St Curig was a Celtic

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

and saint of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

during post Roman times. St Curig settled in Wales in the 7th century AD, during the reign of

Maelgwn Gwynedd Maelgwn Gwynedd ( la, Maglocunus; died c. 547Based on Phillimore's (1888) reconstruction of the dating of the ''Annales Cambriae'' (A Text).) was king of Gwynedd during the early 6th century. Surviving records suggest he held a pre-eminent position ...

, for whom he was described as being a warrior. Lore describes Maelgwn becoming angered by his warrior's newfound religious beliefs, and in response Curig "caused Maelgwn and his men to go blind (and forced) three of Maelgwn's sons (...) to give Gurig (sic) land." Upon landing at Aberystwyth, "he travelled inland, and rested upon the summit of a high mountain, where he settled a green, which still bears the name of

Eisteddfa Gurig Eisteddfa Gurig is a hamlet located in Ceredigion on its border with Powys and situated along the A44. Its name comes from the Welsh word ''eisteddfa'', meaning seat and the name of St Curig. This gives the meaning of Curig's seat. It is said ...

, or Curig's seat." This is the site of the present day village of

Llangurig Llangurig is both a village and a community in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales. The population was 723 in the 2011 UK Census. The community includes the hamlet of Cwmbelan. The River Wye, the A470 and the A44 trunk roads pass through Llangurig, ...

. In Thomas Jones' Gerald of Wales, St Harmon's Church is described as having (until the late 16th Century) a crucifix of St Curig's, "which extends slightly at the top, on both sides, in the shape of a cross, and which is covered round with gold and silver." Jones describes it as being used to cure patients. He is sometimes associated with

Saint Ilid Saint Ilid is a semi-legendary saint of Wales. He has at times been identified as Joseph of Arimathea, perhaps because he is referred to as a "man of Israel" and to have been born Jewish. Moreover, he is said to have returned from Rome with ''Ca ...

or St Dona. He is remembered in the church of St Curig in

and the

chapels A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

called Capel Curig in

Porthkerry The hamlet of Porthkerry ( Welsh: Porthceri) lies on the Bristol Channel coast of South Wales within the community of Rhoose between that village and the town of Barry to the east. It is very close to the end of the runway of Cardiff Interna ...

Langstone, Newport Langstone is a community and village of the city of Newport, Wales. The area is governed by the Newport City Council. The community had a population of 3,279 in 2011. Location Langstone is situated on the eastern edge of the city and is one ...

and

Llanilid Llanilid is a small settlement of in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is in the historic county of Glamorgan. Llanilid is part of the community of Llanharan along with the villages of Bryncae, Brynna, Ynysmaerdy, Peterston ...

, all in

. The church of St. Julittas`s in

Capel Curig Capel Curig (; meaning " Curig's Chapel") is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Historically in Caernarfonshire, it lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226, reducing slightly to 206 ...

is traditionally said to have been founded by him. Curig is thought to have migrated to Brittany at the end of his life and there are several churches there bearing his name. He is said to have died at

Landerneau Landerneau (; br, Landerne, ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. It lies at the mouth of the Elorn River which divides the Breton provinces of Cornouaille and Léon, east of Brest. The name is from ...

and been buried at

Locquirec Locquirec (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Toponymy From the Breton ''lok'' which means hermitage (cf.: Locminé), and '' Guirec'' a Breton saint. Population Inhabitants of Locquirec are cal ...

. He is commemorated on 16 June.

References

{{Authority control 7th-century births Welsh Roman Catholic saints Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown