Editing Gildas (section)

==Hagiography==

===Birthplace===
Differing versions of the ''Life of Saint Gildas'' exist, but both agree that he was born at a place called ''Arecluta'' which is described by the author as taking its name from a "certain river called the Clut, by which that district is, for the most part, watered."<ref name="Breeze">{{cite journal |last1=Breeze |first1=Andrew |title=Where was Gildas born? |journal=Northern History |date=2008 |volume=XLV |issue=2 |pages=347-349 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1179/174587008X322599 |access-date=28 December 2024}}</ref> This was long taken by historians to mean that Gildas was born in what is now [[Scotland]] on the banks of the [[River Clyde]].<ref name="Breeze" />

He is now thought to have his origins farther south.<ref>Kerlouégan, "Gildas"; Williams, "Gildas"</ref> His writing suggests a lack of familiarity with the geography of [[Kingdom of Strathclyde|Strathclyde]], but is more accurate with regards to southern Britain.<ref name="Breeze" /> Furthermore, Gildas shows a familiarity with classical Latin texts that historians such as [[Nick Higham (historian)|Nick Higham]] and [[E. A. Thompson|E.A. Thompson]] view as more likely to have been acquired further south, within the bounds of former [[Roman Britain]].<ref name="Breeze" /> Thompson suggested [[Chester]] as a possible birthplace, while the linguist Andrew Breeze suggests [[Arclid]], near [[Sandbach]] in [[Cheshire]], based on its plausible derivation from ''Arecluta''.<ref name="Breeze" />

===Life===
In his own work, he claims to have been born the same year as the [[Battle of Mount Badon]]. He was educated at a monastic centre, the College of St. Illtud, where he chose to forsake his royal heritage and embrace monasticism. He became a renowned teacher, converting many to Christianity and founding numerous churches and monasteries throughout Britain and Ireland. He is thought to have made a pilgrimage to Rome before emigrating to Brittany, where he took on the life of a [[hermit]]. However, his life of solitude was short-lived, and pupils soon sought him out and begged him to teach them. He eventually founded a monastery for these students at [[Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys]] in [[Brittany]], where he wrote ''De Excidio Britanniae,'' criticising British rulers and exhorting them to put off their sins and embrace true Christian faith. He is thought to have died at Rhuys and was buried there.

[[Image:St Gildas Fontaine 0708E.jpg|thumb|The spring of St Gildas in [[Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys]], Morbihan]]

===Biographies===
The First ''Life'' of Gildas was written in the 9th century by an unnamed monk at the monastery which Gildas founded in [[Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys|Rhuys]], Brittany.<ref name="The Life of Gildas by the Monk of Ruys">{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Hugh|title=The Life of Gildas by the Monk of Ruys|url=http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/gildas07.html|work=Two Lives of Gildas by a monk of Ruys and Caradoc of Llancarfan|access-date=18 February 2014}}</ref> According to this tradition, Gildas is the son of [[Caw of Strathclyde|Caunus]], king of [[Alt Clud]] in the ''[[Hen Ogledd]]'', the [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic]]-speaking region of northern Britain. He had four brothers; his brother Cuillum ascended to the throne on the death of his father, and the rest became monks. Gildas was sent as a child to the College of St. [[Illtud]] in [[Glamorgan]], under the care of St [[Illtud]], and was a companion of St [[Samson of Dol]] and St [[Paul Aurelian]]. His master Illtud loved him tenderly and taught him with special zeal. He was supposed to be educated in liberal arts and divine scripture, but elected to study only holy doctrine, and to forsake his noble birth in favour of a religious life.

After completing his studies under Illtud, Gildas went to Ireland where he was ordained as a priest. He returned to his native lands in northern Britain where he acted as a missionary, preaching to the pagan people and converting many of them to [[Christianity]]. He was then asked by Ainmericus, high king of Ireland ([[Ainmuire mac Sétnai]], 566–569), to restore order to the church in Ireland, which had altogether lost the Christian faith. Gildas obeyed the king's summons and travelled all over the island, converting the inhabitants, building churches, and establishing monasteries. He then travelled to Rome and Ravenna where he performed many miracles, including slaying a dragon while in Rome. Intending to return to Britain, he instead settled on the Isle of [[Houat]] off [[Brittany]] where he led a solitary, austere life. At around this time, he also preached to [[Saint Non|Nonnita (Non)]], the mother of [[Saint David]], while she was pregnant with the saint.<ref name=cna>{{Cite web |url=http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=131 |title="Gildas the Wise", Catholic News Agency |access-date=27 January 2013 |archive-date=23 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223040759/http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=131 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He was eventually sought out by those who wished to study under him, and was entreated to establish a monastery in Brittany, which he did at a place now known as [[Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys]].

The second "Life" of Gildas was written by [[Caradoc of Llancarfan]], a friend of [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] and his [[Anglo-Normans|Norman]] patrons.<ref name="The Life of Gildas by Caradoc of Llancarfan ca. 1130-1150">{{cite web|last=Williams|first=Hugh|title=The Life of Gildas by Caradoc of Llancarfan ca. 1130–1150|url=http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/gildas06.html|work=Two Lives of Gildas by a monk of Ruys and Caradoc of Llancarfan|access-date=18 February 2014}}</ref> This is an entirely fictional account intended to associate Gildas with Glastonbury Abbey.<ref name=ondb/> It also associates him with [[King Arthur]]. Arthur kills Gildas's brother [[Hueil mab Caw|Hueil]], which causes enmity between them for a time. Hueil's enmity with Arthur is also mentioned in the Welsh prose tale ''[[Culhwch and Olwen]]'', written around 1100. A tradition in north Wales places Hueil's execution at [[Ruthin]], and the supposed execution stone, [[Maen Huail]], is preserved in the town square.<ref name=coflein>{{Watprn|coflein|306840|title=Maen Huail, St Peter's Square, Ruthin}}</ref> The Llancarfan life also contains the earliest surviving appearance of the abduction of the Guinevere episode, common in later Arthurian literature. Gildas secures the release of Guinevere after she had been abducted by Melvas, king of the "Summer Country", preventing war between him and Arthur.<ref name=Lambdin>[https://books.google.com/books?id=6LBFCZY-ml8C&dq=Gildas&pg=PA1 Lambdin, Laura C. and Lambdin, Robert T., ''Arthurian Writers: A Biographical Encyclopedia'', ABC-CLIO, 2008, p. 2]{{ISBN|9780313346828}}</ref>