Cadoc
Encyclopedia
Saint Cadoc (Latin: Cadocus) (born about 497), Abbot of Llancarfan
, was one of the 6th century
British Christian saints. His vita
twice mentions King Arthur
. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge
in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning. The first part of his name means 'battle'.
Cadoc was a son of Gwynllyw
(Latinized Gundleus), King of Gwynllwg
in South Wales
, who was a brother of Saint Petroc
, but a robber chieftain who led a band of three hundred. His mother, Gwladys
(Gladys) was the daughter of King Brychan
of Brycheiniog
who had been abducted in a raid, during which King Arthur
acted as peacemaker. Cadoc's father later stole the cow of the Irish monk, St. Tathyw (or Tathai), and, when the monk came courageously to demand its return, the King decided in return to surrender his son to his care. Cadoc was raised at Caerwent
in Monmouthshire
by Tathyw, who later became a hermit
.
part of the fifth century by St. Cadoc (Dranc, "Christian Schools and Scholars", I, 56). He was the son of Gundleus (Swynlliw), a prince of South Wales, Cadoc received the religious habit from St. Tathai, an Irishmonk. Returning to his native county, Cadoc built a church andmonastery, which was called Llancarvan, or the "Church of the Stags". Here he established a monastery and college. The ancient Iolo manuscript
St. Iltut (Illtyd) spent the first period of his religious life as a disciple of St. Cadoc at Llancarvan. St. Cadoc visited several of the famous religious houses and colleges in Ireland, and then undertook a pilgrimage to Romeand Jerusalem (A.D. 462). He died at Benevenna (Weedon) in Northamptonshire in the beginning of the sixth century, leaving Ellenius his successor as abbot, "an excellent disciple", says Leland, "of an excellent master".
and Brittany
. He built a church and monastery at (or near) Llancarfan
(now in the south of Glamorgan
): according to legend two stags came forward and Cadoc was able to yoke them to a cart to help with the building works. As a result, Cadoc is often pictured with a stag, and the current church at Llancarfan boasts a weathervane in the shape of one; the Welsh name Lancarfan means Church of the Stags.
While the ancient lives of St Cadoc identify him as the founder of Llancarfan, other sources suggest that the college and monastery were founded at the time St Germanus
visited Wales in A.D. 447, with Dyfrig becoming the first principal, succeeded by Cadoc when Dyfrig was appointed bishop.
Llancarfan grew into one of the most important monasteries in Wales where many holy men were trained. Notable among the, and Cadoc's successor as abbot, was Saint Illtyd. Cadoc visited several of the famous religious houses and colleges in Ireland, and then undertook a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem (A.D. 462). He was reportedly distressed that the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi
was held during one of these absences.He died at Benevenna (Weedon) in Northamptonshire in the beginning of the sixth century, leaving Ellenius his successor as abbot, "an excellent disciple", says Leland, "of an excellent master".
One manuscript refers toThe College of Cattwg [Cadoc] in Llancarvan with three cells [halls or subject houses] and a thousand saints (monks), together with two cells in the Vale of Neat Llancarfan did not survive the intrusion of Norman power into South Wales, being dissolved about 1086.
R. Rees suggests that although the monastery was said to have been situated at Llancarfan, the particular spot on which it stood was called Llanfeithin.
, a Roman centre of Monmouthshire, the much-rebuilt Saint Cadoc's Church
, dedicated to St Cadoc though of Norman origin, stands on the foundations of the Roman legion headquarters, a sign of the Christianization of Roman sites after the legions departed Britannia
. It may memorialize an early cell of Cadoc's, although an old tradition suggests that, in this case, Cadoc is a corruption of Cadfrod. St Cadoc's Hospital
in Caerleon is also named after him.
Caodc is credited with the establishment of churches in Dyfed
, Cornwall
and Brittany
. The church at Llanspyddid, three km west of Brecon
, however, is likely to be named for Cadoc son of Brychan
.
. The probable location of St. Cadoc's church in Scotland is north-west of Stirling at Kilmadock
Parish, which was named for the saint. It is about 2 miles up the River Teith from Doune, where the Annant burn enters the river. Near the ruins of the old Kilmadock church and the graveyard is Hermit's Croft, thought to be the location where he lived for 7 years. There were 7 local churches that were built in the saint's honor, which came under the authority of the Inchmahome
Priory.
The local Scottish followers were known as Gille Dog, or servants of St. Cadog. These appear as surnames, first as Dog, and later as Doig, Dock, and Doak. Sir Thomas Dog was Prior of Inchamhome from 1469 to 1477.
