Gwrtheyrn: an Early Brythonic Leader (Great Prince)

Synonyms: Vortigern, Gurothigirn, Guorthegirn, Guortegirn, Uurtigernos, Vertigernus, Wyrtygearn, Vorthegirnus, Vortigernus, Gortheyrn. Guorthigrinus
Cym: Great Prince, the Thin

Though clouded by legend it seems likely that during the early post-Roman period of the mid fifth century a Brythonic warlord rose to prominence; a man known to later centuries as Gwrtheyrn or Vortigern.

The first reference to Gwrtheyrn is probably made by Gildas in his De Excidio et Conquesta Britaniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain), written circa 620 CE. However, it is unclear as to whether the figure Guildas refers to as omnes consulari et superbo tyranno (all the counsellors, together with that proud usurper) is actually Vortigern as most editions of Gildas' work published today omit the name. Despite this, the Avrenches Public Library MS 162 (12^th century) gives us: superbo tyranno Vortigerno and the Cambridge University Library Ff I.27 manuscript (13^th century) gives us Gurthigerno Brittanorum duce. Either or both names could be later additions, but they still indicated that Bede's superbo tyranno was later accepted to be the figure of Gwrtheyrn.

In his chronicle Gildas relates the tale of the invitation of the Saxons into Britain during the early half of the fifth century by a Brythonic ruler. These men were mercenaries invited into the country to aid in the Brythonic leader's battles against the country's northern enemies. According to Gildas, the Saxons arrived in three cyulae (keels) and were permitted to settle in orientale parte insulae (the eastern part of the island), where they were soon joined by further reinforcements.

After serving Vortigern for an unspecified period of time a dispute broke-out over the apportioning of rations and the Saxons turned on the Britons, ravaging the island from sea to sea. There are several points to note about this tale: firstly, Vortegen is not presented as a 'high king' (a title [ardrig] prevalent only in Ireland at the time) and Vortigern is not acting alone, for he is supported by a 'council'. What may be intended here is that 'Vortigern' usurped a role similar to that of the Roman Dux Brittonum with his supporting council being a council of sub-Roman consuls and civitates (city representatives).

Another feature to note is that Gildas (who was not known for holding back on his emnity) is not presenting Vortigern's actions as actually being bad per se. Rather, he is described as infestus (unlucky) and is represented as genrally lacking in judgement — entirely understandable given the later actions of the Saxons. It seems entirely possible that the initial invitation of the Saxon mercenaries was as fœderati. Indeed, in late Roman and sub-Roman times it was common practice to settle allied barbarian tribes within the boundaries of the empire to aid in its defence. The agreement between the Saxons and the Brython described by Gildas may well represent a treaty of fœderati with whom Vortigern sought to shore-up the island's defences against invading Picts and Gaels.

After Gildas''s account, written less than a century after the events he describes, we have the account of Bede. In writing his Historia Ecclesiactica Genti Angolorum during the eigth century mainly paraphrased the earlier work of Bede. In contrast with Gildas, Bede clearly provides the name of the superbo tyranno whom he names varously using the LAtinized forms: Uurtigernus, Uuertigernus and Vertigernus as well as the Old English form: Wyrtgeorn. With Bede's heavy reliance on Gildas' original account, this may well represent our strongest indication that Gildas did, indeed, use the name 'Vortigerno' in his own works.

Bede also provides a date of 446 CE for the rise of Vortigern to power. However, this date seems somehow to have arisen by addding a span of 40 years to the end of the Roman rule of Britain (a date Bede calculated as occurring at either 406 or 409 CE). The origin of these 40 years remains a mystery and it cannot be known whether Bede had a source or based this date on some calculation of his own. Regardless or its origin, the date provided by Bede has to be treated with more than a modicum of suspicion.

One final detail provided by Bede in his manuscript are the names of the invaders' leaders — Hengist and Horsa — and the names of the allied tribes — Saxons, Angles and Jutes.

From Bede, we next have to examine the chronicle known as the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) which is generally attributed to Nennius, an early ninth century monk from Bangor, Gwynedd. Nennius brought together a range of material concerning the matter of Britain — everything from the early chronicles of other authors to extant folklore. Nennius, though one of the first writers to attempt to collate his materiel as an historical timeline was still a product of his country and was the first person to properly blacken the name of Vortigern. Nennius also provides the fullest account of Gwrtheyrn's exploits, which are summarized below:

After the final war between the Brython and the Romans (when the Roman generals were slain) the Brython went in fear for forty years. During these times Guorthigirnus assumed rule in Britain; though he was under pressure from fear of the Picts, the Gaels and a Roman invasion and not least from the dread of Ambrosius. At this time there came three keels, driven into exile from the lands of Germania. These bore the brothers Horsa and Hengist, sons of Wichtgils, sons of Witta who said they were descendants of Woden. They were welcomed by Guorthigirnus who gave them the Island that in the Saxon tongue is Called Thanet and in Brythonic is Ruoihm.

