Meilyr, and Maeler w, or rather Maelrys, sons of Gwyddno ab Emyr Llydaw, and cousins to Cadfan, were saints who settled in Wales; the latter of whom resided in the Isle of Bardsey, and is the patron of Llanfaelrys, a chapel under Aberdaron, Carnarvonshire. His commemoration is Jan. 1.

Sadwrn, a son of Bicanys of Armorica, called also Sadwrn Farchog, was the brother of St. Iltutus, and nephew of Emyr Llydaw. He accompanied Cadfan to Britain in his old age, and is presumed to have been the founder of Llansadwrn in Anglesey. The church of Llansadwrn in Carmarthenshire, formerly a chapel under Cynwyl Gaio, is called after his

name.

Canna, a daughter of Tewdwr Mawr ab Emyr Llydaw, was the wife of Sadwrn, to whom she was related before marriage, but she appears to have been a generation younger. She accompanied her husband from Armorica; and is considered the founder of Llanganna, commonly called Llangan, Glamorganshire, and Llangan, Carmarthenshire. After the death of Sadwrn she married Gallgu Rieddog, by whom she became the mother of Elian Geimiad.

Crallo, the son of Sadwrn and Canna, probably came over to Britain at the same time with his parents. He was the founder of Llangrallo, otherwise Coychurch, Glamorganshire.

Besides the tribe of Emyr Llydaw, the children of Ithel Hael, another Armorican prince, are said to have joined in this migration, and taken upon them the profession of sanctity in Wales. Of these, Tanwg may be deemed the founder of Llandanwg, Merionethshire.

*

Gredifael and Fflewyn, sons of Ithel Hael, were appointed superintendents of the monastery of Paulinus at Tygwyn ar Dâf, Carmarthenshire. Gredifael, whose festival is Nov. 13,

* Llanbedr (St. Peter,) and Harlech (St. Mary Magdalen,) chapels to Llandanwg.

may be considered the founder of Penmynydd, Anglesey; and Fflewyn is the saint of Llanfflewyn, a chapel subject to Llanrhyddlad in the same county.

Tecwyn ab Ithel Hael, the founder of Llandecwyn, Merionethshire.* Festival Sept. 14.

Trillo ab Ithel Hael, the founder of Llandrillo in Rhos, Denbighshire, and Llandrillo in Edeyrnion, Merionethshire. Festival June 16.

Tegai ab Ithel Hael, the founder of Llandegai, Carnarvonshire, which place it would appear was at one time called called Maes Llanglassawg.

Twrog ab Ithel Hael, the founder of Llandwrog, Carnarvonshire. He is also the patron saint of Maentwrog, a chapel subject to Ffestiniog, Merionethshire, and his festival has been held on the twenty sixth of June.

Baglan, a son of Ithel Hael, has obtained the credit of sanctity; but as there was another saint of the same name, it is uncertain to which of them the patronage of the two chapels following should be ascribed;-Llanfaglan under Llanwnda, Carnarvonshire, and Baglan subject to Aberafon, Glamorganshire.t

Llechid, a daughter of Ithel Hael, was the foundress of Llanllechid, Carnarvonshire, and has been commemorated on the second of December.

Tyfodwg was one of the associates of Cadfan, but the pedigree assigned to him in the Cambrian Biography is inconsistent with chronology. He was the founder of Llandyfodwg, Glamorganshire, and one of the three founders of Llantrisaint in the same county. There is also a chapel under Llantrisaint, called Ystrad Tyfodwg.

* Chapel, Llanfihangel y Traethau (St. Michael.)

Rhychwyn is said in one MS. to have been a son of Ithel Hael, apparently by mistake for one of the sons of Helig ab Glanog. My vyrian Archaiology, Vol. II.

Ilar, sometimes styled Ilar Bysgottwr, or "the Fisherman," was the founder of Llanilar, Cardiganshire, and probably of other churches now thought to be dedicated to St. Hilary.

Ust and Dyfnig accompanied Cadfan to Britain, and were the joint-founders of Llanwrin, Montgomeryshire.*

Eithras, Llywan or Llywyn, and Durdan, were companions of Cadfan, of whose lives no particulars can be traced; except that the last mentioned settled in Bardsey, and has been considered one of the presiding saints of the island.

The foregoing list is thought to comprise the entire number of holy persons who emigrated from Armorica in this generation, and it may be interesting to enquire how far the situations of their churches illustrate the history of their settlements. Before the close of the present period, another large emigration is reported to have been made by the children of Caw, who were obliged to leave their dominions in North Britain, and become saints in Wales under similar circumstances.

