Hi, I’m Lize Kergonan and today I tell you the rest of the life of Saint Tugdual de Tréguier. In the previous video, we left Tugdual when his family was encouraging him to have the Frankish king Childebert validate his possession of the lands that Breton lords had given him.
A little context : when Clovis died in 511, his kingdom was divided among his heirs. Childebert received the Kingdom of Paris, on which continental Brittany depended. The Bretons recognized the authority of the Franks, but generally remained masters at home and did not pay tribute to the Frankish king. On the death of his brother Clodomir who held the Kingdom of Orléans, Childebert decided to seize his lands, and for this… he murdered his nephews. Tugdual had nothing against a bit of political strategy, but there, all the same ! So he did not particularly want to associate with this Mr. Childebert and even less to be indebted to him.
But faced with family insistence when it came to patrimonial values, he submitted.
So as not to go alone, he made a detour through Angers where he met Aubin, Saint Aubin, who was willing to accompany him and serve as his interpreter to the king. Aubin was Gallo-Roman but he also spoke Breton. At the moment of entering Paris… he resurrected a dead man and delivered a great lord from the general paralysis which had afflicted him for years. These new miracles serving as his safe conduct, Childebert confirmed all the donations. However, this was not enough for “the Family” so, as he was preparing to leave with Aubin, men from Trégor unexpectedly entered the palace and asked Childebert to appoint him bishop of Tréguier. Which he did. Naively, Tugdual believed that if he was honored with this title, it was to reward the human and religious values that he taught and practiced. Returning home, he redoubled his zeal to advocate good behavior, piety, discipline and temperance in his diocese. God helped him with some spectacular miracles : at that time, a plague epidemic was raging in Armorica. Pol de Léon had the good idea of uniting their energies in a large procession. Tugdual improvised a fiery sermon and ordered the epidemic to stop immediately… Which it did ! What he did not foresee was that those who had praised his merits as long as he preached from afar and did not interfere in their small or big turpitudes, the very ones took it very badly that Tugdual lectured them with the weight of his new episcopal authority. There was talk of persecution, tyranny, autocracy, the people were called to mutiny against his “control”.
Perhaps Conomor was no stranger to rumors. Because the political situation had changed significantly in Domnonée : his brother Hoël II died, his cousin Deroch died. His son, Iona, succeeded him but died (in a hunting accident or murdered, we do not know). His son, Judual, was too young to rule. It was then that Conomor married the widow of Iona and proclaimed himself regent of Domnonée. Conomor was king across the Channel in Cornwall, under the name of King Mark, Tristan’s uncle, Horse-Eared King Mark, etc. Iona’s widow quickly realized what a dangerous man her new husband was and that he would never cede power to Judual. She had witnessed the methods of kings to get rid of cumbersome heirs, she went to the court of Childebert and placed her son under his protection. Well… let me recap : Hoel II is dead, Deroch is dead, Iona is dead, Judual is in exile, Conomor is a usurper… who is left ? Who represents the legitimate dynasty ? Tugdual ! His mother, Pompeïa-Coupaïa, being the sister of Riwal, by matrilineal succession, he became the head of the royal family of Domnonée.
If anyone decided to assassinate Conomor, he would find himself king. King-Bishop ! And without going that far, he suspected Conomor of planning his elimination. Helpless in the face of so much malevolence, he spent a night in prayer and asked God for help. The angel appeared, he said : “Don’t stay there, they’re all idiots, tell them you’re going to see the Pope in Rome, and get out !” » He was becoming a little sharp in his words, this angel, but he was right.
Tugdual left the Trégorrois, the Family and the usurper to deal with the dragons, the blind, the paralytics and the plague epidemics, he took his staff and set off on his way ! Leaving Val-Trégor, he first visited the monasteries founded in the south of the Armorican Domnonée, then crossed the forest of Brocéliande. Finally, he arrived in Vannes. There, a successor of Patern, Macliau, found him a cabin in the woods where he retired, finally to peace. Two years of prayer and fasting. How happy ! During this time, his parishioners had taken his subterfuge seriously : they really believed he was “at the Pope-in-Rome”. They launched into fantastic rantings to explain his absence : “as he arrived at the Vatican, the Pope had died, the bishops had gathered in conclave to appoint his successor and a white dove had landed on Tugdual’s head while he was praying. Immediatly, he was made Pope, under the name of Leo V Britigenus, Leo the Breton ! As “Pope” is called “Pabu” in Breton, you now understand that the places in “Pabu” or “Babu” are dedicated to him, Land-Pabu, Tré-Pabu, Loc-Pabu, Ker-Pabu, Mouster-Pabu, all the Pabu… and that he is sometimes represented with a papal tiara, sometimes even with a dove on his head ! OK… now… you should know that «Pabu » also means «Father » in Breton and Christians know the expression «my father » to address an abbot, I’ll let you draw your own conclusions… But let’s recognize that the idea of having had a Breton pope does not displease us. One day, Macliau told him that the Trégorrois had been living in great poverty since his departure. The land was barren, it no longer produced fruit or grain for people, nor grass for animals, women no longer had babies, animals no longer produced babies, thousands of families died of hunger, then a new plague epidemic had invaded the country. God had withdrawn his protection from them, only them, because the other bishoprics were doing well ! So, Tugdual decided to return to Tréguier. He was welcomed with fervor.