It is also said that Cadoc.s monastery was below 'Mount Bannauc' (generally taken to be the hill southwest of Stirling down which the Bannockburn
flows). It has been suggested that the monastery was where the town of St Ninians
now stands, two kilometers south of Stirling.
on an island in the Bay of Morbihan, off Vannes
in Brittany. There are chapels dedicated to him at Belz
and Locoal-Mendon
in Morbihan
and at Gouesnac'h
in Finistère
, where he is called upon to cure the deaf. His name is also the basis of some thirty Breton place-names.
was erected over his shrine, which visiting Britons were not allowed to enter. And a fictitious "Pope Alexander" is made to figure in the narrative. Tatlock points out that Alexander was an obscure second-century papal name until the accession of Pope Alexander II
(1061) and that Beneventum in southern Italy became more prominent after it was traded to the papacy in 1051 and popes began to visit it regularly and councils were held there in 1087 and 1091; but Beneventum has been associated with the Roman town of Bannaventa
(five kilometres east of Daventry
in Northamptonshire
) on the edge of Saxon
territory in Britain. This latter hypothesis proposes that it was overrun by Saxons at this time, thus explaining both the killing of Cadoc and the prohibition on Britons entering the town to recover his body.
In Welsh, Cadoc between known as Cattwg Ddoeth, or the Wise, and a large collection of his maxims and moral sayings were included in Volume III of the Myvyrian Archaiology. The epithet of Doeth (Welsh for wise), attached to his name, has induced certain Romish writers to confound him with St. Sophias (Greek for wisdom), bishop of Beneventum in Italy.
Cadoc came into conflicts with king Arthur
, who is mentioned twice in the vita, as great and bold but willful. The reference is of importance to those concerned with the historicity of Arthur
as one of five insular and two Breton saints with claims to mention Arthur independently of Geoffrey of Monmouth
's Historia Regum Britanniae
. The vita mentions a certain miraculous spot that had a healing effect until the time of king Hiuguel, after due to a malevolent influence the spot has been lost; Hiuguel is the Hywel vab weyn who died in his old age, ca 1041-44. The date of Lifris' Vita Cadoci, shortly before 1086, makes it a testimony of Arthur that is independent of Geoffrey of Monmouth's myth-making.
The kings Maelgwn
of Gwynedd
and Rhain Dremrudd of Brycheiniog
also feature in his vita. In later Arthurian developments, Cadoc, with Illtud, is one of the three knights said to have become keepers of the Holy Grail.
Llancarfan
Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry near Cowbridge, has a pub and a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century abbey, famed for its learning...
, was one of the 6th century
6th century
The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era. In the West this century marks the end of Classical Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages.- Overview :...
British Christian saints. His vita
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
twice mentions King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. The Abbey of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge
Cowbridge
Cowbridge is a market town in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, approximately west of Cardiff. Cowbridge is twinned with Clisson in the Loire-Atlantique department in northwestern France.-Roman times:...
in Glamorganshire, which he founded circa 518, became famous as a centre of learning. The first part of his name means 'battle'.
Biographical Details
Cadoc's story appears in a Vita Cadoci written shortly before 1086 by Lifris of Llancarfan; "it was clearly written at Llancarfan with the purpose of honoring the house and confirming its endowments," Consequently, it is of limited historical merit, but some details are of interest.Cadoc was a son of Gwynllyw
Gwynllyw
Saint Gwynllyw Milwr or Gwynllyw Farfog, known in English in a corrupted form as Woolos the Warrior or Woolos the Bearded was a Welsh king and religious figure....
(Latinized Gundleus), King of Gwynllwg
Gwynllwg
Gwynllŵg was a kingdom of mediæval Wales and later a Norman lordship and then a cantref.-Location:It was named after Gwynllyw, its 5th century or 6th century ruler and consisted of the coastal plain stretching between the Rhymney and Usk rivers, together with the hills to the north...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, who was a brother of Saint Petroc
Saint Petroc
Saint Petroc is a 6th century Celtic Christian saint. He was born in Wales but primarily ministered to the Britons of Dumnonia which included the modern counties of Devon , Cornwall , and parts of Somerset and Dorset...
, but a robber chieftain who led a band of three hundred. His mother, Gwladys
Gwladys
Saint Gwladys ferch Brychan or St Gladys , was the Queen of Saint Gwynllyw Milwr and daughter of King Brychan of Brycheiniog. She was the mother of several saints, including Saint Cadoc "the Wise".-Traditional history:...
