Saint Teilo

The Catholic Encyclopedia warns at the start that "the earliest extant biographies of the saint are late and uncritical." ¹ Most of what is told of him comes from Llandaff, whose ancient register, the Book of Llandaff, was also called Llyfr Teilo, "Teilo's book." ² The encyclopedia's article on the diocese calls the see's early history "very obscure." ²

Even his name is uncertain. The encyclopedia gives it as Eliud, says the scholar John Rhys thought his true name was Eliau or Eilliau, and lists the Latin Teliarus, the Breton Teliau and the French Télo. ¹ Butler calls him Theliau, and the Italian text of the Roman Martyrology Teliavo. ³⁵

He was born of a good family settled at Penally, near Tenby, and the encyclopedia places his birth at Eccluis Gunniau nearby. ¹ Butler, describing the same place as Eccluis-Guenwau, puts it near Monmouth instead. ³ He was a cousin of Saint David. ¹ His father was probably called Usyllt, and his sister Anaumed married Budic, King of the Armorican Britons, and became the mother of Saint Oudoceus, who would succeed Teilo. ¹³ Butler adds that before she left for Armorica she promised Teilo to consecrate her first child to God. ³

He was educated by Saint Dubricius, the Welsh Dyfrig, and then by Saint Paulinus at Whitland, in Carmarthenshire. ¹⁴ Stanton says that under Dubricius his fellow pupil was Samson, afterward Bishop of Dol, and that under Paulinus he had the companionship of David. ⁴

Butler and Stanton both tell how Teilo went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his schoolfellows David and Paternus, or Padarn. ³⁴ Butler dates it soon after the year 500. ³ The encyclopedia is more cautious: the story of the visit about 518, and of the three being consecrated bishops there by the Patriarch John III, "is not now generally credited." ¹

Butler has the travelers stop at Dol, in Brittany, on the way home, where they found "Sampson the elder," who had been Bishop of York before the Saxons drove him out. ³ He and Teilo planted an avenue three miles long, from Dol to Cai, which was known by their names for several ages, and the people of Dol, their bishop and King Budic all pressed Teilo to become their bishop. He refused. ³

Dubricius presided over the monastery of Mochros and made Teilo abbot of its daughter house at Llandaff, which became the chief monastery when Dubricius retired to the island of Bardsey. ² The encyclopedia dates that succession to about 518. ¹ Butler puts it in 495, when Dubricius moved from Llandaff to Caerleon, and Stanton has Dubricius resign the see to Teilo after Teilo came back from Brittany. ³⁴ He also ruled the monastic school at Llandaff, which was named after him Bangor Deilo. ¹

He and Dubricius are both called archbishops in the old records, but the Llandaff article explains that the title "implied only rule over other monasteries," and gave way to plain bishop once the episcopate became diocesan. ² The same article says the line of the bishops of Llandaff, sometimes begun with Dubricius, "more correctly" begins with Teilo, who was succeeded by Oudoceus. ² Butler quotes Leland on his "great learning, piety, and pastoral zeal, especially in the choice and instruction of his clergy," and says his authority alone settled whatever controversies arose in his time. ³

In 547 the "yellow plague" began to ravage Wales. ¹ Butler says Teilo met it with "his courage and charity with an heroic intrepidity," and that Providence spared his life for the sake of others. ³ Stanton says the plague was where his devotion was proved, until he was warned in a vision to leave with as many of his people as would follow him. ⁴

They crossed to Armorica, where his friend Saint Samson, abbot and Bishop of Dol, welcomed them, and the encyclopedia says Teilo stayed seven years and seven months before he went home. ¹ Stanton counts two visits to Brittany, the first on the way back from Jerusalem, of more than seven years, and the second in the time of the plague. ⁴

On his return he is said to have been elected archbishop in place of David, who had died, and to have moved the see from Menevia to Llandaff. ¹ Stanton states the first part as fact: Teilo was appointed metropolitan in David's place. ⁴ The encyclopedia does not: the more general modern opinion, it says, is that the Welsh episcopate of that time "was not yet diocesan." ¹

He died at Llandeilo Fawr, on the river Tovy in Carmarthenshire, in a monastery of his own; Butler gives the Welsh name as "the church of the great Theliau." ¹³⁴ The encyclopedia says he was an old man and died probably in or before 560, noting that Ussher put the death in 604; Butler says about 580. ¹³ Butler names, from the Llandaff register, his nephew Oudoceus and Saint Ismael, whom he consecrated bishop, among the most eminent of his disciples. ³

Llandaff, Llandeilo Fawr and Penally all claimed his body. ¹ The legend that three bodies were found the day after his death, the encyclopedia says, was probably invented to account for those three claims, and his relics were doubtless widely distributed. ¹ Stanton says he seems to have been buried at Llandaff. ⁴ The cathedral there was dedicated to Saints Peter and Andrew and to Dubricius, Teilo and Oudoceus. ²

His churches are the record of his work. The encyclopedia counts twelve dedications in the Anglican Diocese of St David's and six in that of Llandaff, five parish churches in Brittany and a chapel near Locronan, and possible dedications in Cornwall and Devon. ¹ His relics were venerated in its day at Landeleau, Plogonnac and Saint Télo, and the Catholic church at Tenby bore the names of "Holyrood and St. Teilo." ¹ In Breton churches he is not infrequently shown riding on a stag. ¹ The Martyrology, in its Italian text, says that his works are celebrated by many churches in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. ⁵

Saint Teilo is the principal patron of the church of Llandaff: Butler says he "has always been esteemed the principal patron" there. ³ None of the sources used for this page names him patron of anything else. ¹⁴

Saint Teilo's feast is February 9. ¹⁵ The Roman Martyrology lists him that day as bishop and abbot, at the monastery of Llandaff. ⁵ Butler and Stanton keep him on the same day, Stanton as his deposition at Llandaff. ³⁴

The encyclopedia records other days as well: his festival "is, or was, kept in Wales and at Saint Télo on 9 February," but at Dol on November 29, and in other places in Brittany on November 25. ¹

Almost every detail of his life is told two ways, and the oldest accounts of it are late. ¹ What none of the sources doubts is the plague, and that he took his people away from it and brought them home again. ¹³⁴

Butler remembers a bishop whose charity in the epidemic was courage, and Leland a bishop who took care over the men he ordained. ³ Stanton has him leave only when he was told to, and go with "such of his people as would follow him." ⁴

Three churches wanted his body badly enough that a legend gave each of them one. ¹ His name is still on the churches of two countries, on both sides of the sea he crossed with his flock. ¹⁵