It came to pass, after the Saxons were encamped on the Island of Thanet and Guorthigirnus promised to supply them with food and clothing and they agreed to aid him by fighting bravely against his enemies. But the barbarians grew in numbers so that the Brython could no longer feed them and told them that they could no longer supply them with food and clothing. So the Saxons took counsel with their elders to break the peace.

A shrewd and skilful man, Hengist sized-up the king's (Gwrtheyrn's) impotence and the military weakness of his people and he took counsel and parlayed with the Brython, talling Gwrtheyrn: 'We are few, but if you wish we can send home to invite more warriors from the fighting men of our land so that the number who fight for you and your people be increased'. Gwrtheyrn assented and envoys were sent across to sea, to return with sixteen keels. With one of these keels came Hengist's own daughter, a very beautiful woman. And when the keels had come to anchor, Hengist held a banquet for Guorthigirnus, his men and his interpreter, Ceredig and he had his own daughter serve the wine and spirits. They all became exceedingly drunk and in his drunkenness Guorthigirnus lusted after the girl. Throug his interpreter he asked Hengist for her hand, saying: 'ask of me what you will, even if it were half my kingdom.'

Hengist took counsel with his elders and in exchange for the girl they agreed to ask for the county that in their language is called Canturguoralen and in ours Caint. Guorthigirnus acquiesced to this, though Caint was the territory of Gwyrangon who did not know that both his realm and his person was secretly being given into the hands of heathens. As a result, the girl was given in marriage to Guorthigirnus who slept with her and loved her deeply.

With the marraige sealed, Hengist came to Guorthigirnus and said 'As I am now your father, I will be your counsellor. Never ignore my counsel and you need never fear conquest by any man nor any people, for my kinsmen are srong. I will invite my son and his cousin to do battle with the Irish if you but give them lands in the North, about the wall that you call Guaul. Guorthigirnus told Hengist to invite them and they came with forty keels. They came and sailed around the lands of the Picts, laying waste to the Orkneys and they settled beyond the Frenessican Sea to the borders of Pictland. Hengist gardually brought more keels over, leaving his native lands empty as his people grew in strength and numbers.

Guorthigirnus now committed his basest sin by taking his own child to wife and he begat a daughter by her. Saint Germanus hears of this and gathers all the clergy of Britain to a synod where Guorthigirnus is accused. Guorthigirnus' son, Faustus, by his own daughter is presented to St Germanus who takes the boy as his own son. The child denounces the man who is both his father and grandfather and he (Gwrtheyrn) is driven out in shame and flees. In Nennius' account we next have the tale of Gwrtheyrn/Ambrosius/Myrddin and the Dragons of Dinas Emrys. The tale has ganed folk-tale status and the Legend of the Dragons of Dinas Emrys is realted in full here.

In the Folk-tale the magical child is Merlinus Ambrosius, whereas Nennius relates the child to be Ambrosius Aurelianus. Apart from this the details of the tales are essentially identical. Nennius next picks-up the thread of his tale by returning to the Kentish Chronicle and the exploits of Guorthigirnus' son, Guorthemir (usually redacted in English to Vortimer).

Vortimer fought vigorously against Hengist and Horsa, driving them back to the island of Thanet. But they sent envoys to return with more keels and a vast number of fighing men. Four battles were fought against the Saxons and in the second of these Horsa and Guorthigirnus' son, Cadeyrn (Battle-leader) were slain. In the third battle the Saxons were driven to the sea, where they drowned in their haste to baord their keels. But in the fourth battle Guorthemir himself was slain. Upon the death of Guorthemir the barbarians returned in force, for Guorthigirnus was their friend and kinsman by marriage. Thus they returned in force, and soon after their return but Hengist formulated a treacherous plan to trick the Brython. They were invited to parlay and Guorthigirnus invited his counsellors to him and they decided unanimously to seek peaceful accord with the Saxons. Envoys were sent back and and a conference was convened to which the two sides, Brython and Saxon, were to come unarmed and confirm the treaty.

