#saint david

[ai-satin-chic]

A very happy St. David's Day to all my Welsh friends, and Welsh people all over the world!

[thepastisalreadywritten]

•

[gingersnaptaff]

Peredur and Cai, or why I think these two are each other's foils within Peredur ap Efrawg (March Mabinogion Madness 1)

(The opening lines of 'Peredur' from The Red Book of Hergest.)

With thanks to @nekomaidmordred for letting me chew his ear off about this as well as @dullyn and @gwalch-mei for being like 'no, this is good actually.'

Cai and Peredur. You know them, you love them, they are the definition of tol on smol violence within the pages of The Mabinogion. And I'm here to yap at you about the fact they're foils because this idea wouldn't leave me alone.

(I had this idea of the bus, okay? Thank you Cynan Jones' book 'Blood, Bird, Snow' cuz it made it so explicit that it knocked my teeth out.)

For a start, Peredur is consistently kind. For example, when he first comes to Arthur's court he meets the two dwarves that once belonged to his father he is courteous to them. This is in sharp contrast to Cai who treats them poorly and strikes them. This haughtiness of his is arguably what pisses off Peredur the most - but it's also, arguably, Cai's greatest asset and the thing we all know and love about him. He gets so pissed off in 'Culhwch ac Olwen' when Arthur sings his dumbass englyn that he ups and leaves and that's the last we hear from him.

Furthermore, they can also be contrasted with how they battle. Cai is, perhaps, far more rash in how he deals with Peredur whereas Peredur has some level of cunning. This hot-headedness of Cai's results in his unknown assailant (Obvs Peredur, but Cai doesn't recognise him) giving him a broken arm and, I'm certain of this, Arthur despairing at one of his greatest warriors' antics. I am gonna go out on a limb and say this could be an allegory for a formerly Welsh figure (Cai) being used as a stand-in for colonialism, considering he has taken on much more of his French romance role as a gruff, boorish knight, while Peredur is the oppressed Welsh but I will not be kicking that particular hornet's nest today.

Cai is a sulky, sulky bastard and it shows after Peredur breaks his arm. 'And Cai sulked and spoke angry, jealous words. "Gwalchmai," he said, "I am certain you would lead him [Peredur] back by his reins. However little praise and honour will you get from overcoming the exhausted Knight,'"' But, in some way, it's kinda cute. Plus, I'd say both Cai and Peredur are loved by Arthur and Gwalchmai respectively and are treated kindly by them. Both are taken to their bestie's pavilions either after they're injured (Cai) or once they've made their identity known (Peredur.) Furthermore, in sharp contrast to his ribbing of him in 'Culhwch ac Olwen,' Arthur here is genuinely worried for Cai and is 'sorry for the pain Cai had received for he loved him greatly.' Meanwhile, Gwalchmai treats Peredur with respect, as does Owain, when the trio first meet in the woods before Peredur becomes a Knight, and, thereafter, throughout the tale whenever they cross paths. Plus, it's interesting that Peredur is seen as the 'flower of chivalry' or, at least, the Welsh version of it in sharp contrast to Cai. He'd been postponed as perhaps the central antagonist or the one who holds the most memorable scene. He's a gadfly to Peredur and the dwarves. Churlish, contemptuous, and contumelious all in one, that's our Cai.

