Tathyw

Saint Tathyw was a saint of the fifth century in south Wales and the founder of a monastic school at Caerwent, where he taught many leading figures of the early Welsh Church. His identity is much debated: he may be the same as Tatheus, who founded a monastery some miles from Caerwent, but a legend of the village of St Athan holds that he was another man, Tathan the Younger, buried in the parish church there, in an unknown place.

According to tradition King Caradog, son of Ynyr, whose court was at Caerwent, gave him the city; Tathyw founded a monastery of the Holy Trinity there, lived many years with his followers and was buried under the floor of the abbey church. His relics at Tewkesbury show that he was reburied in a revered shrine before 1235. One story tells how King Gwynllyw stole his cow, and at the saint's demand gave his son Cadoc into his care; Cadoc received the monastic habit from Tathyw and later built a church and a monastery at Llancarfan. He is a saint of the undivided Church, honoured locally, without synodal canonization.