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St Teilo fact sheet
Llandeilo's history as a known Christian centre dates from the sixth century. It was in the course of that century, probably towards its close, that one of the major Christian figures of Welsh history, St Teilo, chose to make it his base.
History
While there is almost nothing which we can know for certain about Teilo, probable facts about him are these:
- he was born of an aristocratic family at Penally, near Tenby in Pembrokeshire;
- he was cousin to David, the patron saint of Wales;
- he made Llandeilo his centre (its site on or near a Roman road gave it good communications to east and west);
- he founded a Christian community in Llandeilo;
- new converts were baptised in the well (which can still be seen today);
- he and his followers travelled throughout South Wales and in Brittany, establishing churches;
- he was buried at Llandeilo.
One of the most celebrated legends about him tells how, on his death at Llandeilo, three churches claimed his body: Penally (his birthplace), Llandeilo Fawr (his chief church), and Llandaff. The clergy of the three churches prayed, then left the body in the church. In the morning, the body was found to have been miraculously triplicated, so that each church could have an authentic body to bury!
Another story tells of Teilo’s visit to the Holy Land with Saints David and Padarn about 518. Three seats, one gold and very ornate, one bronze with similar decoration, and the third made of cedar and very simple, were placed in readiness for their ordination as Bishops. According to the legend, the humble Teilo chose the wooden seat . . .
In the 12th century Book of Llandaf, it is said that when the yellow plague devastated Wales in 547, Teilo and his companions fled to Cornwall, and thence Brittany, where they were welcomed by St Samson. There, we are told, “Teilo and Samson planted a great grove of fruit-bearing trees . . . and these woods are honoured with their names until the present day, for they are called the groves of Teilo and Samson.” Teilo is still regarded as the patron saint of apple trees in the parish of Landaul in Brittany.
In Brittany, too, he is the patron saint of horses, and he is sometimes depicted riding on a stag, which suggests a concern with the natural world, a love of God’s creation that we associate with Celtic spirituality.