But this isn't to say that Cai is evil or is disrespected. Arthur cares greatly about him. Nobody ever says Cai is vindictive within the text or elsewhere. He is, presumably, Arthur's distain - a steward, arguably one with the powers of a modern-day Prime Minister - within the text of Peredur, and therefore it's his job to run the court. Once Peredur arrives at Arthur's court he feels he must turn him away for '[his] weapons are untidy' and he doesn't want Arthur's court to be brought in disrepute. As well as this, you must take into account how highly regarded hospitality was amongst the Welsh when talking about Cai's actions towards the dwarves. Gerald of Wales writes in his 'Journey Through Wales': 'They [The Welsh] consider liberality and hospitality among the first virtues' and that 'so much does hospitality rejoice in communication' that it makes sense as to why Cai gives the dwarves a 'clout on the ear' after they've spoken to Peredur. They've flouted the rules of hospitality and Arthur's court by 'staying dumb for a year.' Welsh culture was built on conversation - as are many other cultures, including other Celtic ones - and to remain silent at a lord's table, particularly one who has sheltered you, as Arthur has to the dwarves, was seen as a great offence. We can extrapolate that this follows a throughline in The Mabinogion where hospitality is either broken - Pwyll's dogs slaying the stag Arawn's hounds had chased, Efnisien's butchery of Matholwch's horses, Pwyll and Rhiannon's badger-in-the sack game with Gwawl in Branch 1 being the impetus for Llwyd's magic desolation of Dyfed in Branch 3, or Gwydion's whole deal with stealing Pryderi's pigs in Branch four and Blodeuwedd's hosting of Gronw Pebyr at her husband's court leading to them murdering him - or restored in some way (Branch giving Matholwch the Cauldron of Rebirth in recompense for Efnisien, Manawydan threatening to hang Llwyd's wife who has shapeshifted into a mouse, Pwyll defeating Hafgan in Arawn's form, Lleu ultimately slaying Gronw and Gwydion turning Blodeuwedd into an owl).

Personally, I find it incredibly intriguing how it's Cai Peredur faces off against considering Cai was seen as the ideal of Wslsh warriorhood before Peredur. In 'Culhwch ac Olwen' much is made of Cai's prowess in battle and powers, as well as his lineage. He hails from 'Y Hen Ogledd' or 'The Old North.'

It's Yorkshire (Elmet), Northern England, and the Scottish Lowlands. Y Hen Ogledd is where Y Gododdin is situated and where Rheged - and Owain and Urien - hail from. It's seen as being an extension of Wales essentially, for they considered themselves to be the same and they spoke Brittonic. Both were even referred to as Cymry or 'fellow-countrymen.'

Anyways, I'm bringing this up because Peredur's lineage is connected to there. His father, Efrawg's, name is literally York which connects him to Elmet. Plus, he dies in battle which connects him to Y Goddoddin/The Battle of Catraeth of which Anierin writes 'Men went to Catraeth at morn/Their high spirits lessened their life-span.' Furthermore, another Arthurian hero, Cynon ap Clydno, was reputed to've fought at Catraeth and perished there. (Cynon was lord of Eidyn or modern-day Edinburgh.) Also, let us not forget Peredur's namesake, Peredur ap Eliffer was legit first cousins with Urien Rheged.

Cai, meanwhile, is connected to the princes/kings of Dyfed through his dad, Cynyr Ceinfargog (forkbeard). Cynyr was the father of Saint Non who was the patron saint of both rated women and Pelynt, a village in Cornwall. She's also the mother of Dewi Sant, otherwise known as St. David, Wales' patron saint! Cai would be Saint David's UNCLE. Through these lineages, both Peredur and Cai would be connected to an age of great deeds, which would further heighten their, y'know, whole Greatest Warrior Lads In Wales vibe.

Finally, both are later downgraded within the corpus of stories that came after or even at the same time. (Percival's treatment in Chretien stands out and then he's later bodied by Galahad out of his position as Finder of Big Holy Cup, whereas Cai is arguably superseded by Gwalchmai and thereafter Gawain as Arthuriana's Best Boi.)

Anyways, that's my ramble. That's it. Since Saint David's Day is March 1st, I want u all to think about Cai and him being a proud uncle to his nephew. Or Peredur breaking Cai's arm. Whatever floats your boat.

[orthodoxadventure]

Saint David of Euboea

Saint David was born in the early 16th century in a village near the island of Euboea (Evia).