(Gladys) was the daughter of King Brychan
Brychan
Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog in South Wales.-Life:Celtic hagiography tells us that Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and his wife, Marchel, heiress of the Welsh kingdom of Garthmadrun , which the couple later inherited...
of Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
who had been abducted in a raid, during which King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
acted as peacemaker. Cadoc's father later stole the cow of the Irish monk, St. Tathyw (or Tathai), and, when the monk came courageously to demand its return, the King decided in return to surrender his son to his care. Cadoc was raised at Caerwent
Caerwent
Caerwent is a village and community in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located about five miles west of Chepstow and eleven miles east of Newport, and was founded by the Romans as the market town of Venta Silurum, an important settlement of the Brythonic Silures tribe. The modern village is built...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
by Tathyw, who later became a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
.
The genealogy of Cadoc
The genealogy of the blessed Cadoc arises from the most noble emperors of Rome, from the time of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, Augustus Cesar, in whose time Christ was born, begat Octavianus, Octavianus begat Tiberius, Tiberius begat Caius, Caius begat Claudius, Claudius begat Vespasian, Vespasian begat Titus, Titus begat Domitian, Domitian begat Nero, under whom the apostles Peter and Paul suffered, Nero begat Trajan, Trajan begat Adrian, Adrian begat Antonius, Antonius begat Commodus, Commodus begat Meobus, Meobus begat Severus, Severus begat Antonius, Antonius begat Aucanus, Aucanus begat Aurelian, Aurelian begat Alexander, Alexander begat Maximus, Maximus begat Gordian, Gordian begat Philip, Philip begat Decius, Decius begat Gallus, Callus begat Valerian, Valerian begat Cleopatra, Cleopatra begat Aurelian, Aurelian begat Titus, Titus begat Probus, Probus begat Carosius,
Carosius begat Dioclesian, who perscuted the Christians throughout the whole world; for in his time the blessed martyrs Alban, that is Julian, Aaron, and many others suffered. Dioclesian begat Galerius, Galerius begat Constantine the Great the son of Helen, Constantine begat Con- stantius, Constantius begat Maximianus, with whom the British soldiers went from Britain, and he slew Gratian the Roman emperor, and held the government of all Europe; and he did not dismiss the soldiers, which he brought with him from Britain to return to their country on account of their bravery, but gave them many provinces and countries, that is from the pool which is on the top of the mountain of Jupiter to the city named Cantguic, and until the western mound that is Cruc Ochideint; and from those soldiers arose a nation which is called Lettau.1 Maximianus therefore begat Owain, Owain begat Nor, Nor begat Solor, Solor begat Glywys, Glywys begat Gwynlliw, Gwynlliw begat the most blessed Cadoc of whom we are speaking.
part of the fifth century by St. Cadoc (Dranc, "Christian Schools and Scholars", I, 56). He was the son of Gundleus (Swynlliw), a prince of South Wales, Cadoc received the religious habit from St. Tathai, an Irishmonk. Returning to his native county, Cadoc built a church andmonastery, which was called Llancarvan, or the "Church of the Stags". Here he established a monastery and college. The ancient Iolo manuscript
St. Iltut (Illtyd) spent the first period of his religious life as a disciple of St. Cadoc at Llancarvan. St. Cadoc visited several of the famous religious houses and colleges in Ireland, and then undertook a pilgrimage to Romeand Jerusalem (A.D. 462). He died at Benevenna (Weedon) in Northamptonshire in the beginning of the sixth century, leaving Ellenius his successor as abbot, "an excellent disciple", says Leland, "of an excellent master".
Abbot of Llancarfan
In adulthood, Cadoc refused to take charge of his father's army, preferring to fight for Christ instead. He proselytized over a large area of WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. He built a church and monastery at (or near) Llancarfan
Llancarfan
Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry near Cowbridge, has a pub and a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century abbey, famed for its learning...
(now in the south of Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
): according to legend two stags came forward and Cadoc was able to yoke them to a cart to help with the building works. As a result, Cadoc is often pictured with a stag, and the current church at Llancarfan boasts a weathervane in the shape of one; the Welsh name Lancarfan means Church of the Stags.
While the ancient lives of St Cadoc identify him as the founder of Llancarfan, other sources suggest that the college and monastery were founded at the time St Germanus
Germanus
Germanus is the Latin term referring to the Germanic peoples. A probably related meaning for the word in Latin is "brother", cognate to germen "seed"...
visited Wales in A.D. 447, with Dyfrig becoming the first principal, succeeded by Cadoc when Dyfrig was appointed bishop.
