Vortigern
Studies Index
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Gwrtheyrnion / Powys
Robert
Vermaat |
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Vortigern
seems to have ruled most of Britain, but where was his 'own'
territory? It seems likely to suppose that his family
came from the civitas of the Dobunni, in which western
extremeties we find Gwrtheyrnion, the 'land of Vortigern'.
Gwrtheyrnion
Gwerthrynion is
the modern name of a commote between the Wye and the
Ithan rivers in modern Powys. Once this area was called Guorthigirniaun
and formed a part of southern Powys, or Rhwng Gwy a
Hafren (‘between Wye and Severn’) as was a
more common name. Gwrtheyrnion was larger than the modern
cantref, but it remains unclear how large. We do know
that together with Built it formed the kingdom of
Vortigern’s son Pascent, as claimed by the 9th-century
Historia Brittonum:
Historia
Brittonum, chapter 47
St.
Germanus admonished Vortigern to turn to the true God,
and abstain from all unlawful intercourse with
his daughter; but the unhappy wretch fled for
refuge to the province Guorthegirnaim, so called
from his own name, where he concealed himself
with his wives: but St. Germanus followed him
with all the British clergy, and upon a rock
prayed for his sins during forty days and forty
nights.
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uero
germanus guorthigirno praedicabat, ut ad
dominum suum conuerteret et ab illicita
coniunctione se separaret; et ille usque ad
regionem, quae a nomine suo accepit nomen
guorthigirniaun, miserabiliter effugit, ut ibi
cum uxoribus suis lateret. et sanctus germanus
post illum secutus est cum omni clero brittonum
et ibi quadraginta diebus et quadraginta noctibus
mansit et super petram orabat et die noctuque
stabat.
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Historia
Brittonum, chapter 48
He had
three sons: the eldest was Vortimer, who, as we
have seen, fought four times against the Saxons, and put them
to flight; the second Categirn, who was slain in
the same battle with Horsa; the third was Pascent,
who reigned in the two provinces Builth and
Guorthegirnaim, after the death of his father.
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tres
filios habuit, quorum nomina sunt guorthemir,
qui pugnabat contra barbaros, ut supra diximus;
secundo categirn; tertius pascent, qui regnauit
in duabus regionibus buelt et guorthegirniaun
post mortem patris
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Historia
Brittonum, chapter 49
This
is the genealogy of Vortigern, which goes back to
Fernvail who reigned in the kingdom of
Guorthegirnaim, and was the son of Teudor; Teudor
was the son of Pascent; Pascent of Guoidcant;
Guoidcant of Moriud; Moriud of Eltat; Eltat of
Eldoc; Eldoc of Paul; Paul of Meuprit; Meuprit of
Braciat; Braciat of Pascent; Pascent of Guorthegirn (Vortigern); Guorthegirn of Guortheneu; Guortheneu of Guitaul; Guitaul of Guitolion; Guitolion of Gloui. Bonus, Paul, Mauron, Guotelin, were four brothers, who
built Gloiuda, a great city upon the banks of the
river Severn, and in British is called Cair Gloui,
in Saxon, Gloucester.
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haec
est genealogia illius, quae ad initium retro
recurrit. fernmail ipse est, qui regit modo in
regionibus duabus buelt et guorthigirniaun,
filius teudubir. teudubir ipse est rex bueltiae
regionis, filius pascent, filii guoidcant, filii
moriud, filii eldat, filii eldoc, filii paul,
filii mepurit, filii briacat, filii pascent,
filii guorthigirn guortheneu, filii guitaul, filii guitolin, filii gloui. bonus,
paul, mauron tres fratres fuerunt filii gloui,
qui aedificauit urbem magnam super ripam fluminis
sabrinae, quae uocatur brittannico sermone cair
gloiu, saxonice autem gloecester.