As a child, Saint John the Baptist appeared to him in a dream, guiding him to a nearby church. There, the boy remained for six days, barefoot, standing in prayer before the icon of the Forerunner. For this reason, Saint David is also known as “the child of the Forerunner.”

At the age of 15, he left his homeland in search of a spiritual father. He was received into the monastic life and, together with his abbot, visited several monasteries across Greece.

He eventually settled on the island of Euboea, where he restored a church dedicated to the Transfiguration and gathered a community of disciples around him.

Saint David showed immense love for everyone who came to the monastery seeking his help, both Christians and Muslims. He was gifted with the ability to perform miracles: He miraculously survived a shipwreck, caused a spring to flow that still runs today, saved a village from a mosquito infestation, and sweetened the bitter food of a family in need.

He continues to work miracles even after his passing, through his holy relics kept at the Transfiguration Monastery in Greece, which was renewed by a contemporary elder, Saint Iakovos Tsalikis. People with physical and spiritual ailments find healing after venerating his holy skull.

[fayrobertsuk]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Hapus, pawb! Cofiwch: wnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd.

[juliehowlin]

As well as being the patron saint of Wales, Saint David is also patron saint of doves and poets.

10 things you might not know about Saint David:

March 1st: Saint David's Day

March 1 is the feast day of Saint David, or Dewi Sant as he is known in the Welsh language, and is widely celebrated in  Wales . So here ar

[cachuhwch]

©Craig Horky

This is brilliant 🤩🤣 Saint David

I'm really really interested in this religion 😍

[ofbloodandfaith]

In Welsh Arthurian pre-Galfridian tradition, that is, from before the time of Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), Arthur was granted numerous relations and family members. Several early Welsh sources are usually taken as indicative of Uther Pendragon being known as Arthur's father before Geoffrey wrote, with Arthur also being granted a brother (Madog) and a nephew (Eliwlod) in these texts.[1] Arthur also appears to have been assigned a sister in this material – Gwalchmei is named as his sister-son (nephew) in Culhwch and Olwen, his mother being one Gwyar.[2] Culhwch and Olwen, the Vita Iltuti and the Brut Dingestow combine to suggest that Arthur's own mother was named Eigyr.[3] The genealogies from the 13th-century Mostyn MS. 117 assert that Arthur is the son of Uthyr, the son of Custennin, the son of Cynfawr, the son of Tudwal, the son of Morfawr, the son of Eudaf, the son of Cadwr, the son of Cynan, the son of Caradoc, the son of Bran, the son of Llŷr. Regarding Arthur's own family, his wife is consistently stated to be Gwenhwyfar, usually the daughter of King Ogrfan Gawr (variation: 'Gogrfan Gawr', "[G]Ogrfan the Giant") and sister to Gwenhwyfach, although Culhwch and Bonedd yr Arwyr do indicate that Arthur also had some sort of relationship with Eleirch daughter of Iaen, which produced a son named Kyduan (Cydfan).[4] Kyduan was not the only child of Arthur according to Welsh Arthurian tradition – he is also ascribed sons called Amr (Amhar),[5] Gwydre,[6] Llacheu[7] and Duran.[8] (See the Offspring section for further information about Arthur's children.) In addition to this immediate family, Arthur was said to have had a great variety of more distant relatives, including maternal aunts, uncles, cousins and a grandfather named Anlawd (or Amlawdd) Wledig ("Prince Anlawd"). The latter is the common link between many of these figures and Arthur: thus the relationship of first cousins that is implied or stated between Arthur, Culhwch, Illtud, and Goreu fab Custennin depends upon all of their mothers being daughters of this Anlawd, who appears to be ultimately a genealogical construct designed to allow such inter-relationships between characters to be postulated by medieval Welsh authors.[9] Arthur's maternal uncles in Culhwch and Olwen, including Llygatrud Emys, Gwrbothu Hen, Gweir Gwrhyt Ennwir and Gweir Baladir Hir, similarly appear to derive from this relationship.[10]

King Arthur's family - Wikipedia