It is, however, a hymn by St. Germanus, (Μέγα καὶ παράδοξον θαῦμα), translated from Greek to English by John M. Neale in 1862.
There are just eight churches in Britain named after the Bishop of Poitiers, St. Hilary, who contributed to the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and it is thought that they were founded by St Germanus, who was invited from France as a missionary by the 5th century English church.
Auxerre | AJ Auxerre | Germanus of Auxerre | Patriarch Germanus I of Constantinople | Germanus of Granfelden | Saint Germanus | saint Germanus | Patriarch Germanus V of Constantinople | County of Auxerre | Cathédrale Saint-Étienne d'Auxerre | Auxerre Cathedral |
The story is narrated by Clothar (Lancelot) and describes his early life in Roman Gaul, his education in Auxerre with Bishop Germanus, his participation in a civil war and his travels to Britain where he meets Caius Merlyn Britaniccus (Merlin) and King Arthur for the first time.
The church is dedicated to St Germanus and soon after construction it became the cathedral for Cornwall in 926 AD, when King Athelstan appointed Conan as the bishop of Cornwall.