Caffo facts for kids
Caffo was a Christian saint who lived a long time ago, in the 500s. He lived in Anglesey, a beautiful island in north Wales. People remember him as a saint and a martyr, which means he died for his Christian beliefs.
Caffo was the son of a king from northern Britain. His family came to Anglesey for safety. He was a close friend of Saint Cybi. There's a cool story about Caffo carrying a super hot coal without burning his clothes!
Later, Caffo left Cybi and was sadly killed by shepherds in southern Anglesey. The village of Llangaffo is named after him. You can also find St Caffo's Church there, which is dedicated to him.
Contents
Life and Martyrdom
Who Was Saint Caffo?
We don't know many exact details about Caffo's life, like when he was born or when he died. He was one of the sons of Saint Caw. Caw was a king in northern Britain who lost his land. He found safety with his family in Anglesey. The ruler of Anglesey, Maelgwn Gwynedd, gave them land in the north-east part of the island.
Caffo had several relatives who were also saints. These included his uncles Saint Iestyn and Saint Cyngar. His sister was Saint Cwyllog, and one of his brothers was Saint Gildas.
The Story of the Hot Coal
Caffo was a companion and cousin of Saint Cybi. Cybi was a Christian from Cornwall who was active in the mid-500s. Cybi settled in Anglesey inside an old Roman fort. This fort is now called Holyhead, and its Welsh name, Caergybi, means "Cybi's fort."
A very old book from around 1200 tells stories about Cybi's life. In this book, Caffo is mentioned in a special incident. Cybi sent Caffo to get fire from a blacksmith. Caffo returned to Cybi carrying a red-hot coal right in his clothes! But his clothes did not burn at all. This was seen as a miracle.
Why Caffo Left Cybi
At some point, Cybi and Caffo went their separate ways. The old stories give a few reasons for this. It might have been because they had a disagreement. Another idea is that Caffo's brother, Gildas, had upset King Maelgwn. Because of this, King Maelgwn might have made Cybi send Caffo away.
After leaving Cybi, Caffo traveled towards the south of Anglesey. Sadly, he was killed there by shepherds. These shepherds were from the area now called Newborough. They might have been getting revenge for the insult to their king.
Remembering Saint Caffo
Llangaffo Village
The place where Caffo died eventually became known as Llangaffo. A church was built there to honor him. The Welsh word "llan" originally meant an "enclosure" and later came to mean "church." So, "Llangaffo" means "Caffo's church."
People think there might have been a monastery at this spot once. It was known as "Merthyr Caffo," which means "Caffo's martyr place." Caffo is honored as a saint, even though he was never officially made a saint by a pope. In Wales, saints were often recognized by local communities.
We don't know exactly when the name "Llangaffo" was first used. We also don't know when the first church was built there. But we know it was before 1254. That's when the church and community were written down in a national survey of churches. Today, there is still a church dedicated to Caffo in the village. It is used for worship by the Church in Wales.
Caffo's Holy Well
Caffo is also said to have had a special "holy well" nearby. It was called Crochan Caffo ("Caffo's cauldron") or Ffynnon Caffo ("Caffo's well"). Parents would sometimes bring offerings to the priest at the well. They believed it would help stop their children from being cranky. A farm in the area is still named after this well, but the well itself has been lost.
See also
Other Anglesey saints remembered in local churches include:
- St Cwyllog at St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
- St Eleth at St Eleth's Church, Amlwch
- St Iestyn at St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn
- St Peulan at St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan
- St Tyfrydog at St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog
