Long Live Brother Cadfael!
Long Live Brother Cadfael
Cadfael ap Meilyr ap Dafydd 1080-11??

Brother Cadfael (Click here for pronunciation notes) is a 12th Century Monk and Herbalist at the Abbey of St Peter & St Paul in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. In his youth he was a warrior and fought in the Crusades. He has now donned the cowl and solves mysteries with his friend, the Sherriff of Shropshire.

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Cadfael Links Some links unabashedly stolen


The music from the Cadfael series is available on a soundtrack album "Cadfael" (Angel 7243-8-370862-8). Here's a sample of the opening theme as a .WAV file (395k) or a .ZIP file (215k).   You might also enjoy "Sinners & Saints" by Philip Pickett and the New London Consort. It is a collection of Medieval & Renaissance tunes just perfect for reading Cadfael. I put those two and a couple of Gregorian Chant CD's in the CD changer and hit "Random Play". Great!

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  1. Cadfael Of Shrewsbury - (Opening Title Music)
  2. O Filii Et Filiae
  3. Turn Thine Eyes To See
  4. Merry The Dance
  5. There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue
  6. Juggler's Stare, The
  7. All Out Of The World By Tomorrow
  8. Magnificat Anima Mea Dominum
  9. Flamed My Heart
  10. Hidden In The Well
  11. Sanctus And Benedictus
  12. Veni Sancte Spiritus
  13. Lumen And Revelationem - (Gregorian Chant)
  14. Light Of The Father's Light
  15. Glover Of Shotwick
  16. High Above The Heavens
  17. Salve Regina - (Gregorian Chant)
  18. Ave Maria Gratia Plena - (Gregorian Chant)
  19. Cry Aloud
  20. Falconer's Secret, The
  21. Hail St. Peter's Fair
  22. Perspice Christicola
  23. Cadfael Of Shrewsbury - (Closing Title Music)

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My Cadfael Library:

N = Need copy for my library
U = Have Copy, Haven't read it yet
S = Saw the PBS video
R = Read the Book (r= Currently reading)

NSR A Morbid Taste for Bones (1978)
 SR One Corpse Too Many (1980)
 S  Monk's Hood (1981)
 SR St. Peter's Fair (1981)
 S  The Leper of St. Giles (1981)
 SR The Virgin in the Ice (1983)
NS  The Sanctuary Sparrow (1983)
 SR The Devil's Novice (1984)
  R Dead Man's Ransom (1985)
N R The Pilgrim of Hate (1984)
N R An Excellent Mystery (1985)(My favorite, So far)
NSR The Raven in the Foregate (1986)
NSR The Rose Rent (1986)
  R The Hermit of Eyton Forest (1988)
  R The Confession of Brother Haluin (1989)
  R The Heretic's Apprentice (1990)
  R The Potter's Field (1990)
  R The Summer of the Danes (1991)
  R The Holy Thief (1992)
  R Brother Cadfael's Penance (1994)
  R A Rare Benedictine (Want the Hardcover!)
    The Cadfael Companion
N   Brother Cadfael's Herb Garden


Monastic Hours

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The times are approximate, there were no really reliable clocks in the 12th century
Midnight Matins
3 AM Lauds
6 AM Prime
9 AM Tierce
Noon Sext
3 PM Nones
6 PM Vespers (Sunset)
9 PM Compline (Dark)


Publicity Shot From Series IV

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Pic from 'The Holy Thief' Cadfael, (Derek Jacobi), Sheriff Beringar, (Anthony Green) and Daalny (Louise Delamere) in a scene from "The Holy Thief" This pic & credits stolen from Steve Conrad's Page


Pronunciation Notes

Alaric Hall of Prestwood, Buckinghamshire UK has the following to say regarding pronounciation of the good brother's Welsh name:
Re pronunciation of 'Cadfael' as 'CAD-file': while this is the pronunciation used on the TV series, and for all I know the one Ellis Peters used, I'm sure that it's wrong: that 'f' should, as usual in modern Welsh spelling, be pronounced as Modern English 'v' -- 'CAD-vile'. I've checked with my Celtic Philology friends and they all agree... A sad mistake on the part of the TV crew, and a bee in my bonnet! I'd love to see the error noted on your excellent site.

OK, Alaric, so noted!