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Sadwrn
Encyclopedia
Sadwrn was the brother of Illtud
(The Galilean) and is buried at All Saints' Church, Brixworth
near Northampton
. The English recognise him as St. Giles, the saint who brought Christianity
to England. He seems to have held considerable sway in the politics of central Wales
, which would have included contemporary north Carmarthenshire
, and possibly like his brother, who followed St. Germanus
, held a temporary military command.
There are strong Breton
connections with the region which may explain their origins - a far more realistic explanation than the one usually offered regarding Sadwrn's (Giles) Armenia
n or Georgian
roots.
There are references to Illtud being the cousin of Athrwys ap Meurig
of Morgannwg (Arthur) although there is no known connection with Sadwrn. Interestingly, Caeo, the centre of the early church in England, may have had a connection with Sadwrn but this is difficult to verify. It is interesting to note that Sadwrn and Meurig are deemed by Welsh scholars to be none other than St. Giles and St. George.
Illtud
Illtyd , was a Welsh saint, founder and abbot of Llanilltud Fawr in the Welsh county of Glamorgan...
(The Galilean) and is buried at All Saints' Church, Brixworth
All Saints' Church, Brixworth
All Saints' Church, Brixworth, in Northamptonshire is an outstanding example of early Anglo-Saxon architecture located in central England, and has been called "perhaps the most imposing architectural memorial of the 7th century yet surviving north of the Alps"...
near Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
. The English recognise him as St. Giles, the saint who brought Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to England. He seems to have held considerable sway in the politics of central Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, which would have included contemporary north Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, and possibly like his brother, who followed St. Germanus
Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre was a bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. He is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, commemorated on July 31. He visited Britain in around 429 and the records of this visit provide valuable information on the state of post-Roman British society...
, held a temporary military command.
There are strong Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
connections with the region which may explain their origins - a far more realistic explanation than the one usually offered regarding Sadwrn's (Giles) Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
n or Georgian
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
roots.
There are references to Illtud being the cousin of Athrwys ap Meurig
Athrwys ap Meurig
Athrwys was a Prince, possibly a King, from Gwent in Wales, who is generally accepted as having lived in the early 7th century.-Lineage:...
of Morgannwg (Arthur) although there is no known connection with Sadwrn. Interestingly, Caeo, the centre of the early church in England, may have had a connection with Sadwrn but this is difficult to verify. It is interesting to note that Sadwrn and Meurig are deemed by Welsh scholars to be none other than St. Giles and St. George.