Caw was the lord of Cwm Cawlwyd or Cowllwg, a district in the North, but its particular situation is uncertain.† According to Achau y Saint, he was deprived of his territories by the Gwyddyl Ffichti, or as the general term may be interpreted, by the Picts and Scots; in consequence of which he and his numerous family retired to Wales. He settled at Twrcelyn in Anglesey, where lands were bestowed upon him by Maelgwn Gwynedd; and it is also said that lands were granted to some of his children by Arthur in Siluria. His name is enrolled in the catalogue of saints; and his children are, in one record, styled the third holy family of Britain ; an honour, to which they are fairly entitled if the accounts of

* Myv. Archaiology, Vol. II.

+ A Life of Gildas, from the Monastery of Fleury in France, published by Johannes a Bosco, and quoted by Usher, says that Caunus (Caw) lived in Arecluta, or Strath Clyde.

Llyfr Bodeulwyn, Myv. Archaiology, Vol. II. p. 29.

Bran ab Llyr, to whom the first place in the Triad is usually assigned, have been proved to be without foundation.

Hywel, the eldest son of Caw, was slain in a civil war by Arthur ;* an event which probably took place before the emigration of his brothers.

Ane ab Caw Cowllwg was a saint, and Coed Ane, a chapel under Llanelian, Anglesey, is called after his name.

Aneurin, a son of Caw, was engaged in the battle of Cattraeth, the disasters of which he deplored in a long poem, called " Y Gododin," still extant, and deemed to be a composition of great merit for the age in which it was written. Out of upwards of three hundred British chieftains who entered the field, only four, of whom the bard was one, escaped with their lives. He was afterwards taken prisoner, loaded with chains, and thrown into a dungeon, from which he was released by Ceneu a son of Llywarch Hên. Upon his deliverance he appears to have retreated to South Wales, where he became a saint of the congregation of Cattwg at Llancarfan, but nothing further is known of him under the name of Aneurin, except that his death was occasioned by the blow of an axe from the hand of an assassin. It has, however, been suggested by two eminent antiquaries,† to whose researches the present writer acknowledges himself greatly indebted, that Aneurin was no other person than the celebrated Gildas. The reasons alleged are:—“ Aneurin, as well as Gildas, is reckoned among the children of Caw in our old manuscripts; but both do not occur as such in the same lists; for in those where Aneurin is said to be the son of Caw, the other is omitted; and on the contrary, where Gildas is inserted, the other is left out."-Besides which, the name Gildas is a Saxon translation of Aneurin, according to a practice not

*Caradocus Lancarbanensis in Vitâ S. Gildæ.

+ Mr. Edward Williams (Iolo Morganwg) and Dr. Owen Pughe.

Cambrian Biography.

y

uncommon with ecclesiastics in the middle ages; and even the various ways in which the names are written—“ Gilda, Gildas Coed Aur, Aur y Coed Aur, and Aneurin y Coed Aur"-all of similar signification, confirm their identity. Cennydd, a son, and Ufelwyn, a grandson, of Gildas, are sometimes called the son and grandson of Aneurin.* So far, therefore, the point is clear; that the Welsh genealogists have always considered the names Gildas and Aneurin convertible. The monkish writers of the Life of Gildas also state that he was a native of North Britain, and the son of Cau,† a king of that country. But here the agreement ends; for they mention nothing of the battle of Cattraeth, and instead of showing that their saint was originally a bard and a warrior, they assert that he embraced the sacred profession at an early age, and was employed in Ireland, preaching the Gospel, until he heard that his eldest brother had been slain by Arthur; upon which he came over to Britain, and was reconciled to the king, who had solicited his pardon. He then removed to Armorica, where, after a residence of ten years, he wrote his "Epistle" arraigning the kings of Britain for their vices. Upon his return, he abode for some time at Llancarfan, and was requested by St. Cadocus to direct the studies of the school at that place for one year; which he undertook, and performed to the great advantage of the scholars, desiring no other reward than their prayers. After this the two saints withdrew to two small islands, not far distant, intending to spend their days in retirement. Gildas, however, was disturbed by pirates, and in consequence removed to Glastonbury, where he wrote his "History of the Britons," and remained to the close of his life.‡—Such is a brief summary of their narrative, divested of several fables and

* Compare Cennydd and Ufelwyn in the Cambrian Biography. + Cau, Capgrave; Caunus, Floriacensis; Nau, Caradocus Lancarbanensis.

The supposition, that there were two persons called Gildas, the one surnamed Albanius, and the other Badonicus, is apparently a modern dis