Hengist, however, told his men to hide their daggers in their shoes and when he called out: 'Saxons, draw your knives!' they were to extract their daggers from their shoes and fall upon the Brython. However, Guorthigirnus was to be spared as he was the husband of Hengist's daughter. The conference convened, and as Hengist called out three hundred of Guorthigirnus' senor men were struck down. Guorthigirnus himself was captured and in returned for his life he ceded Essex, Sussex and Middlesex to the Saxons.

Upon his release, Saint Germanus came to Guorthigirnus and preached at him. Guorthigirnus fled in his desperation to the land that is named Gwrtheyrnion after him and his there with his wives. But Germanus followed him and Guorthigirnus was forced to flee in disgrace to Caer Gwrtheyrn (Vortigern's Fortress) on the river Teifi in the lands of the Demetae (modern-day Dyfed). Saint Germanus followed with the others and began fasting. On the fourth night of his fast a fire descended from heaven to burn Caer Gwrtheyrn, destroying all who dwelt within.

Guorthigirnus' third son, Pascent, ruled Buellt (Builth) and Gwrtheyrnion and it is from him that the rulers of Powys are descended.

A number of coments need to be made about Nennius' account. The infatuation of Gwrtheyrn with Hengist's daughter is an additon to the earlier tale by Nennius, the tale of the dragons of Dinas Emrys, the Treachery of the Long Kinves and the tale of Gwrtheyrn's death by heavenly fire. All these tales however, did originate in existing secular sources and survive in folk-tales to this day. However, the tale of Gwrtheyrn's incest is either an invention of Nennius, who as a supporter of Gwynedd was out to blacken Gwrtheyrn's name and the Powys dynasty descended from him. It may also be a (possibly intentional) confusion between the tales of Gwrtheyrn and the tale of Gwrthefyr (Vortipor) of Dyfed who, according to Gildas raped his own daughter.

At about the same time that Nennius was writing in Gwynedd an interesting monument, called Colofn Eliseg (the Pillar of Elise) was erected at Valle Crucis Abbey, Powys. The pillar now lies borken (it would once have bourne a cross at its summit) near Llangollen and was erected by Cyngen, prince of Powys in memory of his grandfather, Eliseg. The shaft bears an elaborate Latin inscription (which is severlely weathered today). Thankfully the antiquarian, Edward Llwyd recorded considerable portions of the column in 1696 as a result much of the text can be re-constructed. The text of the Pillar of Elise can be found in the Genealogies section of this site. The text of this pillar essentually refutes most of the most outrageous claims made by Nennius. Indeed, it claims that Gwrtheyrn (Guarthigern on the pillar) was blessed by Germanus rather than being pursued by him! Also there is no mention of Gwrtheyrn's 'pagan' wife. Rather, he is married to Seera, daughter of Magnus Maximus. From Britu, son of Gwrtheyrn, the entire line of Powys princes are descended.

In chronological order, after Nennius and the Pillar of Eliseg comes the Anglo Saxon Chronicle. Though the entries in this history of the Saxon peoples (the original title seems to have been the Chroniclum Saxonicum) between 1 CE and 1154 CE. There are eight extant manuscripts, with the first of them started in 891 EC, though the average is somewhere around 1050 CE. The chronicle seems to provide both dates and locations for the battles fought by Hengist and Horsa against the Brython in south-eastern Britain. However, Vortigern is said to have been the leader of the Brython oly in the first of the recorded battles and though no Saxon defeat is acknowleged the geographical sequence of the battles suggests a Saxon retreat and the Chronicle locates the last battle, dated to 465 in Wippedsfleot, the place where the Saxons first landed; which coreesponds closely with Nennius' Historia Brittonum.

Next in sequence we have Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. Geoffrey seems to have made a concerted attempt to harmonize the various extant traditions into a coherent narrative. It is he who locates the site of the final banquet where the Saxons murder the Brython in Wiltshire (and suggests that Stonehenge was buildt as a memorial to the event). In addition, Geoffrey states that Vortigern was the successor to Constans, the son of the usurping emperor Constantine III. Further, Vortigern used Constans as a puppet king and ruled the nation through him until he finally managed to kill him through the use of insurgent Picts. It is also Geoffrey who first gives the name of Hengist's daughter as Rhonwen (or Rowen, Ronwen, Renwein, Rowena; all of which are Celtic rather than Germanic names).

If you would like to try the foods of the time of the ancient Celts, then why not have a look at the ancient recipes section of this site. For the foods of the time when some of these tales were written down, take a look at the Medieval recipes section of the site and, in particular, the recipes from The Forme of Cury.

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