Clydog (also known as Clydawg, Clodock, Clitaucus, Cleodicus, Cladocus) was a sixth-century Welsh king of

Ergyng Ergyng (or Erging) was a Brittonic kingdom of the sub-Roman and early medieval period, between the 5th and 7th centuries. It was later referred to by the English as ''Archenfield''. Location The kingdom lay mostly in what is now western Herefor ...

who became a saint. His feast day is traditionally held on 3 November but is also celebrated on 19 August.Calendar of the Celtic Saints of Wales
In imagery, Clydog is represented as a king holding a sword and a lily.

Life

Clydog was a member of the clan of the legendary king

Brychan Brychan ap Anlach of Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales. Name variations Brychan had Irish ancestry and came from Ireland to Wales, therefore his original name ...

, whose children and grandchildren became the famed saints of

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. His father was Clydwyn, himself a saint and the son of Brychan. Although some sources say he conquered the whole of South Wales, which is unlikely, but it is possible that he was at one time also king of

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

and

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales, covering the modern counties Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It is mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed w ...

along with his brother Dedyw. His other brothers included St Cynon and St Cynlefr the Martyr and St Berwen. As king of Ergyng he ruled over parts of

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

and

Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...

, known for its time of peace and justice. With his brother Dedyw he trained as a priest under Saint Cadoc at Llancarfan. Following his return to Ergyng, a woman fell in love with him and refused to marry anyone else. A local Saxon noble had also fallen for the same woman. Shortly after while Clydog was hunting a deer, the Saxon shot Clydog with an arrow, killing him. His body was placed on a cart and taken to the ford of the river below the present church in

Clodock Clodock is a village in the west of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Monnow in the foothills of the Black Mountains, close to the border with Wales. The village is in the civil parish of Longtown. Before 1536 Clodock was in the ...

, at which point the cart broke and the oxen could go no further. He was thus buried there at Caer Gledog, near Longtown, Herefordshire. Some sources label Clydog a martyr, being a Christian killed by an outsider, but this is probably a mistranslation of the word ''merthyr'' (shrine). A chapel was built above his burial which became a site of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

. His fame spread and even several centuries later people were still being named after him, including a 12th-century Bishop of Llandaff. St Clydawg's church now covers the parish of

, which was transferred from Wales to England in 1535. He was married three times in total; his wives were successively Prawst, Ribrawst and Roistri.

References

{{authority control 6th-century Christian saints Welsh royal saints Welsh Roman Catholic saints 6th-century births Roman Catholic monks Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown