51642
St David's Cathedral (in Welsh Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi) situated in St Davids the smallest City in Britain in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.
The Cathedral stands on the site of a 6th-century monastery founded by Dewi (David), a Celtic Christian monk, who later became St David the Patron Saint of Wales. Due to the relics of St David, the cathedral was a major pilgrimage destination throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 6th Century St David was reputedly born on a cliff top on the South-West Wales coast during a fierce storm. The site of David’s birth is marked by the ruin of a tiny ancient chapel close to a holy well and the more recent 18th century chapel dedicated to his mother can still be seen near St. David’s Cathedral.
The Celtic saint soon became famous for his learned preaching, devotion to God, and extreme asceticism (he ate only bread and herbs, drank only water, and regularly stood in cold water for long periods). He was nicknamed Dewi Ddyfrwr, David the Water Drinker.
Many legends have circulated about David, including one alleging that King Arthur was his uncle and that among the "prophecies of Merlin" was a prediction that St David would found a bishopric in Wales. In another legend, St. Gildas foretold David's birth when a pregnant woman came into the church as he was preaching. He was struck dumb, and on regaining his power of speech, predicted that she would give birth to a son "with a greater proportion of the divine spirit than has ever fallen to the share of a preacher."
In 1081, William the Conqueror visited St Davids to pray and, probably, to explore its strategic benefits due to its proximity to Ireland. The cathedral was safe under Norman rule, but at the cost of its original Welsh character. The Normans regarded their own form of Christianity as superior to the Celtic way, and soon set out to reform it. This was probably the motivation behind the Latin Life of David written by a bishop's son in 1090, which reports that David visited Jerusalem and was consecrated bishop by the patriarc.
Information Sources:
www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=530
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/St-Dav...
51642
St David's Cathedral (in Welsh Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi) situated in St Davids the smallest City in Britain in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.
The Cathedral stands on the site of a 6th-century monastery founded by Dewi (David), a Celtic Christian monk, who later became St David the Patron Saint of Wales. Due to the relics of St David, the cathedral was a major pilgrimage destination throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 6th Century St David was reputedly born on a cliff top on the South-West Wales coast during a fierce storm. The site of David’s birth is marked by the ruin of a tiny ancient chapel close to a holy well and the more recent 18th century chapel dedicated to his mother can still be seen near St. David’s Cathedral.
The Celtic saint soon became famous for his learned preaching, devotion to God, and extreme asceticism (he ate only bread and herbs, drank only water, and regularly stood in cold water for long periods). He was nicknamed Dewi Ddyfrwr, David the Water Drinker.
Many legends have circulated about David, including one alleging that King Arthur was his uncle and that among the "prophecies of Merlin" was a prediction that St David would found a bishopric in Wales. In another legend, St. Gildas foretold David's birth when a pregnant woman came into the church as he was preaching. He was struck dumb, and on regaining his power of speech, predicted that she would give birth to a son "with a greater proportion of the divine spirit than has ever fallen to the share of a preacher."
In 1081, William the Conqueror visited St Davids to pray and, probably, to explore its strategic benefits due to its proximity to Ireland. The cathedral was safe under Norman rule, but at the cost of its original Welsh character. The Normans regarded their own form of Christianity as superior to the Celtic way, and soon set out to reform it. This was probably the motivation behind the Latin Life of David written by a bishop's son in 1090, which reports that David visited Jerusalem and was consecrated bishop by the patriarc.
Information Sources:
www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=530
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/St-Dav...