Saint David’s Day

1st March.

St David

Today, March 1st,  is Saint David’s Day. The patron saint of Wales.

The first day of March was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David as traditionally it is believed that he might have died on that day in 569, 588 or even 589; the date is uncertain.

St David (Dewi Sant) was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop, who lived in the sixth century.  He spread the word of Christianity across Wales.

A  famous story about Saint David tells how he was preaching to a huge crowd and the ground is said to have risen up, so that he was standing on a hill and everyone had a better chance of hearing and seeing him.

He was born towards the end of the 5th century. He was of the royal house of Ceredigion and founded a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rhosyn (The Vale of Roses) on the western headland of Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro) where St David’s Cathedral stands today. David was famous for being a teacher.

His monastery at Glyn Rhosin became an important Christian shrine and an important centre in Wales.

Before his death, Saint David is said to have uttered these words: “Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfill.”

Daffodil the national flower of Wales, Photo by PH Morton

Welsh ex-pats around the world celebrate St David’s Day. The daffodil  & the leek are the national emblems of Wales and badges of which are worn with pride.

Why a leek as an emblem?  

One theory is that St David advised the Welsh, on the eve of battle with the Saxons, to wear leeks in their caps to distinguish friends from the enemy. Shakespeare mentions in Henry V, that the Welsh archers (fearsome for the power and accuracy of their legendary long bows,)

Leeks the national emblem of Wales

wore leeks at the battle with the French at Agincourt in 1415.

The traditional meal on St David’s Day is cawl. This is a soup that is made of leek and other locally grown produce.

Another symbol of Wales is  the iconic Welsh Dragon  in Welsh- Y Ddraig Goch (“the

red dragon”)

It appears on the national flag of Wales. The flag is also called Y Ddraig Goch.

The Historia Brittonum (History of Britons written around 828)  records the first use of the dragon to  symbolise Wales.

One Welsh dragon legend is that a 5th century war leader & King of the Britons named Vortigern was looking for a site to build a castle in Wales. He eventually found a spot he liked on the hillside of Dinas Emrys.

A young boy  some believe to be Merlin the magician or Ambrosius Aurelianus, a candidate for the legendary King Arthur), warned Vortigern that the site he had found was directly above an underground lake, where two dragons lay sleeping.

On digging up the ground to begin the castle’s construction, Vortigern’s men found two dragons – one red, one white – fighting fiercely. After a real scuffle, the red dragon won.

The Welsh Flag flown over churches etc.

The Dragon was popularly supposed to have been the battle standard of the legendary King Arthur other ancient Celtic leaders.

Archaeological literature and documentary history suggests that it evolved from an earlier Romano-British national symbol.  During the reigns of the  Tudor monarchs, the red dragon was used as a symbol of support in the English Crown’s coat of arms (one of two supporters, along with the traditional English lion).  The red dragon is often seen as symbolising all things Welsh, and flags are flown by many public and private institutions in Wales and some in London too.

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