St. Maelog

 

An Abbreviated Life of St. Maelog

Born the son of a Romano-British Chieftain from Strathclyde (Cwm-Cawlwyd). One of a large family of children which included St Gildas, his brother (500 AD).

Arrival in Wales

Came with his family as a refugee from the Pictish Wars. Granted refuge in Anglesey (Ynys-Mon) by Cadwallon, Chief of Gwynedd (510 AD).

Education

Taught first by monks on Ynys-Mon, then under St. Cadoc at the Abbey (Clas) of Llancarfan.

Travels with St. Cybi

He arrived in Cornwall (Cernyw) about 520 AD and became a disciple of St. Cybi. Left Cornwall after an ill-fated attempt by the people to raise St. Cybi to the Cornish throne. Travelled first to Gwent for a brief stay (532 AD), and then left for Ireland and Aran More. Remained in Aran More, but left after a quarrel with an Irish monk. After further trouble, he sailed with Cybi and party to Lleyn in North Wales (537 AD). Returned to Ynys Mon. Established a church site in his own name (538 AD).

Abbot of Llowes

Moved to Powys and established his clas on Llowes common (539 AD). From there, many church sites were established in the surrounding countryside by himself and his disciples. Maelog had to flee for his life in 545 AD but the work of the Clas continued.

Ireland and Brittany (Llydaw)

Returned briefly to Ireland in 545 AD to escape the anger of the British Chiefs. Founded a church at Kilmallock, but poverty drove him to sail for Brittany in 546 AD, where he remained until his death in 590 AD, having founded several churches in the region of Lanvauden.

 

note: dates are approximate as they tend to differ depending on source.

 

['The Two Lives of Saint Gildas', tr Hugh Williams (Llanerch) 1990, gives vastly different details about the Family of Caw Prydain. 'The Monk of Ruys' (ibid) mentions only four other sons (besides Gildas) and one daughter. Caradoc of Llancarfan, in his 'Life of St Gildas' (ibid), expands the family to twenty-four sons and several daughters. Scholars tend to doubt the reliability of the Llancarfan account in particular]

adapted by kind permission of J Douglas Davies, Llandyfaelog

see the original window at Plumelec, Brittany.

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