Dubricius
Saint Dubricius (also known in his native
Welsh as
Saint Dyfrig and in corrupt
Norman-French as
Saint Devereux) was the
6th century evangelist of
Ergyng and much of
South Wales.
Dubricius was the illegitimate son of Efrddyl, the daughter of King
Peibio Clafrog of
Ergyng (modern West
Herefordshire in
England). His grandfather threw his mother into the
River Wye when he discovered she was pregnant, but was unsuccessful in drowning her. Dubricius was born in
Madley. He and his mother were reconciled with Peibio when Dubricius kissed him and cured him of his
leprosy.
Dubricius founded a
monastery at
Hentland and then one at
Moccas. He became the teacher of many well-known
Welsh saints, including
Teilo and
Samson. Dedications at
Porlock and near
Luscombe on the
Exmoor coast of
Somerset may indicate that he also travelled in that area. He later became
Bishop of Ergyng, possibly with his seat at
Weston-under-Penyard, and probably held sway over all of
Glamorgan and
Gwent, an area that was later known as the
diocese of Llandaff. However, he may have merely been a bishop for the purpose of ordaining priests, not as administrative head of the church over a geographical area. Dubricius was good friends with Saints
Illtud and
Samson, and attended the
Synod of Llanddewi Brefi in
545, where he is said to have resigned his see in favour of
Saint David. He retired to
Bardsey where he was eventually buried before his body was transferred to
Llandaff Cathedral in
1120.
According to legend, Dubricius was made Archbishop of Wales from
Caerleon by
Saint Germanus of Auxerre, and later crowned
King Arthur. He appears as a character in
Geoffrey of Monmouth's
Historia Regum Britanniae, and, much later, in
Alfred, Lord Tennyson's
Idylls of the King.
*
Early British Kingdoms: St. Dyfrig
