Corentin of Quimper
Encyclopedia
Saint Corentin (d. 460 AD) is a Breton
saint
. He is venerated as a saint
and as the first bishop of Quimper. His feast day is December 12. He was a hermit
at Plomodiern
and regarded as one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Corentin is the patron saint of Cornouaille
, Brittany, and also the patron saint of seafood.
, Corentin's attribute is a fish
. This refers to the legend that Corentin made daily use of a miraculous fish near his hermitage
; Corentin would nourish himself by cutting a piece of this fish, which would then regrow its missing parts. He is also known in Cornwall where the church of Cury
is dedicated to him.
, Corentin sometimes replaces Saint Winwaloe (Guénolé) as the saint who spoke against sin in Ys and warned King Gradlon
of the evil committed by his daughter Dahut (Ahes)
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
. He is venerated as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and as the first bishop of Quimper. His feast day is December 12. He was a hermit
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
at Plomodiern
Plomodiern
Plomodiern is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Plomodiern are called in French Plomodiernois.-References:** -External links:* *...
and regarded as one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Corentin is the patron saint of Cornouaille
Cornouaille
Cornouaille is a historic region in Brittany, in northwest France. The name is identical to the French name for the Duchy of Cornwall, since the area was settled by migrant princes from Cornwall...
, Brittany, and also the patron saint of seafood.
Veneration
Quimper Cathedral is dedicated to him. In iconographySaint symbology
Christianity has used symbolism from its very beginnings. Each saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life. Symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church. A number of Christian saints are traditionally represented by a symbol or iconic...
, Corentin's attribute is a fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. This refers to the legend that Corentin made daily use of a miraculous fish near his hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
; Corentin would nourish himself by cutting a piece of this fish, which would then regrow its missing parts. He is also known in Cornwall where the church of Cury
Cury
Cury is a civil parish and village in southwest Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately four miles south of Helston on The Lizard peninsula. The parish is named for St Corentin and is recorded in the Domesday Book as Chori....
is dedicated to him.
Legend of Ys
In the Breton legend of the city of YsYs
Ys , also spelled Is or Kêr-Is in Breton, and Ker-Ys in French , is a mythical city that was built on the coast of Brittany and later swallowed by the ocean...
, Corentin sometimes replaces Saint Winwaloe (Guénolé) as the saint who spoke against sin in Ys and warned King Gradlon
Gradlon
Gradlon the Great was a semi-legendary 5th century "king" of Cornouaille who became the hero of many Breton folk stories. The most famous of these legends is the story of the sunken city of Ys. He is supposed to have been the son of Conan Meriadoc.-Gradlon and Malgven :According to some legends,...
of the evil committed by his daughter Dahut (Ahes)
Dahut
Dahut , also called Ahes, was a magician and a princess of Cornouaille present in several Breton legends.-Dahut's birth:...