David of Wales

This article is about the monk and patron saint of Wales. For the Old Testament ruler, see [[David]].

c.520-589. [[asceticism|Ascetic]] [[monk]] and [[patron saint]] of [[Wales]]. Of a southern Welsh princely family, he was a great founder of [[monastery|monasteries]], including one at [[Mynyw]] in [[Pembrokeshire]] at which he lived and built up a fine library destroyed later by Scandinavian raiders. The [[Council of Brefi]] chose him as [[primate]] of Wales, but he accepted only on condition that the seat was moved from [[Caerleon]] to [[St. Davids]]. In order to strengthen his argument that the [[see]] of St. Davids was independent of [[Canterbury]]'s authority, an eleventh century biographer, [[Rhygyfarch]], fabricated the story that David then went to [[Jerusalem]] to receive episcopal [[consecration]] from the [[patriarch]]. In religious [[art]] David is depicted standing on a mound with a [[dove]] on his shoulder, a reference to the tradition that when he was speaking at the Council of Brefi a white dove rested on his shoulder and the ground below his feet rose to form a hill so that everyone could hear him speak. His connection with the [[leek]] is unknown. He was a popular saint in South Wales, [[Devon]], [[Cornwall]], and [[Brittany]].