Today November 6

Today is the feast of the good knight Illtud, aka Illtyd, (sixth century), one of the greatest of the Welsh saints. He was said to be a cousin of King Arthur and served as a knight in Glamorgan. He married the fair Trynihid, but after a traumatic experience when he witnessed the death of his hunting buddies in an accident, agreed to live in a continent marriage with her. They left their comfortable upper middle-class life to live in a simple hut down by the river Nadafan. They lived together for awhile, then Illtud became a monk and eventually a teacher and abbot at Glamorgan. He and his brother monks worked hard building the monastery (Llantwit Major) from the ground up, farming the land all around, and teaching the children who came to them. Eventually the place became too small, but then a great sign occurred. The land deeded to them was very limited, hemmed in by the sea. But Illtud took his pupils Paul, David, Samson and Gildas, and began praying. And at the sound of their collective "Amen," "behold, the island was made bigger on every side and bright flowers blossomed everywhere." - Life of Gildas.

Was Illtud one of the three knights of Arthur (along with Cadoc and Peredor) who had charge of the Holy Grail? Probably not. But it's an interesting idea. Attempts have been made to identify him with the gallant Sir Galahad. Whether or not he was the famous knight, he was a great saint. St. Illtud, pray for us.