After a few processions and prayers, prosperity returned to the region.
He lived there for a few more years, until the day he joined the Creator, November 30, 564.
It is his feast day in the Christian calendar, in the company of Saint Andrew. We do not know why he does not have his own feast… However, he presents all the external signs of holiness : just after his death, a very pleasant smell filled the monastery and a celestial harmony was heard while his soul rose to the heavens.
And now… the relics !
As, from his tomb, he continued to work miracles, his relics were removed and preserved in the cathedral. I’m only telling you about one of his posthumous miracles, because it gets boring in the end.
On the day of Pentecost 841, when the Bretons wanted to reflect on his relics, they boarded the ferry leading to the monastery in such large numbers that the boat sank in the Guindy and everyone would have drowned if those who were still there on the bank had not appealed to Tugdual in a great prayer and all the pilgrims came out of the water and reached dry land.
Except for a young boy, whose body was found on the mud when the sea receded. During the funeral mass, the parents held him responsible and began to complain, arguing that it was Tugdual who had killed their son and that «if he did not give him back his life, they would never set foot again in the church and would dissuade others from coming. » Tugdual almost sent them away, what was this stupid blackmail ? But the priest, a brave man, witness to their pain, took the holy relics, made the sign of the cross over the boy’s mouth who spat out a lot of water, stood up in great shape, thanked God for having restored him life and left with his parents.
Let’s take a little break, I’ll tell you straight away about Tugdual’s interview with Saint Anne, who arrives, all out of breath.
Tugdual. – Hi Anna, how are you ?
Anna. – Hello, my little. Have you got a glass of cider ? I’m dying of thirst.
Tugdual. – Sorry, I don’t have any cider, I have water from the well if you want.
Anna. – Is your water healthy, have you had it analyzed ?
Tugdual. – Well no !
Anna. – Well, too bad, it’s not reasonable but I’m too thirsty. I hope I don’t get diarrhea.
Tugdual. – I drink it every day and I don’t get sick.
Anna. – Yeah, but you are immune. I don’t incarnate myself every day. Tugdual. – Hold.
Anna. – Thanks, my guy. Yec’hed mat. Ah ! I am good now ! So, how are you, my Pabu ?
Tugdual. – I’m okay, as you see. And you, do you take a walk ?
Anna. – I’m doing a Tro-Breizh.
Tugdual. – What’s that ? A tour of Brittany ?
Anna. – The tour of the bishoprics of the holy founders of Brittany.
Tugdual. – Cool ! Anna. – There are seven and you are one of them, here in Tréguier.
Tugdual. – Ah, that’s it, all these people in shorts with sticks ! Are they pilgrims ? They don’t pray much, I think !
Anna. – Well, they like to walk, they chat, they laugh, it clears their heads, it’s nice. There’s more to life than prayer. Well, my little guy, I’m leaving, I’m going to see old Brieuc.
Tugdual. – You will kiss him for me !
Anna. – Do Breton saints kiss each other ?
Tugdual. – Well, in the 21st century everyone kisses.
Anna. – Yeah. They have calmed down since their big epidemic. Come on, Kenavo.
Tugdual. – Kenavo Mamm-gozh ! See you, Anna.
Anna. – Pokou !
Tugdual. – You’re right, kisses !
Saint Anne is the Patroness ! Everyone likes Anna ! The guys act smart, with their miracles, but when she says something, everyone obeys ! Otherwise, watch out !
We were talking about the relics of Tugdual. When the Vikings sacked the Breton coasts, the relics were scattered, some including his skull were kept in Chartres, others in Laval. It is said that in Chartres, pregnant women came to ask for a happy deliverance. I would like to point out to all the ladies who listen that Tugdual only works on childbirth. For the conception, it is the domain of Notre-Dame, otherwise you still have the menhirs : rub your belly against the standing stones ! But during the revolution everything was destroyed or almost. The little that had been preserved returned to the cathedral of Tréguier. Today, if you need a miracle, there is an arm bone.
So, go through Tréguier one day to greet Tugdual, take a look at the stall where we see him dressed like a pope slaying the dragon, improvise a little prayer in front of his piece of arm, it will please him, and remember : he knows how to stop epidemics… of plague or others.
Well, Kenavo, Pokou !
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