Welsh Journals

SAINT DAVID i. BIRTH THOSE who want an account of the birth of St. David turn naturally to the Life of St. David by Rhygyfarch. There are four other Lives, but these are all based on Rhygyfarch's biography and contain little additional material. The basic life offers many legendary stories connected with David's birth. For example, thirty years before it occurred St. Patrick is said to have wanted to settle in Menevia, but an angel warned him to leave it to a greater man named David, who was yet to be born. From a rocky point on the coast called Eisteddfa Badrig (Patrick's Seat) he was given a vision of the whole of Ireland and told that this must be the place of his labours. Again before the birth of David, his father was in his Wan situated near that picturesque part of the R. Teifi called Henllan Falls. He hunted a stag, caught a fish, and found a honeycomb, and was directed by an angel to send gifts of venison, fish and honey to the 'monastery of Maucan' at Menevia in honour of his own famous son who would be born there. Non, David's mother, is represented as a nun in Menevia, and Sant, inspired as it is said by virtus divina, became his father. Before David was born an extraordinary event occurred. Gildas was about to preach in church to a congregation which included Non when he found himself unable to speak. The people were sent away, and when Non left the church Gildas began to speak normally again. There is a somewhat similar story in the Life of St. Ailbe. Ailbe tried but was unable to celebrate Mass. He then saw the pregnant Non in the church, and was admonished by a voice telling him that a priest may not say Mass before a bishop without his permission, the bishop being the unborn David. When the time came for David to be born a great storm raged. Non had gone to live in a cottage on the cliffs near the monastery, and being in pain she pressed her hands on a large stone, leaving the impression of her fingers on it. The stone was then struck by lightning and a piece of it fell at her feet. It was used as a foundation for the altar of a church which later came to be built on that spot. When the baby was to be baptized, Ailbe came over from his Han near Solva and administered the rite in a spring at Porth Clais, which later had a chapel erected over it. Such are the details furnished by Rhygyfarch's Life. Whether they are accepted as true depends on the view one takes of that document. Rhygyfarch the author is himself historical enough. He was bishop of Menevia, 1088-96, the son of a bishop, and a member of a scholarly family prominent in the diocese. He was called 'the Wise', and would surely have been able to write an adequate biography of St. David if he had obtained satisfactory material. This however is the question.