The man we know as St David, or Dewi Sant in Welsh, lived in the sixth century in the west of the island of Britain. He founded a monastic community on the site of what is now St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.
David was celebrated in both Wales and Ireland, but what we know about him and his followers mostly comes from the Latin text, Vita S. David (Life of St David), which was written by the author Rhygyfarch in around 1080.
Rhygyfarch was a member of a clerical community at Llanbadarn Fawr, which is in modern day Ceredigion, west Wales. His writing is evidence of the lasting cult associated with Saint David and the many medieval churches dedicated to him throughout Wales. By “cult”, we mean the continued devotion to David’s life and work.
