Age of the Saints

The Age of the Saints was the period of Christianity in Wales around 500–700 AD.

Christianity had entered Wales during Roman times, initially as an urban religion. At first it was banned by the authorities who were suspicious of its secrecy. The first Christian martyrs, in the fourth century in Wales were executed at the legionnaires' town of Caerleon (near present-day Newport in South Wales).

It is considered to have started with Saint Dubricius (also known as Dyfrig), who had been bishop at the Roman British settlement of Ariconium (in present-day Herefordshire) in the mid-fifth century, and who founded a monastery at nearby Hentland.

He was followed by Saint Illtud, who established a school in Llantwit Major which soon became an important hub within the Celtic Christian community, attracting scholars from Ireland, Brittany and Cornwall. His monastery and school in Glamorgan was said to have had around 1000 pupils. These included Saint David, and the scholar and historian Gildas. Later came Saints Teilo, Padarn and Deiniol.

They seem often to have emerged from native tribal traditions. They were frequently from community nobility, but renouncing the privileges of such positions to live remote, secluded, monastic lives. Their identity would emerge separately from the base established in England by Saint Augustine in 597 AD.

Although little else is known about these people, their influence persists in place names all over Wales, pre-fixed by the word Llan: an old Welsh word referring to land consecrated for burials and churches.

See also

• Book of Llandaff