13 Facts About Dubricius

Dubricius or Dubric was a 6th-century British ecclesiastic venerated as a saint.

Dubricius was the evangelist of Ergyng and much of south-east Wales.

Dubricius was the illegitimate son of Efrddyl, the daughter of King Peibio Clafrog of Ergyng.

Dubricius's grandfather threw his mother into the River Wye when he discovered she was pregnant, but failed to drown her.

Dubricius founded a monastery at Hentland and then one at Moccas.

Dubricius became the teacher of many well-known Welsh saints, including Teilo and Samson and healed the sick of various disorders through the laying on of hands.

Dubricius later became Bishop of Ergyng, possibly with his seat at Weston under Penyard, and probably held sway over all of Glamorgan and Gwent, an area that was later known as the diocese of Llandaff.

Dubricius was good friends with Saints Illtud and Samson, and attended the Synod of Llanddewi Brefi in 545, where he is said to have resigned his see in favour of Saint David.

Dubricius retired to Bardsey Island where he was eventually buried before his body was transferred to Llandaff Cathedral in 1120.

Dubricius appears as a character in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae and Wace's Roman de Brut, which was based on it.

Churches dedicated to Saint Dubricius include the Church of England churches at Ballingham, Whitchurch, Hentland and Hamnish, all in Herefordshire, Porlock in Somerset, and the Church in Wales churches at Gwenddwr in Breconshire and at Llanvaches in Newport.

Dubricius is stated to have died on Bardsey Island, 'on the north coast of Wales, as a bishop and abbot'.

Dubricius is usually represented holding two crosiers to signify his jurisdiction over the sees of Caerleon and Llandaff.