Hiraeth 2016: Dydd 23, St. Davids

St. David is the patron Saint of Wales. Many legends and a cathedral have sprung up on him, but the essence of the Saint is his teaching:

"Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd"

"Do ye the little things in life"

I'm with you there, Dewi Sant! While he has a grand cathedral, the essence of the man permeates the soul of Cymru.

St. David's Cathedral, Pembrokeshire

Dewi Sant would never have lived in such a grand place as the medieval bishop's palace.

Ruins of the Bishop's Palace, St. Davids

The Cathedral through a window of the Bishop's Palace

St. David's Cathedral from a tower of the Bishop's Palace

Claimed to be relics of St. David. Most likely a medieval forgery. But he was buried here before the cathedral was built.
It didn't stop me from kneeling and making the sign of the cross as my ancestors would have done.

A Hobbit door at the Cathedral

And the Cathedra or chair of the Archbishop with the armorial of the Bishops of St. Davids
St. David's cross, yellow on black, with black cinquefoils

And I discovered the tomb of Edmund Tudor, father of Henry VII, brother of that rascal Jasper Tudor.

We took a walk to the sea cliffs where there is a tiny, modern chapel to St. Non, the mother of St. David. Supposedly she was a nun raped by pirates. St. David was born during a thunderstorm during which a holy spring appeared next to the birthplace, the original St. Non's chapel.

St. Non's Holy Well.
I climbed down and dipped my fingers to make the sign of the cross on my forehead.
Can't say it healed anything, but it was worth a try.

Site of original St. Non's Chapel and traditional birthplace of St. David on the Pembrokeshire coast.

A view of the Pembrokeshire coastline

A simple man like St. David. A Latter-day Saint even if not as holy.
(I was wearing sandals not to imitate Dewi Sant, but because my feet hurt so badly in my shoes. These were better.)

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