“September”, kalendar page from Les Petites Heures d’Anne de Bretagne (The Little Hours of Queen Anne of Bretagne), by the Maître des Triomphes de Pétrarque. From Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris (France).
Gwynllyw went on a celebratory raid after the birth of his son, stealing livestock, including a cow belonging to St Tathyw (Tathan), an Irish monk. Tathyw confronted Gwynllyw, who may or may not have returned the cow, but who on a sudden impulse (or guided by divine inspiration) decided to turn his son over to Tathyw to be educated at the monastery in Caerwent.
Upon reaching adulthood, Cadoc decided not to take charge of his father’s army, instead “preferring to fight for Christ”. He founded a monastery at Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan, but left it to study in Ireland. Then, after returning to Wales and studying rhetoric, he headed of to Scotland, where he founded a monastery at Cambuslang. After another sojourn at Llancarfan, he travelled to Brittany, where he settled on an island in the Etel river (the “Ile de Cado”, or “Cadoc’s Island), where he founded yet another monastery.
According to Cadoc’s Vita, the saint had a run-in with King Arthur. Cadoc gave protection to a man who had killed some of Arthur’s soldiers. Cadoc gave Arthur a herd of cattle as wergeld, or compensation, but once Arthur had accepted the cattle, they were transformed into bundles of ferns. This event is one of several such incidents found in the lives of various saints,
Cadoc’s feast day is 25 September.
Newsletter