This monk and bishop of the 6th century has been regarded from the 12th
century as the patron of Wales; he is also the only Welsh bishop to be
canonized and culted in the Western Church. It is regrettable that so few
details are known of his life.
The earliest Life of David was written by Rhygyvarch, son of Julien, bishop
of St David's c 1090; its motive was to further Welsh independence of
Canterbury. Therefore it should be treated as propaganda, which may, or may
not, contain some elements of truth.
According to this, David was educated first at Hen Vynyw, then for ten years
as a priest in Scripture studies on an island under Paulinus the scribe.
After this he founded ten monasteries, among them Menevia and Glastonbury,
where the monks lived in extreme hardship, imitating the monks of Egypt in
their regime of heavy manual labour and study, sustained by a diet of bread,
vegetables and water.
David was called to the Synod of Brevi where he preached to such effect that
' with the consent of all he was made archbishop and his monastery was
declared the metropolis of the whole country, so that whoever ruled it
should be accounted archbishop'.
This latter claim and the story that he was consecrated bishop at Jerusalem,
are pure fables.
Callistus II approved his cult in 1120; two pilgrimages to St David's were
worth one to Rome. His relics were translated in 1131, and again in 1275 by
Richard Carew, bishop of St David's, who rebuilt the cathedral, largely from
offerings at the shrine. English kings who made this pilgrimage include
William I and later Henry II on his way to and from Ireland.
Shakespeare describes the custom of Welshmen wearing leeks or daffodils on
St David's Day as ' an ancient tradition begun upon an honourable request'.
But no satisfactory explanation of it has yet been made.
St David's name is often spelled Dafydd, whence ' Taffy', colloquial for any
Welshman.
His feast day is the 1st March.
Written and contributed by Phillip Lloyd.
