Saint Malo (; also known as Maclou, Maloù or Mac'h Low, or in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

as Maclovius or Machutus, 27 March 520 – 15 November 621) was a Welsh mid-sixth century founder of

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...

, a commune in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

, France. He was one of the seven founding saints of Brittany.

Life

Malo's name may derive from the Old Breton ''machlou'', a

compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struc ...

of ''mach'' "warrant, hostage" and ''lou'' (or ''loh'') "brilliant, bright, beautiful". Details of Malo's career have been preserved in three

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

'Lives' that seem to include incidents associated with multiple people bearing a similar name. Malo was probably born in

Llancarfan Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry and near Cowbridge, has a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century clas, famed for its learning. Cainnech o ...

(Wales) in approximately 520. He was the son of Dervel, sister of Amwn Ddu, and therefore cousin to St. Samson. He was placed in the abbot's care at a tender age, and grew up at the abbey, where he was ordained priest and assigned the office of preacher.

Voyages with Brendan

As a monk at Llancarfan Abbey in Wales, Malo was known for his participation in the ''Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot''. Malo became Brendan's favourite

disciple A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

.Grattan-Flood, William. "St. Machutus." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. According to the ''Voyage of Saint Brendan the Abbot'', Brendan and Malo left

Llancarfan Abbey Llancarfan is a rural village and community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The village, located west of Barry and near Cowbridge, has a well-known parish church, the site of Saint Cadoc's 6th-century clas, famed for its learning. Cainnech of A ...

with several companions and discovered the " Island of the Blest". He then went to sea on a second voyage and visited the Island of

Cézembre Cézembre is an island in Brittany, in the Ille-et-Vilaine ''département'' of France, near Saint-Malo. The island is uninhabited, with a surface area of approximately 18 hectares (44 acres), a length of , and a maximum width of . The island feat ...

, remaining there for some time. During their travels, they encountered Maclovius, a dead giant whom Brendan temporarily revived with his holiness. Brendan baptised him before the giant returned to his grave. It is thought that Brendan, on the occasion of his second voyage, evangelised the Orkney Islands and the northern isles of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

Breton evangelist

At Aleth, Malo served under a venerable

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

named Aaron. Upon Aaron's death in 544, Malo continued the spiritual rule of the district subsequently known as

and was consecrated as the first

Bishop of Aleth The former Breton and French Catholic Diocese of Saint-Malo ( la, Dioecesis Alethensis, then la, Dioecesis Macloviensis, label=none) existed from at least the 7th century until the French Revolution. Its seat was at Aleth up to some point in th ...

(now Saint Servan). Many miracles are related of him there. In old age, the disorder on the island compelled Malo to leave, but the people soon begged him to return. He obliged his people and returned to restore order. Feeling at the end of his life, Malo was determined to spend his last days in solitary penance. He died at an advanced age during a voyage from Aleth to Archambiac (near Archingeay) in the province of Saintonge. Malo might have died on 15 November 621 (although this may be the death date of Saint Marcoult).

Veneration

The city of

is one of the seven stages in the '' Tro Breizh'' ("Tour of Brittany", in Breton), a pilgrimage celebrating the seven founding saints of Brittany. Indirectly, the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

name of the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...

, ''Islas Malvinas'', can be traced to Malo, as it is derived from the French, ''Îles Malouines'' and named by

Louis Antoine de Bougainville Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville (, , ; 12 November 1729 – August 1811) was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of the British explorer James Cook, he took part in the Seven Years' War in North America and the American Revolutio ...

in 1764 after the first known settlers: mariners, and fishermen from the port of Saint-Malo.

Pontoise Cathedral Pontoise Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Maclou de Pontoise) is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Pontoise, on the outskirts of Val d'Oise in Paris, France. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Maclovius otherwise Saint Malo (''Sai ...

is dedicated to Saint Malo. Lesmahagow Priory in South Lanarkshire is also dedicated to him in the Latin form of his name, Machutus. He is the patron saint of the churches of St. Maughans and Llanfaenor in Monmouthshire and Llanfechell in

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

. The place-name Saint-Maclou also refers to him.

Notes

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Malo 520 births 621 deaths Medieval Breton saints Saint-Malo 7th-century Christian saints Voyagers in Celtic mythology Medieval Welsh saints Year of birth unknown 6th-century Breton people 7th-century Breton people