Saint Tudwal
Encyclopedia
Saint Tudwal was a Breton
monk
. He is considered one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Tudwal was said to be a son of Hoel Mawr
(Hoel I). Tudwal travelled to Ireland
to learn the scriptures, then became a hermit
on what is now called Saint Tudwal's Island East off North Wales
. Tudwal later emigrated to Brittany, settling in Lan Pabu with 72 followers, where he established a large monastery
under the patronage of his cousin, King Deroch of Domnonée
. Tudwal was made Bishop of Tréguier on the insistence of Childebert I
, King of the Franks.
Tudwal is shown in iconography
as a bishop holding a dragon
, now the symbol of Tregor
. His feast day is celebrated on 1 December.
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. He is considered one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Tudwal was said to be a son of Hoel Mawr
Hoel
Hoel or Howel is a legendary king of Brittany and one of the oldest characters associated with Arthurian legend. He is the son of King Budic of Brittany, and serves as one of King Arthur's vassals and loyal allies...
(Hoel I). Tudwal travelled to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
to learn the scriptures, then 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...
on what is now called Saint Tudwal's Island East off North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. Tudwal later emigrated to Brittany, settling in Lan Pabu with 72 followers, where he established a large monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
under the patronage of his cousin, King Deroch of Domnonée
Domnonia
Domnonée is the modern French version of the Latin name Dumnonia , which denoted a kingdom in northern Brittany founded by migrants from Dumnonia in Great Britain...
. Tudwal was made Bishop of Tréguier on the insistence of Childebert I
Childebert I
Childebert I was the Frankish king of Paris, a Merovingian dynast, one of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511...
, King of the Franks.
Tudwal is shown in iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
as a bishop holding a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
, now the symbol of Tregor
Trégor
Trégor is one of the nine provinces of Brittany, in its northwestern area. It comprises the western part of the department of Côtes-d'Armor and a small part of the northeast of Finistère, as far as the river Morlaix...
. His feast day is celebrated on 1 December.
See also
- Tro BreizhTro BreizhTro Breizh is a Catholic pilgrimage that links the towns of the seven founding saints of Brittany. These seven saints were Celtic monks from Britain from around the 5th or 6th century who brought Christianity to Armorica and founded its first bishoprics.The tour originally was a month-long ...
(BretonBreton languageBreton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
for "Tour of Brittany"), a CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
pilgrimagePilgrimageA pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
that links the towns of the seven founding saints of BrittanyBrittanyBrittany 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...
, including TréguierTréguierTréguier is a port town in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is the capital of the province of Trégor.-Geography:Tréguier is located 36 m. N.W. of Saint-Brieuc by road. The port is situated about 5½ m...
, Saint Tudwal's town - Blessed Julian MaunoirJulian MaunoirJulien Maunoir , was a French-born Jesuit priest known as the "Apostle of Brittany". He was beatified in 1951 by Pope Pius XII and is commemorated by the Roman Catholic Church on 29 January and 2 July....
, "Apostle of Brittany"