Tyfrydog facts for kids
Tyfrydog (sometimes called Tyvrydog) was a Christian from north-west Wales who lived a long time ago, maybe in the 400s or 500s. People later honored him as a saint. He is believed to have started a church in Anglesey. Even though the original church building is gone, the church there today is still named after him. There's also a tall stone nearby that people say is a man he turned to stone for stealing a bible from his church!
Who Was Tyfrydog?
We don't know many exact details about Tyfrydog's life, like when he was born or when he passed away. Some stories say he lived in the late 500s, while others suggest he was active in the mid-400s. His father was named Arwystli Glof ab Seithenyn, who lived in the mid-500s.
Both Tyfrydog and his father are said to have been part of a Christian group on Bardsey Island. This island is at the very tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in north-west Wales. Some of Tyfrydog's brothers and sisters were also honored as saints!
- His brother Twrnog is remembered at a church in Llandyrnog, Denbighshire, in north-east Wales.
- His brother Tudur (or Tudyr) was known as a saint from Darowen, Powys, in west Wales.
- His sister, Marchell, is believed to have started a place called Ystrad Marchell, near Welshpool in mid-Wales. A large church building called an abbey (Strata Marcella) was built there later.
Remembering Tyfrydog
Tyfrydog is the patron saint of St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog. A patron saint is like a special protector or guide for a place or group of people. He is also believed to have founded this church in a small village in Anglesey, north Wales. People say he started the church around the year 450.
No part of the original building from that time is still standing. The oldest parts of the church you see today were built around the year 1400. The village of Llandyfrydog gets its name from the church and the saint. The Welsh word llan first meant "enclosure" and then came to mean "church." The "-dyfrydog" part is a changed form of his name.
Tyfrydog is honored as a saint, even though he was never officially made a saint by a pope. In Wales, people often recognized saints locally, without a formal process from the Roman Catholic Church. St Tyfrydog's special day, called a feast day, is January 1st.
About one mile from the church, there is a field with a tall, upright stone. This stone is about four feet high. It is known as "the thief of Dyfrydog." The story goes that St Tyfrydog turned a man into stone for stealing the church's bible. People say the bump near the top of the stone is the sack the man was carrying on his shoulder.
Other Saints in Anglesey
Many other saints are remembered in churches around Anglesey, including:
- St Caffo at St Caffo's Church, Llangaffo
- 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
