St. Rumon, Bishop and Confessor of Devon
6th century. This patron of the abbey of Tavistock and Romansleigh in
Devonshire, and of Ruan Lanihorne, Ruan Major and Minor in Cornwall is
reputed to have been a brother of Saint Tudwal. William of Malmesbury
tells us that his vita was destroyed by the wars, but that Rumon was a
bishop of an unidentified see. About this time a well- meaning canon
provided a vita from Rumon by taking an abbreviated life of the Breton
Saint Ronan and changing the name to Rumon throughout. It does, however,
describe the translation of Rumon's relics on January 5, 981, from Ruan
Lanihorne, a Celtic monastery and the most ancient centre of his cultus,
to Tavistock. Saint Rumon was highly venerated at Tavistock, the earl
Ordulf built a church under his invocation in the 10th century and
requested his relics, which remained there throughout the Middle Ages.
Glastonbury also claimed Rumon's relics. He may have been a monk at
Glastonbury, who founded a monastery on the Lizard Peninsula in
Cornwall. He is also venerated in Norwich and Ramsey
(
Encyclopaedia,
Farmer,
Husenbeth).
Another Life:
http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/rumonby.html
St. Rumon Of Tavistock
Born c.AD 515.
Rumon is a saint of some controversy. He is chiefly the patron of Tavistock
in Devon, but also apparently of several churches in Cornwall and Brittany
where he is variously called Ruan or Ronan. It is not completely certain
that the character referred to in each was the same man.
According to the relic lists of Glastonbury, Prince Rumon was a brother of
St. Tugdual and, therefore, one of the sons of King Hoel I Mawr (the Great)
of Brittany. Tradition says he was educated in Britain-probably Wales-but
that he later accompanied St. Breaca on her return from Ireland to her
Cornish homeland. Like Tudgual, he had presumably travelled to Ireland to
learn the Holy Scriptures. He is said to have lived in a hermitage on Inis
Luaidhe, near Iniscathy, and was eventually raised to the episcopacy. In
Cornwall, he founded churches at Ruan Lanihorne (on the River Fal), Ruan
Major & Minor (near the Lizard Peninsula), a defunct chapel in Redruth and
at Romansleigh in Devon; but he quickly moved on to Cornouaille in Brittany,
with St. Senan as his companion.
Rumon met up with St. Remigius in Rheims, which would place him in Brittany
around the early 6th century, the probable time of his birth if he was a son
of Hoel Mawr. At any rate, he settled first at St. Rénan and then moved on
to the Forest of Nevez, overlooking the Bay of Douarnenez. He seems to have
acquired a wife, named Ceban, and children at some point. He may be
identical with Ronan Ledewig (the Breton), father of SS. Gargunan and Silan.
His lady wife took a distinct dislike to Rumon's preaching amongst the local
pagan inhabitants and considered him to be neglecting his domestic duties.
The situation became so bad that she plotted to have Rumon arrested.
Hiding their little daughter in a chest, Ceban fled to the Royal Court at
Quimper and sought an audience with the Prince of Cornouaille-supposedly
Gradlon, though he lived some years earlier. She claimed that her husband
was a werewolf who ravaged the local sheep every fortnight and had now
killed their baby girl! Rumon was arrested, but the sceptical monarch
tested him by exposing the prisoner to his hunting dogs. They would have
immediately reacted to any sign of wolf, but Rumon remained unharmed and was
proclaimed a holy man. His daughter was found, safe and well, whilst his
wife appears to have received only the lightest of punishments. Despite
this, her troublemaking persisted and Rumon was forced to abandon her and
journey eastward towards Rennes. He eventually settled at Hilion in
Domnonia, where he lived until his death.
There was much quarrelling over Rumon's holy body after his demise. His
companion had thought to keep one of his arms as a relic and brutally cut it
off. A disturbing dream soon made him put it back though. Later, the
Princes of Cornouaille, Rennes and Vannes all claimed the honour of burying
him in their own province. The matter was decided by allowing him to be
drawn on a wagon by two three-year-old oxen who had never been yoked. Where
they rested, he would be interred. However, the body would not allow itself
to be lifted onto the cart, except by the Prince of Cornouaille; so it was
no surprise when the cattle chose Locronan in the Forest of Nevez, near his
former home.
It is unclear when Rumon's relics left Locronan-despite the 16th century
shrine still to be seen there today. It was suggested by Baring-Gould &
Fisher that they were removed to safety in Britain during the Viking coastal
attacks of AD 913 & 14. Tradition says they were taken to Quimper, thence
to Ruan Lanihorne in Cornwall. In AD 960, however, Earl Ordgar of Devon
founded his great Abbey of Tavistock, on the edge of Dartmoor. He
translated the body of Rumon into the abbey church with much pomp and
ceremony and there it remained, working miracles for nearly six hundred
years: until the Dissolution of the Monastery in the late 1530s. Some
relics, however, may have made their way back to Brittany, by the 13th
century, including, perhaps, his head.
Troparion of Ruman of Tavistock
Tone 5
Thou didst dazzle us with a jewel, a treasure,
a pearl of great price,
O righteous Father Ruman, in the God pleasing life and asceticism of the
desert.
Thy selfless devotion, love of animals and patience
in the face of false malicious tales, you are our guiding light.
Grant us thy great mercy.
