard tanguy
11 St David in the liturgy: a review of sources 220
daniel huws
12 The office of St David in Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, MS lat. 17294 233
owain tudor edwards
13 A triad of texts about Saint David 253
david howlett
THE RELICS OF ST DAVID
14 The relics of St David: the historical evidence 274
fred cowley
15 AMS radiocarbon dating of bones from St Davids Cathedral 282
t.f.g. higham, c. bronk ramsey and lined.m. nokes
16 Shrine and counter-shrine in 1920s and 1930s Dewisland? 286
john morgan-guy
THE DIOCESE OF ST DAVIDS
17 The archbishopric St Davids and the bishops of Clas Cynidr 296
john reuben davies
18 The dynasty of Deheubarth and the church of St Davids 305
huw pryce
19 The statutes of St Davids Cathedral 1224–1259 317
julia barrow
20 The crisis of the sixteenth century 330
†glanmor williams
21 The diocese of St David’s in the early nineteenth century: a reappraisal 339
w.n. yates
Bibliography 351
Index 375
IlluStratIonS
Plates
1. the Pen-arthur farm ringed pin in its present condition (photo by 85
tony Daly, copyright national Museum of Wales)
2. St non and St David, stained glass, llansanffraid parish church, 184
Ceredigion (photo by Jane Cartwright)
3. non and David arrive in Brittany, stained glass, Church of St non, 193
Dirinon, Brittany (photo by Jane Cartwright)
4. non baptises David, stained glass, Church of St non, Dirinon (photo 194
by Jane Cartwright)
5. St David seated, detail of stained glass, Church of St non, Dirinon 195
(photo by Jane Cartwright)
6. St David’s cradle, Dirinon (photo by Jane Cartwright) 196
7. the reliquary of St non, Dirinon (photo by Jane Cartwright) 198
8. non meets Sant, ceiling painting, Church of St Divy, Saint-Divy, Brittany 200
(photo by Jane Cartwright)
9. non gives birth to St David, ceiling painting, Church of St Divy, 201
Saint-Divy, Brittany (photo by Jane Cartwright)
10. Miniatures illustrating the office of St David in Bibliothèque nationale, 248
Paris, MS lat. 17294, fol. 426v (photo courtesy of the Bibliothèque
nationale)
11. Miniatures illustrating the office of St David in Bibliothèque nationale, 249
Paris, MS lat. 17294, fol. 427r (photo courtesy of the Bibliothèque
nationale)
12. Miniatures illustrating the office of St David in Bibliothèque nationale, 250
Paris, MS lat. 17294, fol. 427v (photo courtesy of the Bibliothèque
nationale)
Maps
1. Map of the medieval Diocese of St Davids showing the medieval 44
deaneries and churches (map by terry James)
2. the seven bishop-houses and the kingdom of Dyfed (map by terry 48
James)
3. Map of the deaneries of Ystrad tywi, Kidwelly, Gower and part of the 66
archdeaconry of Brecon (map by terry James)
4. Deaneries of Sub- and ultra-aeron, Builth, elfael and Maelienydd (map 74
by terry James)
5. Map showing the find-site of the Pen-arthur farm ringed pin (map by 86
tony Daly)
vii
List of Illustrations
Figures
1. the Pen-arthur farm ringed pin (drawn by tony Daly, copyright 85
national Museum of Wales)
2. aMS radiocarbon determination for the charcoal sample dated from 284
St Davids
Tables
1. a list of churches and chapels dedicated to St David, St non and their 45
associates within the medieval diocese of St Davids
2. aMS radiocarbon determinations for the bones recovered from 283
St Davids
3. Calibrated radiocarbon determinations 284
4. the episcopal succession at St Davids and Clas Cynidr represented in 303
the sources
viii
PrefaCe
this volume in the long-established and distinguished series Studies in Celtic History
is the fruit of a collaboration between two institutions linked by nearly two centuries
of history: the Cathedral of St David and the university of Wales lampeter (founded
in 1822 as St David’s College lampeter, by thomas Burgess, bishop of St Davids).
to mark 175 years since the opening of the college, in 1827, and to commemorate
the fourteenth centenary of the death of St David, a slightly less-securely dated
event, the Centre for the Study of religion in Celtic Societies (CSrCS) hosted a
four-day conference in lampeter, with a day excursion to St Davids.
the idea for the present volume arose from that conference, though only twelve
of the chapters of this volume were presentations on the occasion. the intent of
the editors, respectively the Dean of St Davids and the Director of CSrCS, was to
produce a volume which brought together studies of the key questions for research
that emerged from that conference. these had been, in particular, the need for renewed
attention to be paid to the Vespasian recension of the Vita S. Dauid by rhygyfarch,
which it was suspected was closer to the author’s original work than the shorter
recension edited by J.W. James; new evidence which had emerged concerning the
relics of St David preserved in the cathedral; a wealth of recent research into aspects
of the cult of St David pursued in particular through the study of dedications, litur-
gical texts, and other neglected sources. the kind offer by Professor richard Sharpe
and Dr John reuben Davies, to whom we are deeply indebted for their labours, to
produce a new edition of the Vita S. Dauid provided a focal point for a volume that
we hope will serve to stimulate a renewed interest in the cult of a saint in whom the
interest of the Welsh people has rarely waned, but for whom there appears to have
been fairly limited academic interest for some decades.
It remains to conclude with acknowledgements of the contributions of a number
of individuals. It is invidious to single out a few among many, but for their assist-
ance with the conference and the volume we would particularly like to thank the
support staff of university of Wales lampeter, who worked hard to organise the
accommodation, meals, transport and other aspects of the conference. the Dean and
Chapter, vergers and lay staff of St Davids Cathedral and the Cartref restaurant in
St Davids also warrant special mention. Professor thomas o’loughlin, Dean of the
faculty at lampeter, contributed both his administrative and intellectual support to
the conference and this volume. Professor D.P. Davies provided unending support,
though finally was prevented by illness from delivering his planned keynote lecture.
Professor len nokes and Professor Bernard Knight provided vital support for the
session on the relics. Mrs Pat Jones, Pa to the CSrCS Director, assisted in the final
production of the text. the editorial staff at Boydell, especially Caroline Palmer and
anna Morton, and the series editors also warrant especial thanks.
the more recent element of the conference proceedings had as its main focus
the work of rice rees, the first professor of Welsh at lampeter, whose An Essay on
the Welsh Saints or the Primitive Christians usually considered to be the founders
of churches in Wales of 1836 remains a formative work in the study of Celtic
ix