Saint Tudwal (died c. 564), also known as Tual, Tudgual, Tugdual, Tugual, Pabu, Papu, or Tugdualus (Latin), was a
Breton monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
, considered to be one of the
seven founder saints of Brittany.
Life
Tudwal was said to be the son of
Hoel Mawr (Hoel I) and his wife,
Pompeia, and a brother of
Saint Leonorus. Tudwal travelled to Ireland to learn the
scriptures
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...
, 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 Chr ...
on
Saint Tudwal's Island East, off the coast of
North Wales
North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, 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 Snowdon ...
. 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 Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...
under the patronage of his cousin, King Deroch of
Domnonée
Domnonée is the modern French form of Domnonia or Dumnonia (Latin for "Devon"; ), a historic kingdom in northern Armorica ( Brittany) founded by British immigrants from Dumnonia ( Sub-Roman Devon) fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britain in t ...
. He traveled to Paris to obtain confirmation of the land grant from King
Childebert I
Childebert I ( 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 Clo ...
, who insisted he be
Bishop of Tréguier
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...
.
Tudwal is shown in
iconography
Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
as a bishop holding a
dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
, now the symbol of
Tregor. His
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...
is celebrated on 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, Saint Tudwal's town.
Notable namesake
* Tugdual Menon
Gallery
File:Tugdual (Saint-Pol-de-Léon).jpg, A statue of the saint at Saint-Pol-de-Léon
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 or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...
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), Ame ...
and Tudwal in a procession at the gate of Tréguier Cathedral in 2005
See also
*Blessed Julian Maunoir, "Apostle of Brittany"
* St Tugual's Chapel, chapel named after St Tudwal
* Saint Tudwal's Islands
Saint Tudwal's Islands (Welsh (language), 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 19 ...
* Llanstadwell, the name derives from the dedication of the parish and 12th century church to St Tudwal
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