Editing Gildas (section)

===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>