Saint Tysilio (also known as/confused with Saint Suliac; la, Tysilius, Suliacus; died 640 AD) was a
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
bishop, prince and scholar, son of the reigning King of
Powys,
Brochwel Ysgithrog, maternal nephew of the great
Abbot Dunod of
Bangor Iscoed and an ecclesiastic who took a prominent part in the affairs of
Wales during the distressful period at the opening of the 7th century.
Life
Prince Tysilio (or Sulio) was the second son of
Brochfael Ysgythrog
Brochwel son of Cyngen ( cy, Brochwel ap Cyngen, died c. 560), better known as Brochwel Ysgrithrog, was a king of Powys in eastern Wales. The unusual epithet ''Ysgithrog'' has been translated as "of the canine teeth", "the fanged" or "of the tusk ...
(of the Tusks). He fled his father's court at an early age to throw himself on the mercy of Abbot Gwyddfarch of Caer-Meguaidd (
Meifod
Meifod, formerly also written Meivod (), is a small village, community and electoral ward 7 miles north-west of Welshpool in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, on the A495 road and located in the valley of the River Vyrnwy. The River Banwy has a conf ...
) and beg to become a monk. A Powysian warband was sent to retrieve him, but King Brochfael was eventually persuaded that his son should be allowed to stay. Tysilio probably started his career in Trallwng Llywelyn (
Welshpool) and afterwards took up residence in
Meifod
Meifod, formerly also written Meivod (), is a small village, community and electoral ward 7 miles north-west of Welshpool in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, on the A495 road and located in the valley of the River Vyrnwy. The River Banwy has a conf ...
where he was associated with Gwyddvarch and St
Beuno
Saint Beuno ( la, Bonus;Baring-Gould &
Fisher, "Lives of the British Saints" (1907), quoted a Early British Kingdoms website by David Nash Ford, accessed 6 February 2012 640), sometimes anglicized as Bono, was a 7th-century Welsh abbot, ...
.
Fearful of further trouble from his family, Tysilio set up his base at a hermitage on
Ynys Tysilio (Church Island) in the Menai Strait and became a great evangeliser on Ynys Môn (Anglesey). He spent seven years there before returning to Caer-Meguaidd (Meifod) and succeeding as Abbot. Tyslio rebui