Saint Illtyd
Saint Illtyd (born c. 450 AD; died c. 525 AD) was a Welsh monk and abbot who founded Llanilltyd Fawr (modern Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales) — one of the most important monasteries of early Celtic Christianity, sometimes called the greatest school in early Wales. Among his students were Saint David (patron of Wales), Saint Gildas the historian, Saint Paulinus of Wales, and reportedly Saint Patrick (by some traditions). He is the patron of South Wales. His feast day is November 6.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Illtyd
| Saint Illtyd | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | November 06 |
| Profession | Monk; abbot; founder; teacher; scholar |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Celtic monastic tradition; Abbot of Llanilltyd Fawr; teacher of Welsh saints |
| Patronage | South Wales; Llantwit Major; scholars; Welsh Christian heritage; students; monastic schools |
| Attributes | Abbot's staff; book or codex (scholar and teacher); Welsh landscape; monastic habit |
| Birthplace | Unknown; possibly Letavia (Brittany) or South Wales |
| Death Place | Possibly Brittany, France; possibly Llantwit Major, Wales |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died c. 525 AD; tradition varies between Wales and Brittany for his place of death |
| Primary Shrine | Church of Saint Illtyd, Llantwit Major (Llanilltyd Fawr), Vale of Glamorgan, Wales — an ancient Celtic church on the site of his monastery; contains remarkable early Christian inscribed stones; a site of pilgrimage in Wales |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast November 6; observed in Wales and Brittany |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed in Wales (local calendar) and Brittany |
Biography
Illtyd (also spelled Illtud, Iltutus, or Hildutus in Latin) is the greatest of the early Welsh abbots. His origins are uncertain: some traditions make him a Breton (from Letavia/Armorica in what is now Brittany), others a native of South Wales. The 9th-century Life of Samson describes him as "the most learned of all Britons in the knowledge of Scripture and of every branch of philosophy, poetry and rhetoric, grammar and arithmetic."
He is said to have been originally a warrior or courtier who underwent a conversion to the monastic life — perhaps after a vision or spiritual encounter. He established his monastery at Llanilltyd Fawr (the Church/Settlement of Illtyd the Great) in the fertile Vale of Glamorgan, where it became one of the most important schools in the entire Celtic world.
The names associated with his school read like a roll call of the greatest Welsh and Breton saints: David (patron of Wales), Gildas (author of De Excidio Britanniae, the primary source for sub-Roman Britain), Samson (Bishop of Dol in Brittany), Paulinus of Wales, and according to some traditions, even Patrick and the founders of several Breton monasteries. The scholarship maintained at Llanilltyd preserved classical learning and transmitted it to the generations that eventually re-evangelized Europe.
He died around 525 AD; where — Wales or Brittany — remains disputed.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Unknown; possibly Letavia (Brittany) or South Wales
Death location: Possibly Brittany, France; possibly Llantwit Major, Wales
Notable location:
Notable location: He is associated with Caldey Island, a monastic site off the coast of Pembrokeshire that has maintained an unbroken monastic presence from the Celtic period to the present day (currently Cistercian monks); Illtyd is said to have visited or established a presence here (Caldey Island (Ynys Bŷr), Pembrokeshire, Wales)
Notable location: Some traditions say he died and was buried in Brittany, which had strong connections to Wales in the early medieval period; Breton saints' traditions sometimes claim him; the migration of Welsh/Breton saints across the Channel was common in the 5th–6th centuries (Brittany, France)
Notable location:
Notable location:
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Church of Saint Illtyd, Llantwit Major, Wales — ancient Celtic foundation; site of his monastery; early Christian inscribed stones; active pilgrim site.
- Caldey Island, Pembrokeshire, Wales — Cistercian monastery; unbroken monastic tradition from Celtic period.
Feast day
November 6
Veneration
Saint Illtyd is venerated in Wales and Brittany with a feast day on November 6. He is one of the patron saints of South Wales and of the great tradition of Celtic monasticism.
Prayers
Authored
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Intercessory
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