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Unclear
is what other commotes were included, areas too small to
be named by the Historia Brittonum, such as
Elfael. It remains far from clear how certain kingdoms
and cantrefs came to be named after rulers. Other
examples are of course the cantrefs of Gwynedd, who were
named after the 'sons' of Cunedda, or Brecheiniauc (named
after Brychan). We can’t be certain these recieved
their names within the lifetime of these persons, or that
a dynasty might re-name the land in its control after the
founder of their dynasty at some stage in the development.
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have been named thus because the ruling dynasty
claimed descent from Vortigern, not because
Vortigern necessarily ruled there. But at least
in the ninth century it was believed th have been
named after Vortigern. The name is not a clue to
the core of Vortigern’s kingdom, nor to the
centre of his power. We know that his family
probably stemmed from Gloucester
and that he acquired Gwent through marriage. His
power-base stretched probably from Wiltshire to
Powys, from Dyfed to Oxfordshire. His seat of
power was probably the capital of the Roman
diocese of Britannia Prima, Cirencester. Yet
Gwrtheyrnion could have been his personal estate.
It lies just across the river Ithan from
Llandrindod Common, one of the principal training
grounds of the Roman Army, and without doubt an
imperial estate. Some of these estates may well
have fallen into the hands of those dynasties in
power at the end of Roman rule. Gwrtheyrnion have
thus have been the legal property of Vortigern
and his family, even though they were based at
Gloucester themselves. He does therefore not have
to be seen as a highland chief. A different explanation
may be that the dynastic descendants in
Gloucester moved into the Welsh mountains before
or after the fall of Gloucester in 577 as a
result of the British defeat at Dyrham at the
hands of the West Saxons of Ceawlin. In that way
the dynasty so to speak 'moved house' and moved
their claims with them. If they were able to
establish themselves, the genealogical claims may
not have been disputed, as they never were. But
which son of Vortigern ruled in Gloucester? We
know of three kings in the area lost at Dyrham;
Conmail, Farinmail and Condidan (Constantine),
who ruled in Bath, Gloucester and Cirencester.
None of these kings has any known genealogical
connection with Vortigern. All of these cities
once belonged to the 'heartland' of Vortigern's
family, but we don't know what they were able to
hold on to in the sixth century.
Even so, the
family was able to hold on to Gwrtheyrnion.
Either one of the kings at Dyrham was part of a
lost branch of the family, or (I think more
likely) another part of the family, descending
from Pascent, later (re-)gained Gwrtheyrnion.
Possible proof may come from the probable
insertion that Pascent received Gwrtheyrnion largiente
Ambrosio (that is, legitimally). It would
thus explain how the son of Vortigern managed to
regain power of his inheritance.
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The dynasty of Powys
| HB § 49 (c. 825)
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Jesus College MS
20.14 & 15 (c. 1375)
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| Gloiu |
Gloyw g. |
| Guitolin |
Gwdoloeu |
| Guitaul |
Gwidawl |
| Guorthigirn |
Gwrtheyrn |
| Pascent |
Pascen |
| Briacat |
Riagath |
| Mepurtit |
Idnerth |
| Paul |
Pawl |
| Eldoc |
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| Eldat |
Elaed |
| Moriud |
Morvo |
| Guoidcant |
Gwedgad |
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| Pascent |
Pascen Buellt |
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Gloud |
| Teudubir |
Vraustud |
| Fernmail |
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Rees |
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Howel |
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Ewein |
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Morgant |
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Slander retorted?
There is an
explanation that differed from the usual etymological
explanation of Gwrtheyrn + territorial suffix.
In discussing the possibility of Vortigern's Castle
having been built in Rhayader, it was William Camden who
in 1607 identified the remains of the medieval castle
with that of Vortigern's stronghold, and of Radnorshire
with Gwrtheyrnion:
William
Camden, Britannia, Radnor-Shire:
Moreover,
this part of the Country was in old time called
Guarthenion, as Ninnius tesifieth, who wrote, that the said
wicked Vortigern, when he was plainely and sharply
reprooved by the godly Saint German, did not onely not
turne from his lewd and licentious life to the worship
and service of God, but also let flie slanderous speeches
against that most holy man: Wherefore, Vortimer the sonne
of Vortigern, as Ninnius saith, for the slander which his
Father had raised of Saint German, decreed, that he should
have the land as his owne for ever, wherein he had suffered
so reproachfull an abuse: whereupon, and to the end that
Saint German might be had in memory, it was called
Guarthenion, which signifieth in English, A slander
justly retorted.
