Saint Cadfan

For other uses, see Cadfan.

Saint Cadfan
Abbot
Born	Brittany[1]
Died	6th century Wales
Venerated in	Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion
Feast	1 November
Patronage	St Cadfan's Church, Tywyn

Cadfan (Latin: Catamanus), was the 6th century founder-abbot of Tywyn (whose church is dedicated to him) and Bardsey, both in Gwynedd, Wales. He was said to have received the island of Bardsey from Einion Frenin, king of Llŷn, around 516 and to have served as its abbot until 542.^[2]

Life and legacy

Most of the information we have about Cadfan is from the awdl by Llywelyn the Bard in the 12th century. According to this he sailed from Brittany to Tywyn with 12 other saints, although some suggest that they came instead from Llanilltud Fawr.

A Breton nobleman, he was said to be the son of Eneas Ledewig (Aeneas of Brittany) and Gwen Teirbron (Gwen Three Breasts), daughter of Budic II of Brittany.^[3] He was a cousin of Saint Derfel.

He journeyed to Britain accompanied by the children of Ithel Hael o Lydaw (of Brittany): Baglan, Flewyn, Gredifael, Tanwg, Twrog, Tegai, Trillo, Tecwyn and Llechid.^[4][5] Other reputed followers include Maël and Ilar. Wade-Evans thought Kentinlau, who accompanied Cadfan to Ceredigion, should be identified with Cynllo.^[6] They may have fled the Franks.

At Llangadfan in northern Powys he founded a church before moving on to Bardsey. He also established a clas at Tywyn (traditionally the first such clas in Wales) which became a wealthy site, served by an abbot and clerics from 1147 to 1291, mother church of the cantref of Meirionnydd south of the River Dysynni.^[7]

His feast day is 1 November.^[1]

References

1. Online, Catholic. "St. Cadfan - Saints & Angels". Catholic Online. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
2. Barber, Chris; Pykitt, David (1 November 1997). Journey to Avalon: the final discovery of King Arthur. Weiser Books. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-57863-024-0. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
3. Baring-Gould, Sabine; Fisher, John (1908). The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales and Cornwall and Such Irish Saints as Have Dedications in Britain. For the honourable Society of cymmrodorion, by C. J. Clark.
4. Williams, Robert (1852). Enwogion Cymru: A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Welshmen, from the Earliest Times to the Present, and Including Every Name Connected with the Ancient History of Wales. W. Rees.
5. Baring-Gould, Sabine; Fisher, John (1 June 2005). The Lives of the British Saints: The Saints of Wales, Cornwall and Irish Saints. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7661-8767-2.
6. Wade-Evans, A. W. (1944). Vitae Sanctorum Britanniae et Genealogiae.
7. Lloyd, John Edward. "Cadfab", Dictionary of Welsh Biography, 1959

Sources

• The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales, University of Wales Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6