Llancarfan grew into one of the most important monasteries in Wales where many holy men were trained. Notable among the, and Cadoc's successor as abbot, was Saint Illtyd. Cadoc visited several of the famous religious houses and colleges in Ireland, and then undertook a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem (A.D. 462). He was reportedly distressed that the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi
Synod of Brefi
The Synod of Brefi was a church council held at Llanddewi Brefi in Ceredigion, Wales around 545.The synod was apparently called in order to condemn the heretical teachings of Pelagius, although this is far from certain. It was an important milestone in the rise of Saint David...
was held during one of these absences.He died at Benevenna (Weedon) in Northamptonshire in the beginning of the sixth century, leaving Ellenius his successor as abbot, "an excellent disciple", says Leland, "of an excellent master".
One manuscript refers toThe College of Cattwg [Cadoc] in Llancarvan with three cells [halls or subject houses] and a thousand saints (monks), together with two cells in the Vale of Neat Llancarfan did not survive the intrusion of Norman power into South Wales, being dissolved about 1086.
R. Rees suggests that although the monastery was said to have been situated at Llancarfan, the particular spot on which it stood was called Llanfeithin.
In Wales
At CaerleonCaerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
, a Roman centre of Monmouthshire, the much-rebuilt Saint Cadoc's Church
Saint Cadoc's Church
St Cadoc's Church is located in Caerleon, Newport. It is one of many buildings associated with the travels of Saint Cadoc.Caerleon is the historically important site of the Roman legionary fortress of Isca Augusta. Saint Cadoc's Church stands over the principia , where the legionary standards were...
, dedicated to St Cadoc though of Norman origin, stands on the foundations of the Roman legion headquarters, a sign of the Christianization of Roman sites after the legions departed Britannia
Britannia
Britannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
. It may memorialize an early cell of Cadoc's, although an old tradition suggests that, in this case, Cadoc is a corruption of Cadfrod. St Cadoc's Hospital
St Cadoc's Hospital
Not to be confused with the electoral ward of St Cadocs/Penygarn.Saint Cadoc's Hospital is located in Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport....
in Caerleon is also named after him.
Caodc is credited with the establishment of churches in Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. The church at Llanspyddid, three km west of Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
, however, is likely to be named for Cadoc son of Brychan
Cadoc son of Brychan
The 5th Century Saint Cadoc, or Cadog, was a Welsh saint. He is remembered as a son of Brychan and a founder of churches - notably Llanspyddyd, Brecknockshire and Llangadog Fawr, Carmarthenshire...
.
In Scotland
About 528, after his father's death, Cadoc is said to have built a stone monastery in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The probable location of St. Cadoc's church in Scotland is north-west of Stirling at Kilmadock
Kilmadock
Kilmadock parish, containing the settlements of Doune, Deanston, Buchany, Drumvaich, and Delvorich, is situated in Stirling council area, Scotland, and is on the southern border of the former county of Perthshire. Its length is , its breadth from , and with an area of .The River Forth runs along...
Parish, which was named for the saint. It is about 2 miles up the River Teith from Doune, where the Annant burn enters the river. Near the ruins of the old Kilmadock church and the graveyard is Hermit's Croft, thought to be the location where he lived for 7 years. There were 7 local churches that were built in the saint's honor, which came under the authority of the Inchmahome
Inchmahome
Inchmahome, an anglicisation of Innis Mo Cholmaig , is the largest of three islands in the Lake of Menteith, in Stirlingshire.- History :...
Priory.
The local Scottish followers were known as Gille Dog, or servants of St. Cadog. These appear as surnames, first as Dog, and later as Doig, Dock, and Doak. Sir Thomas Dog was Prior of Inchamhome from 1469 to 1477.
It is also said that Cadoc.s monastery was below 'Mount Bannauc' (generally taken to be the hill southwest of Stirling down which the Bannockburn
Bannockburn
Bannockburn is a village immediately south of the city of Stirling in Scotland. It is named after the Bannock Burn, a burn running through the village before flowing into the River Forth.-History:...
flows). It has been suggested that the monastery was where the town of St Ninians
Saint Ninian
Saint Ninian is a Christian saint first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland...
now stands, two kilometers south of Stirling.
In Brittany
At one time, Cadoc apparently lived as a hermit with Saint GildasGildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
on an island in the Bay of Morbihan, off Vannes
Vannes
Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago.-Geography:Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 km northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west...
in Brittany. There are chapels dedicated to him at Belz
Belz, Morbihan
Belz is a commune in the Morbihan département in Brittany in north-western France.-External links:* * * -References:* *...
and Locoal-Mendon
Locoal-Mendon
Locoal-Mendon is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western France.-Breton language:In 2008, there was 17,81% of the children attended the bilingual schools in primary education.-External links:* * * * *...
in Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
and at Gouesnac'h
Gouesnac'h
Gouesnac'h is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Geography:The small village of Gouesnac'h is located between the Quimper /Bénodet road and the wonderful Odet River.-History:...
in Finistère
Finistère
Finistère is a département of France, in the extreme west of Brittany.-History:The name Finistère derives from the Latin Finis Terræ, meaning end of the earth, and may be compared with Land's End on the opposite side of the English Channel...