This was probably based
on a late gloss (c. 1200) in the Historia Brittonum, in which the author mentioned a
different origin of the name. In this version, Vortigern's
eldest son Vortimer visits St Germanus and his synod
somewhere in wales, who are persuing Vortigern after
denouncing him having committed incest with his daughter. In MS CCCC
139, fo 175r, mentiones in the right-hand margin (continuing
into lower margin under righthand column), another story
about Gwrthefyr son of Gwrtheyrn:
This
Vortimer, the son of Vortigern, in a synod held
at Guartherniaun (after the wicked king, on
account of the incest committed with his daughter,
fled from the face of Germanus and the British
clergy), would not consent to his father's
wickedness; but returning to St. Germanus, and
falling down at his feet, he sued for pardon; and
in atonement for the calumny brought upon
Germanus by his father and sister, gave him the
land, in which the forementioned bishop had
endured such abuse, to be his for ever. Whence,
in memory of St. Germanus, it received the name
Guarenniaun (Guartherniaun, Gurthrenion, Gwarth
Ennian) which signifies, a calumny justly
retorted, since, when he thought to reproach the
bishop, he covered himself with reproach.
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Iste
Guortemir filius Gorthegirni in sinodo habita apud
Guartherniaun (postquam nefandus rex, ob incestum
quem cum filia commiserat, a facie Germani et
clericorum Britannie in fugam iret) patris
nequitie consentire noluit, sed rediens ad
sanctum Germanum ad pedes eius cecidit, ueniam
postulans. Atque pro illata a patre suo et sorore
sancto Germano calumpnia, terram ipsam in qua
predictus episcopus obprobrium tale sustinuit in
eternum suam fieri sanxiuit: unde et in memoriam
sancti Germani Guarenniaun nomen accepit quod
latine sonat 'calumpnia iuste retorta' quoniam,
cum episcopum uituperare putauerat, semetipsum
uituperio afficit. Guortemir uero, accepto regno,
uiriliter hostibus obsistit.
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This version
appears to explain Gwrtheyrnion with "gwarth
a yr yn iawn", a translation of the Latin "calumpnia
iuste retorta". The phrase would indeed mean 'a
slander justly retorted'. However, to me it seems that
this explanation falls far short of the etymological one,
which is to be preferred. The second occurrence of the
name, after Guartherniaun (which is Old Welsh)
as Guarenniaun, is already corrupt.
The episode could be
derived from the lost 'Life of Germanus', which may have
been a source of the Historia Brittonum, but as
'Nennius' made no use of this part we may doubt that.
Bibliography 
- Chadwick, Henry
Munro: Vortigern,
in: Chadwick, Studies in Early British History,
pp. 21-33.*
- Chadwick, Nora K. (et al): Studies in Early
British History, (Cambridge 1959).
- Dumville, David N. (1977b): Celtic-Latin
texts in northern England, c.1150-1250, in: Celtica
12, pp. 19-49.*
- Geoffrey of
Monmouth: Life
of Merlin, Vita Merlini, ed. and trans.
B. Clarke, (Cardiff 1973).
- Kirby, D.P.: Vortigern, in: The
Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies XXIII,
1970, pp. 37-59.*
- Miller, M.: Date-Guessing and Dyfed,
in: Studia Celtica XII/XIII, 1977- 1978,
pp. 33-61.*
- Miller, M.: Consular Years in the Historia
Brittonum, in: Bulletin of the Board of
Celtic Studies XXIX, part I november 1980, pp.
17-34.*
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