1 March -- St David of Wales

 

A resurrected post from -- good, Lord -- 18 years ago.  Have I been messing about with The Inn for that long?  Hmm.  Even longer, it would seem.   In any event, herewith something about  St David, the patron saint of Wales, slightly updated and tidied up a bit.

He is Degui or Dewi in Welsh.

Bishop and Confessor, patron of Wales. He is usually represented standing on a little hill, with a dove on his shoulder. From time immemorial the Welsh have worn a leek on St. David's day, in memory of a battle against the Saxons, at which it is said they wore leeks in their hats, by St. David's advice, to distinguish them from their enemies. He is commemorated on 1 March. The earliest mention of St. David is found in a tenth-century manuscript the "Annales Cambriæ", which assigns his death to A.D. 601. Many other writers, from Geoffrey of Monmouth down to Father Richard Stanton, hold that he died about 544, but their opinion is based solely on data given in various late "lives" of St. David, and there seems no good reason for setting aside the definite statement of the "Annales Cambriæ", which is now generally accepted. Little else that can claim to be historical is known about St. David. The tradition that he was born at Henvynyw (Vetus-Menevia) in Cardiganshire is not improbable. He was prominent at the Synod of Brevi (Llandewi Brefi in Cardiganshire), which has been identified with the important Roman military station, Loventium. Shortly afterwards, in 569, he presided over another synod held at a place called Lucus Victoriæ. He was Bishop (probably not Archbishop) of Menevia, the Roman port Menapia in Pembrokeshire, later known as St. David's, then the chief point of departure for Ireland. St. David was canonized by Pope Callistus II in the year 1120

The Catholic Encyclopaedia, from which the above is taken, goes on to say that his legend is much more elaborate, and entirely unreliable. I wonder what makes them think that? Is it just because he was King Arthur's nephew, that his birth was predicted to St. Patrick by an angel, and that he visited Ireland by riding on the back of a sea monster? It must be those Italian hagiographers: they're just envious of our Celtic saints.

The rest of the C.E. article and more of his legend ["unreliable". Harumph.] can be found here.

The proper hymn for Morning Prayer (laudes ad matutinas) from the Collins edition of the LoTH:

O great Saint David, still we hear thee call us,
Unto a life that knows no fear of death;
Yea, down the ages will thy words enthral us,
Strong, happy words: "Be joyful, keep the faith."

On Cambria's sons stretch out thy hands in blessing;
For our dear land thy help we now implore.
Lead us to God, with humble hearts confessing
Jesus, Lord and king forevermore

Christ was the centre rock of all thy teaching,
God's holy will -- the splendour of its theme.
His grace informed, his love inflamed thy preaching;
Christ's sway on earth, the substance of thy dream.

On Cambria's sons stretch out thy hands in blessing;
For our dear land thy help we now implore.
Lead us to God, with humble hearts confessing
Jesus, Lord and king forevermore.

A collect for St David from the old English Missal, a.k.a., "the Knott Missal":

Grant to us, Almighty God : that the loving intercession of blessed David, Thy confessor and bishop, may protect us : that while we celebrate his festival we may imitate his steadfastness in the defence of the Catholic faith.  Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The English Missal may be on the web somewhere but I haven't seen it lately.  The old Anglo-Catholic Central site used to have parts of it but that's long gone.

Here's the collect from the Ordinariate Daily Office:

.O ALMIGHTY God, who in thy providence didst choose thy servant David to be an apostle to the people of Wales, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of thee: grant us, by his intercession, so to walk in that light; that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

And once again, alas, no web citation available that I'm aware of.  No permanent one, anyway.  Mr Covert's web office has it but it's one day and gone.  On to the next liturgical day.

The Welsh flag with its dragon can be seen (and explained) here A recipe for Welsh leek soup is found here. (Is it more or less repectful to make a soup of your national emblem than it is to "drown" it in a glass of beer or whiskey? Such deep questions for a Tuesday afternoon.) More on the leek and its subsidiary national symbol, the daffodil.

What would the Welsh national day be without "Men of Harlech"?

And last but surely not least, did you know there is a Welsh Piping Society?  Well, there is.  You can find their  website here.  As you can see, it's a band rather than a random group of pipers in Wales.  But that's what they call themselves and more power to them.