, where he is called upon to cure the deaf. His name is also the basis of some thirty Breton place-names.
Beneventum
In an episode towards the end of his vita Cadoc is carried off in a cloud from Britannia (de terra Britannie) to Beneventum, where a certain prior is warned of the coming of a "western Briton" who is to be renamed Sophias; as Sophias Cadoc becomes abbot, bishop and martyr. A magna basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
was erected over his shrine, which visiting Britons were not allowed to enter. And a fictitious "Pope Alexander" is made to figure in the narrative. Tatlock points out that Alexander was an obscure second-century papal name until the accession of Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II
Pope Alexander II , born Anselmo da Baggio, was Pope from 1061 to 1073.He was born in Milan. As bishop of Lucca he had been an energetic coadjutor with Hildebrand of Sovana in endeavouring to suppress simony, and to enforce the celibacy of the clergy...
(1061) and that Beneventum in southern Italy became more prominent after it was traded to the papacy in 1051 and popes began to visit it regularly and councils were held there in 1087 and 1091; but Beneventum has been associated with the Roman town of Bannaventa
Bannaventa
Bannaventa was a Romano British Fortified Town which was situated on the Roman road of Watling Street, which today is known as the A5 trunk road. Bannaventa is northeast of the village of Norton in the English county of Northamptonshire...
(five kilometres east of Daventry
Daventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
) on the edge of Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
territory in Britain. This latter hypothesis proposes that it was overrun by Saxons at this time, thus explaining both the killing of Cadoc and the prohibition on Britons entering the town to recover his body.
In Welsh, Cadoc between known as Cattwg Ddoeth, or the Wise, and a large collection of his maxims and moral sayings were included in Volume III of the Myvyrian Archaiology. The epithet of Doeth (Welsh for wise), attached to his name, has induced certain Romish writers to confound him with St. Sophias (Greek for wisdom), bishop of Beneventum in Italy.
Cadoc and the kings
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, who is mentioned twice in the vita, as great and bold but willful. The reference is of importance to those concerned with the historicity of Arthur
Historical basis for King Arthur
The historical basis of King Arthur is a source of considerable debate among historians. The first datable mention of King Arthur in a historical context comes from a Latin text of the 9th century - more than three centuries after his supposed floruit in 5th to early 6th century Sub-Roman Britain...
as one of five insular and two Breton saints with claims to mention Arthur independently of Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
. The vita mentions a certain miraculous spot that had a healing effect until the time of king Hiuguel, after due to a malevolent influence the spot has been lost; Hiuguel is the Hywel vab weyn who died in his old age, ca 1041-44. The date of Lifris' Vita Cadoci, shortly before 1086, makes it a testimony of Arthur that is independent of Geoffrey of Monmouth's myth-making.
The kings Maelgwn
Maelgwn Hir ap Cadwallon
Maelgwn Gwynedd was King of Gwynedd . More formally his name was Maelgwn ap Cadwallon , also known as Maelgwn Hir . He was father of Rhun "Hîr"....
of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
and Rhain Dremrudd of Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog
Brycheiniog was a small independent petty kingdom in South Wales in the Early Middle Ages. It often acted as a buffer state between England to the east and the powerful south Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth to the west. It was conquered and pacified by the Normans between 1088 and 1095, though it...
also feature in his vita. In later Arthurian developments, Cadoc, with Illtud, is one of the three knights said to have become keepers of the Holy Grail.
See also
- Cambuslang
- LlancarfanLlancarfanLlancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry near Cowbridge, has a pub and a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century abbey, famed for its learning...
, site of Cadoc's 6th century abbey - St Cadoc's HospitalSt Cadoc's HospitalNot to be confused with the electoral ward of St Cadocs/Penygarn.Saint Cadoc's Hospital is located in Caerleon on the northern outskirts of the city of Newport....
, Caerleon - St Cadocs/PenygarnSt Cadocs/PenygarnNot to be confused with Saint Cadoc's Church in Caerleon and much with Saint Cadoc's Hospital in Caerleon.Saint Cadocs/Penygarn is an electoral ward in the county borough of Torfaen in south east Wales....
, electoral ward that also has a Saint Cadoc's church
External links
- St Cadoc's Church, Llancarfan
- The Church of St. Cadoc, Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire
- Eija Kennerley, "Saint Cadoc's Church, Caerleon" in Gwent Local History No. 50, Spring 1981