November 3 -- Feast of Saint Clydog

As I looked at the saints listed for November 3, I marveled that hadn't already honored Clydog.  How could I have blown him off last year?  How cool is that name -- Clydog!  Yo Clydog, you sly dog! 

So I checked the list and saw that on November 3 last year, I posted info about Rumwold of Buckingham, which is also an outstanding name.  And besides, Rumwold's story is fantastic. 

St. Clydock Church

Clydog, though, is pretty much an accidental saint, his pre-canonization recognition mostly stemming from a mis-translation of the word Merthir, meaning shrine.  You see, Clydog was a Welsh king, which pretty much means he was the toughest guy in his neighborhood, since kingdom's back then are not much larger than counties in New England.  And King Clydog was sweet on a lady, and she was equally sweet on him.  They were duly and properly betrothed.  

A traitorous villain, unnamed in history, happened to be sweet on the same young lady and put his sword through Clydog while they were out hunting together.  There's nothing especially holy about Clydog's life and death, but as the story goes, they fetched an ox-cart to bring his body home.  En route, the yoke broke and the ox refused to budge, so they had to bury the King on the spot.  Naturally, it had to be consecrated ground, with a proper chapel and all, so construction began immediately.  The church became Clydock's Merthir (shrine sort of loosely used), which was translated as Martyrium when the British overran the spot, and thus he got elevated to the status of holy martyr. 

Fortunately. belated evidence of his sainthood came when miracles were reported at his grave site.  Among them was the story of two bitter enemies resolved to make peace with each other by Clydog's church.  One of them treacherously murdered the other, and then stricken with remorse, flung himself onto his spear and died a painful death.  You can't ask for better evidence than that.