Caffo was a sixth-century Christian in Anglesey, north Wales, who is venerated as a saint and martyr. The son of a king from northern Britain who took shelter in Anglesey, Caffo was a companion of St Cybi, and is mentioned as carrying a red-hot coal in his clothes to Cybi without his clothes getting burnt. After leaving Cybi, Caffo was killed by shepherds in the south of Anglesey, possibly acting in retaliation for insults Caffo's brother had paid to the local ruler. The area where he died has a village, Llangaffo, named after him, as well as the parish church of St Caffo, Llangaffo.
Life and martyrdom
Little is known for certain about Caffo; his dates of birth and death are not given in the sources. He is said to have been one of the sons of St Caw, a king in northern Britain who lost his lands and sought safety with his family in Anglesey; the ruler Maelgwn Gwynedd gave him land in the north-east of the island, in the district known as Twrcelyn. Other relatives of Caffo included his uncles St Iestyn and St Cyngar, his sisterSt Cwyllog and various brothers including St Gildas. Caffo was a companion and cousin of St Cybi, a Christian from Cornwall who was active in the mid-6th century. Cybi established himself in Anglesey within a disused Roman fort in what is now called Holyhead: the town's Welsh name is Caergybi, or "Cybi's fort"). Caffo is mentioned in connection with Cybi in a manuscript written in about 1200, which contains two accounts of Cybi's life. Caffo is not mentioned in the accounts of Cybi's life until an incident when he was sent to fetch fire from a blacksmith. He returned to Cybi carrying a red-hot coal in his clothes, which were not burnt. At some point, Cybi and Caffo parted company, possibly because of a disagreement between them, but possibly because his brother Gildas had insulted Maelgwn, who then forced Cybi to dismiss Caffo – both versions appear in the manuscript accounts. Thereafter, Caffo moved towards the south of Anglesey, where he was killed by shepherds from the area now called Newborough, perhaps avenging the insult on their king.
Commemoration
The area of Caffo's death became known at some point as Llangaffo, and a church was established there: the Welsh word ". There is still a church dedicated to Caffo in the village, used for worship by the Church in Wales. Caffo is reported to have had a bubbling "holy well" in the area, called Crochan Caffo or Ffynnon Caffo''. Parents would offer fowls to be eaten by the attendant priest, in order to stop their children from peevishness. A nearby farm is still named after the well, although the well itself has been lost.
