Report of the Fifty-First Annual Meeting held at Haverfordwest (continued) Cambrian Archæological Association, Glimpses of Elizabethan Pembrokeshire. Rev. J. Phillips The Norse Element in Celtic Myth Archaeologia Cambrensis. FIFTH SERIES-VOL. XV, NO. LVII. JANUARY 1898. NOTES ON THE MONASTERY OF ROSNAT, OR TY GWYN, PEMBROKESHIRE. BY MRS. DAWSON. In the records of the early Celtic Church frequent mention is made of a monastery named Rosnat, or Alba, which in the fifth and sixth centuries was one of the chief centres of culture and religion, and whither many of the most celebrated British saints resorted for instruction and study. We are by no means left in ignorance of its history-the names of the abbot-bishops who were at its head, of the students who were educated there, even the exact number of its inmates, with many other incidents, are all placed on record; but the strange point in connection with it is that, though none of the historians of the Celtic Church have thrown a doubt upon its existence, yet none of them have been able to decide on its locality. Colgan thinks it may have been at Bangor in Wales, and O'Conor shares this opinion, while Lanigan suspects it may have been in Scotland, as do also Haddan and Stubbs, and the late Rev. J. F. Shearman, who has written an essay in support of the same theory. But with all due deference to these various opinions, we venture to think that the monastery in question was situated neither at Bangor or Candida Casa, and 5TH SER., VOL. XV. 1 it will be our endeavour to show that its true locality was the valley of Rhossan, in Pembrokeshire. In order to prove the truth of this assertion, it will be necessary to establish two facts-namely these:Firstly, the existence of a monastery at St. David's previous to that founded by St. David; secondly, its identity with the monastery of Rosnat or Ty Gwyn. The proofs which we shall bring forward in evidence of the existence of a monastery at St. David's are derived partly from history and partly from legend; for, though legend be in itself a very unsatisfactory foundation on which to base any statement, yet when it can be made to go as it were hand-in-hand with history, it becomes a valuable source of information. The authorities from whom we shall quote are for the most part too well known to need any introductory comments, viz., the Life of St. David, by Rhyddmarch, the Buchedd Dewi Sant, Colgan's Act. S. S. Hib., and so on; but there are two other works comparatively little known to which we shall have occasion to refer. The first of these is the Martyrology of Gorman, an Irish MS., lately published by the Henry Bradshaw Society. The second is the Buhez Santez Nonn, a Breton mystery of the twelfth century or earlier. It consists of three parts: (1) The Life of St. Non; (2) the Miracles worked at her Tomb; and lastly, the Episcopate and the Death of St. David. Whilst agreeing in its main outline with the Lives of St. David above mentioned, it yet contains some important differences which cannot be too carefully noticed, considering that here in all probability we have the legend in almost its original purity, its author being unbiassed by the temptation to alter it so as to make it fall in with more modern theories. To return to our subject. The idea of an early monastic establishment at St. David's is by no means new, since Fenton, in his Tour through Pembrokeshire, states that "most writers agree that there was a religious establishment there prior to the time of David"; while Jones and Freeman, in their History and Antiquities of St. David's, admit that there are faint traditions of the existence of a religious establishment even before the time of St. David. For instance, when St. David was baptised, it was by Ailfyw, Bishop of the Menevensians, that the rite was performed; and when in later life St. David returned from his wanderings to take up his abode in the valley of Rhossan, he found his cousin Gweslan, a bishop, residing there. As at that time there was neither a cathedral or a diocese of Menevia, it would be difficult to account for the presence of these bishops in so secluded a spot, unless we suppose them to have belonged to that class of abbot-bishops who in those times were frequently found at the head of large monastic establishments. Moreover, Rhyddmarch tells us that Sandde, St. David's father, thirty years before the birth of his illustrious son, was bidden to deposit various gifts at a certain monastery, there to be kept for the son who should be born to him. Again, in the Life of Gildas, we read that that learned man, on his return from Armorica, took up his abode at a certain spot "with a great quantity of books", and that many students resorted thither to him. The name of the place is not given, but we are told that he "preached every Sunday at a sea-side church in Pebediog", and from other sources we learn that the church stood on the shores of Whitesand Bay, near St. David's. It was while preaching here that the great Doctor became dumb in the presence of the unborn saint, and in consequence of this miracle bade farewell to his friends, saying, "I cannot dwell here any longer on account of the son of this Nun; because to him is delivered the monarchy over all the men of this island, it is necessary for me to go to some other island, and leave all Britain to this child": after which he departed to Ireland. The presence of so learned a man as Gildas, and the many students", seem to argue the probable existence of some kind of scholastic establishment. Also, in the Buhez St. Nonn, St. Non is represented as seeking admission to a monastery in the neighbourhood of Menevia. In addition to the above testimony we have a visible and tangible witness to its truth in some ruins which may yet be seen on the shores of Whitesand Bay, and which still bear the name of "The Old Church". We quote the following account of them from The History and Antiquities of St. David's : "On the Burrows there are some remains of uncertain date and use, bearing the popular name of 'The Old Church'. The name has reference to a legend, still current, that it was originally designed to build the cathedral on this spot, and that the works were actually commenced. The builders, however, as they returned to their labour on each succeeding morning, invariably found their work of the previous day destroyed, and were at length warned by a vision to desist, and bidden to commence operations in a quagmire beside the Alan. They accordingly obeyed the admonition with greater readiness than they would have done, had they seen the misadventures of Peter de Leia's fabric. "The remains actually existing are neither those of a church nor of a castle, but are by no means destitute of importance. The most remarkable portion stands on the edge of a steep descent, above the principal road leading to Whitesand Bay. The blown sand has here been carried away to the depth of from 6 ft. to 10 ft., and the original surface laid bare, as appears by the slate rock cropping out in two or three places. At this point we have the foundations of a rough wall of large surface stones, without any signs of tooling, bricks or cement, 48 ft. long, and bearing south and west, the ground sloping gently towards the north. At either end it is lost in the sand, but at a short distance to the north it emerges again, and continues for 52 ft. in a direction nearly south-south west, but in a far less perfect condition. Here it is again lost in the sand, which is now covered with turf. About two hundred yards further south there is an extensive hollow in the original surface, and now grown over with grass. Here there is a great number of stones, principally scattered in confusion, but a few of them seem to be placed in lines. |