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Nidan (sometimes known as Midan or Idan) was a Welsh priest and, according to some sources, a bishop, in the 6th and 7th centuries. He is now commemorated as a saint. He was the
confessor
Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways.
Confessor of the Faith
Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
headed by St Seiriol at Penmon
Penmon is a promontory, village and ecclesiastical parish on the eastern tip of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, about east of the town of Beaumaris. It is in the community of Llangoed. The name comes from cy, pen (which can mean "head", "end" ...
, and established a church at what is now known as Llanidan
Llanidan is a community in the south of Anglesey, Wales which includes the village of Brynsiencyn (). The parish is along the Menai Strait, about 4 miles north-east of Caernarfon (across the strait). The parish church of St Nidan is near the A4 ...
, which are both places on the Welsh island of Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
. He is the patron saint of two churches in Anglesey: St Nidan's Church, Llanidan, built in the 19th century, and its medieval predecessor, the Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan. Midmar Old Kirk in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, Scotland, is also dedicated to him: Nidan is said to have helped to establish Christianity in that area as a companion of St Kentigern
Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Name
In Wales and England, this s ...
. St Nidan's, Llanidan, has a reliquary
A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...
dating from the 14th or 16th century, which is said to house his relics.
Life
Little is known in detail about Nidan's life, and his year and place of birth are unknown. He is sometimes referred to as "Midan" or "Idan". According to manuscript sources, such as Peniarth MS 45 (which has been dated to the 14th century) in theNational Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...
, he was the son of Gwrfyw ab Pasgen ab Urien Rheged. He was a descendant of Urien Rheged
Urien (; ), often referred to as Urien Rheged or Uriens, was a late 6th-century king of Rheged, an early British kingdom of the Hen Ogledd (today's northern England and southern Scotland) of the House of Rheged. His power and his victories, i ...
, as was Saint Grwst
Saint Grwst ''the Confessor''Llanrwst.netHistory of Llanrwst.Retrieved on 2008-12-14. (also known as ''Gwrwst'', ''Gwrst'', ''Gorwst'' or ''Gorst'' ''ap Gwaith Hengaer'') was a 6th and 7th century saint operating in the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd.
F ...
of Llanrwst
Llanrwst ('church or parish of Saint Grwst'; ) is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed round the wool trade and became known als ...
, a town on the north Wales mainland in present-day Conwy County Borough
Conwy County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is a county borough in Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south, and Denbighshire to the east. Other settlements in the county borough include Abergele, Betws-y-Coed, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, ...
. Urien was a "celebrated warrior" from the late 5th century, whose deeds were commemorated by the Welsh poet Taliesin
Taliesin ( , ; 6th century AD) was an early Brittonic poet of Sub-Roman Britain whose work has possibly survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the '' Book of Taliesin''. Taliesin was a renowned bard who is believed to have sung at the courts ...
.
Nidan was associated with St Seiriol's monastery at Penmon
Penmon is a promontory, village and ecclesiastical parish on the eastern tip of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, about east of the town of Beaumaris. It is in the community of Llangoed. The name comes from cy, pen (which can mean "head", "end" ...
, on the eastern tip of Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
in north Wales, and was the monastery's confessor
Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways.
Confessor of the Faith
Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death. He is also referred to as a bishop in one source. He founded a church in what is now known as
The Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan, was in use until the middle of the 19th century when it was replaced by
Llanidan
Llanidan is a community in the south of Anglesey, Wales which includes the village of Brynsiencyn (). The parish is along the Menai Strait, about 4 miles north-east of Caernarfon (across the strait). The parish church of St Nidan is near the A4 ...
, also on Anglesey, near to the Menai Straits
The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
. According to tradition, this was established in 616. He is reported to have lived at Cadair Idan, near the church, and a well about away from the church is reputed to be his holy well.
Nidan is said to have been one of the 665 monks who travelled with St Kentigern
Kentigern ( cy, Cyndeyrn Garthwys; la, Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow.
Name
In Wales and England, this s ...
, also known as St Mungo, and reputed to be a cousin of his, from Llanelwy
St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a city and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355, making it the second-smallest city in Britain in terms of population and urban ...
, north Wales, to Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Together with another of Kentigern's companions, Finan or Ffinan, they are said to have established Christianity in Midmar
Midmar is a historic settlement in Aberdeenshire, lying north of Banchory and southwest of Inverurie. It is noted for its three stone circles and various standing stones. Midmar and Sunhoney are both recumbent stone circles.
History
The na ...
, in what is now Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
, in the 7th century. A church in Midmar was dedicated to Nidan. However, the existence of a link between Nidan and Kentigern has been doubted, with one author saying that "the whole idea that these people .e. Nidan and Ffinanhad any connection with Kentigern is without any real foundation."
According to some sources, he died in about 610, which would be inconsistent with the reported foundation date for the church at Llanidan of 616.
Commemoration
The Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan, was in use until the middle of the 19th century when it was replaced by St Nidan's Church, Llanidan
St Nidan's Church, Llanidan is a 19th-century parish church near the village of Brynsiencyn, in Anglesey, north Wales. Built between 1839 and 1843, it replaced the Old Church of St Nidan, Llanidan, which needed significant repair, providing a p ...
, nearer to the village of Brynsiencyn. This was for two reasons: the old church needed repair, and also because the population of Brynsiencyn needed a church. The old church was then partially demolished. The new church contains a sandstone reliquary
A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including ''wikt:phylactery, phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it i ...
, about long, which is said to contain Nidan's relics. The reliquary's date is uncertain: it has been described as being "probably" from the 14th century, but also, in a more recent description, as "probably 16th century". It was found buried under the altar of the old church in 1700.
His feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
in the Welsh calendar of saints is 30 September; in the Scottish calendar of saints, it is 3 November. Nidan was venerated as a saint, although he was never canonized by a pope: as the historian Jane Cartwright notes, "In Wales sanctity was locally conferred and none of the medieval Welsh saints appears to have been canonized by the Roman Catholic Church".
See also
Other Anglesey saints commemorated at local churches include: * Caffo at St Caffo's Church, Llangaffo *Cwyllog Saint Cwyllog (or Cywyllog)Baring-Gould, p. 279. was a Christian holy woman who was active in Anglesey, Wales, in the early 6th century. The daughter, sister and niece of saints, she is said to have founded St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog, in the m ...
at St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog
St Cwyllog's Church, Llangwyllog, is a medieval church near Llangwyllog, in Anglesey, north Wales. Cwyllog, St Cwyllog founded a church here in the 6th century, although the exact date is unknown. The existence of a church here was recorded in 12 ...
* Eleth at St Eleth's Church, Amlwch
* Iestyn at St Iestyn's Church, Llaniestyn
* Peulan
Saint Peulan was a Welsh holy man in the early part of the 6th century, the son of Paulinus, a saint from south Wales who taught Saint David. A follower of Cybi, a saint associated with the island of Anglesey in north Wales, Peulan is commemora ...
at St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan
St Peulan's Church, Llanbeulan is a redundant Anglican church in Llanbeulan, in Anglesey, north Wales. The nave, which is the oldest part of the building, dates from the 12th century, with a chancel and side chapel added in the 14th century. Th ...
* Tyfrydog
Tyfrydog (sometimes given as Tyvrydog) was a Christian from north-west Wales in the fifth or sixth century, who was later venerated as a saint. He is said to have established a church in Anglesey, and although no part of the original structure re ...
at St Tyfrydog's Church, Llandyfrydog
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nidan 6th-century Christian saints 7th-century Christian saints Medieval Welsh saints 7th-century deaths Year of birth unknown