Saint Non
Encyclopedia
Non was, according to Christian
tradition, the mother of Saint David
(Dewi Sant), the patron saint
of Wales
.
(the village being named after her). Subsequently, she would travel to Cornwall
and ultimately end her days in a Breton
convent
.
Rhigyfarch
, the late eleventh-century author of David's vita, wrote that the saint was the son of sanctus rex ceredigionis, where Sanctus has been interpreted as a proper name and its owner honoured by Welsh Christians as Sandde, King of Ceredigion
. However, the Latin can also mean "holy king of Ceredigion". David was conceived through violence and his mother, Non, the daughter of the nobleman Cynyr of Caer Goch (in Pembrokeshire
), gave birth to him on a cliff top in the middle of a violent storm
. The pain of birth was said to have been so intense that Non's fingers left marks as she grasped a rock and, as David was born, a bolt of lightning
is said to have split the rock in two. It is also believed that the two split pieces of rock were the foundation stones for St. David's Cathedral and St Non's Chapel
.
is now named Capel Non. and is marked by the Chapel of St Non
. Non's relic
s were initially venerated at Altarnun
in Cornwall
. However, these were destroyed during the Reformation
. She is also the patron of Pelynt
in Cornwall where there is St Nonna's Holy Well.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
tradition, the mother of Saint David
Saint David
Saint David was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century; he was later regarded as a saint and as the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is still uncertain, as suggestions range from 462 to...
(Dewi Sant), the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of 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...
.
Legend
Her legend states that she was seduced by a chieftain named Xantus, Sant or Sanctus and gave birth to David. Variations on her story state that she was either married to Sant before David's birth or after the birth of the saint. By tradition, she brought the boy up at LlanonLlanon
Llanon is a village in Ceredigion, Wales. It adjoins the village of Llansantffraed on the coast of Cardigan Bay, five miles north of Aberaeron and south of Aberystwyth on the A487 road. It is built on a raised beach....
(the village being named after her). Subsequently, she would travel to Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and ultimately end her days in a 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...
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
.
Rhigyfarch
Rhigyfarch
Rhigyfarch , eldest son of Sulien, whom he may have succeeded in 1091 as Bishop of St David's, was the author of the standard Life of Saint David. The original text was written in Latin but was translated into Welsh later in the Middle Ages as Buchedd Dewi and did much to enhance the cult status of...
, the late eleventh-century author of David's vita, wrote that the saint was the son of sanctus rex ceredigionis, where Sanctus has been interpreted as a proper name and its owner honoured by Welsh Christians as Sandde, King of Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
. However, the Latin can also mean "holy king of Ceredigion". David was conceived through violence and his mother, Non, the daughter of the nobleman Cynyr of Caer Goch (in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
), gave birth to him on a cliff top in the middle of a violent storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
. The pain of birth was said to have been so intense that Non's fingers left marks as she grasped a rock and, as David was born, a bolt of lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
is said to have split the rock in two. It is also believed that the two split pieces of rock were the foundation stones for St. David's Cathedral and St Non's Chapel
Chapel of St Non
thumb|right|St Non's ChapelThe Chapel of St Non is located on the coast near St David's in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. Held by tradition to mark the birthplace of St David, the ruin cannot be accurately dated but is unusual in that it is aligned north-south rather than the usual east-west. Near to...
.
Veneration
The place where she gave birth to Saint David in South WalesSouth Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
is now named Capel Non. and is marked by the Chapel of St Non
Chapel of St Non
thumb|right|St Non's ChapelThe Chapel of St Non is located on the coast near St David's in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. Held by tradition to mark the birthplace of St David, the ruin cannot be accurately dated but is unusual in that it is aligned north-south rather than the usual east-west. Near to...
. Non's relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s were initially venerated at Altarnun
Altarnun
Altarnun is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is located on the north-eastern edge of Bodmin Moor at .The parish of Altarnun includes the village of Fivelanes and the hamlets of Bolventor, Treween and Trewint, and had a population of 976 according to the 2001 census...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. However, these were destroyed during the Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
. She is also the patron of Pelynt
Pelynt
Pelynt is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated 20 miles west of Plymouth and four miles west-northwest of Looe. Pelynt has a population of around 1,124 ....
in Cornwall where there is St Nonna's Holy Well.
See also
St Non church of Llanerch Aeron parish, near AberaeronAberaeron
Aberaeron |Aeron]] being a Welsh god of war) is a seaside resort town in Ceredigion, Wales. Situated between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, it is home to the headquarters of Ceredigion County Council. The population was 1520 in 2001.-History and design:...
External links
- Saint Non in A Dictionary of Saintly Women (1905), which contains a fair-sized hagiography for her.