Saint Tudwal (died c. 564), also known as Tual, Tudgual, Tugdual, Tugual, Pabu, Papu, or Tugdualus (Latin), was a Breton

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

, considered to be one of the

seven founder saints of 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 of ...

Life

Tudwal was said to be the son of

Hoel Mawr King Hoel ( br, Hoel I Mawr, "Hoel the Great"; la, Hoelus, Hovelus, Hœlus), also known as Sir Howel, Saint Hywel and Hywel the Great, was a late 5th- and early 6th-centuryFord, David Nashat ''Early British Kingdoms''. 2001. Retrieved 1 D ...

(Hoel I) and his wife, Pompeia, and a brother of Saint Lenorius. Tudwal travelled to

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

to learn the

scriptures Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual pra ...

, and then became a

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 ...

Saint Tudwal's Island East Saint Tudwal's Islands (Welsh: Ynysoedd Tudwal) are a small archipelago lying south of Abersoch on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales, at the western end of Tremadog Bay. They were referred to as the Studwells in the early 19th century. The na ...

, off the coast of

North Wales North Wales ( cy, Gogledd Cymru) is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia N ...

. Tudwal later immigrated to Brittany, settling in Lan Pabu with 72 followers, where he established a large

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

under the patronage of his cousin, King Deroch of

Domnonée Domnonée is the modern French form of Domnonia or Dumnonia (Latin for "Devon"; br, Domnonea), a historic kingdom in northern Armorica (Brittany) founded by British immigrants from Dumnonia (Sub-Roman Devon) fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britai ...

. He traveled to Paris to obtain confirmation of the land grant from King

Childebert I Childebert I (c. 496 – 13 December 558) was a Frankish King of the Merovingian dynasty, as third of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511. He was one of the sons of Saint Cl ...

, who insisted be was

Bishop of Tréguier 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 ca ...

. Tudwal is shown in iconography as a bishop holding a dragon, now the symbol of Tregor. His feast day is celebrated on 30 November or 1 December. Tro Breizh (Breton for "Tour of Brittany") is a pilgrimage that links the towns of the seven founding saints of Brittany. These seven saints were Celtic monks from Britain from around the 5th or 6th century who went to Brittany to minister to the Britons who had settled there after the Anglo-Saxon incursions in their homeland.Taylor, Thomas. ''The Celtic Christianity of Cornwall'', Longmans, Green & Company, 1916, p. 52
/ref> Among the first bishoprics was

Tréguier Tréguier (; br, Landreger) is a port town in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is the capital of the province of Trégor. Geography Tréguier is located 36 m. N.W. of Saint-Brieuc by road. The port is situ ...

, Saint Tudwal's town.

Notable namesake

* Tugdual Menon Joseph Tidwell. 15th century monk of the Franciscan order. Noted for being a shepherd and roving the coastline to help travellers stranded by shifting sands. Despite his vows, it is implied in local burial records that he fathered 9 children from 4 different women including his cousin Mary

Gallery

File:Tugdual (Saint-Pol-de-Léon).jpg, A statue of the saint at

Saint-Pol-de-Léon Saint-Pol-de-Léon (; br, Kastell-Paol) is a Communes of France, commune in the Finistère Departments of France, department in Brittany (administrative region), Brittany in north-western France, located on the coast. It is noted for its 13th-c ...

File:St Yves Treguier 2005 petite.jpg, The

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

of Saints

Ives Ives is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: * Alice Emma Ives (1876–1930), American dramatist, journalist * Burl Ives (1909–1995), American singer, author and actor * Charles Ives (1874–1954), Amer ...

and Tudwal in a procession at the gate of

Tréguier Cathedral Tréguier Cathedral (french: Cathédrale Saint-Tugdual de Tréguier) is a Roman Catholic church and former cathedral in Tréguier, Côtes-d'Armor, France. It is dedicated to Saint Tudwal. The church was formerly the seat of the Bishopric of Tr ...

in 2005

References

{{Authority control 564 deaths 6th-century Breton bishops Bishops of Tréguier Medieval Breton saints Medieval Welsh saints 6th-century Christian saints Year of birth unknown

Life

Notable namesake

Gallery

See also

References