Clas (ecclesiastical settlement)
A clas (Welsh pl. clasau) was a native Christian church in early medieval Wales. Unlike later Norman monasteries, which were made up of a main religious building supported by several smaller buildings, such as cloisters and kitchens, a clas was normally a single building.[verification needed] The building was run by a community of clergy and headed by an abod. Clasau were autonomous and were administered locally.[1]
Following the
Benedictine or Augustinian
orders, or built upon in the following centuries by Norman churches.
Clas locations in Wales
A map of clasau that can be recognised from Welsh documentary sources was provided by William Rees in 1951.Welsh Princes.
List of documented and probable clas sites in Wales and the Welsh Marches
- Aberdaron
- Abergele, now the location of St Michael's church
- Bangor, St. Deiniol's clas, now Bangor Cathedral.
- Bangor-on-Dee
- Beddgelert, became an Augustinian monastery
- Tatheus at the Roman settlement of Caerwent near Newport. He was then given land in Aberhiew (Berriew) by Mawn ap Brochwel, a descendant of Brochwel Ysgithrog, on which he would have founded this clas. He performed many miracles and founded other churches in Powys and North East Wales, before moving to Clynnog Fawr in Caernarfonshire, where he founded the monastery for which he is mainly remembered.[6] The church, which stands in an almost circular graveyard, was appropriated by the Cistercian abbey of Strata Marcella in the Middle Ages.[7]
- Dissolution.[7]
- Caer Gybi (fort), the location of St Cybi's church at Holyhead, Anglesey (= Caergybi, Ynys Môn).
- Clynnog Fawr, now the location of St Beuno's church
- Corwen
- Coychurch, now the location of St. Crallo's church
- Glasbury, which is named after the clas
- Henllan[8]
- Llanbadarn Fawr, Ceredigion, one of the leading clasau of early Christian Wales
- Llancarfan, associated with St. Cadog
- Llandeilo, established by St Teilo
- Llanddewibrefi
- Llanelwy (St Kentigern (who was succeeded by Saint Asaph, otherwise Asaf or Asa), the site is now occupied by the parish church of St Kentigern and St Asa.
- Sion Ceri, a local poet, who wrote in the 16th century.[10]
- Penmon, St Seiriol's clas
- Tywyn, now the location of St Cadfan's Church
Literature
- Bartrum P. C. (1993), A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000, National Library of Wales.
- Bowen E.G. (1954), The Settlements of the Celtic Saints in Wales, UWP, Cardiff
- Rees, W. (1951), An Historical Atlas of Wales: from Early to Modern Times, Faber, London.
- Davies W (1982), ‘‘Wales in the Early Middle Ages’’, Leicester University Press, Leicester.
- Davies, J.R. (2003), The Book of Llandaf and the Norman church in Wales, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge. ISBN 978-1-84383-024-5
References
- ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
- ^ Rees, W. (1951), An Historical Atlas of Wales: from Early to Modern Times Faber, London, 2nd ed. 1966, Pl. 27, pg.24
- ^ Davies, (1982), 143-144, Fig. 50 with list
- ^ Davies, (1982), Fig. 49, for the "well evidenced religious foundations of early Wales"
- ^ Wade Evans A W (1930), Beuno Sant Archaeologia Cambrensis, 315-322
- ^ “Bartrum” PC (1993) pp42-44
- ^ a b Williams D.H. (1990), Atlas of Cistercian Lands in Wales, UWP, Cardiff, pg 6.
- ^ "Early Christianity in Wales". BBC Wales. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
- ^ Oliver H. N, (2000), ‘‘Llanllwchaiarn: Church and Parish’’, Newtown, pp. 4-5
- ^ Bartrum P. C. (1993), ‘’A Welsh Classical Dictionary: People in History and Legend up to about A.D. 1000’’, National Library of Wales, pg. 419.