Vortigern Studies Index

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Was Vortigern a title or a name?
  Most likely, ‘Vortigern’ was a personal name. Vortigern means something like ‘high lord’, but not ‘High King’ as it is popularly supposed to mean. Though in itself it is a perfectly normal Celtic personal name (as we know from many similar examples), it is the meaning that makes it significant. We can therefore assume that Vortigern changed his name when he reached his powerful position, or the kingship if you will. We known of others who did that; the most famous being Octavian, who changed his name to Augustus ('the Exalted One'), which was then used so often it became a title. The same happened to 'Caesar', an ordinary name, but now meaning 'king' or emperor': Kaiser (Germ.) and Czar (Russ.). However, we know of no other 'Vortigern' in a high position, which rules out a title. In Vortigern's time, it was common practise for Christian converts to change their names as well. Similar examples of the modern age are Stalin (‘of steel’) and Atatürk (‘father of the Turks’), who changed their original names to new ones that had a strong political message.

• Was Vortigern a Celt?
  No, we can safely say that he was not. Though his name is truly Celtic, this has more to do with Vortigern’s political (anti-Imperial) ambitions than with his background. Other theories that he was a Pict or a German are based upon a wrong translation of the epithet Gwallthir (‘long-hair’) of his great-grandfather. Even so, by his time the family would have become truly Romanized. An identification with Ireland is based upon a wrong interpretation of the later Welsh versions of the names of his father and grandfather. Guitaul and Guitolin (Latin Vitalis and Vitalinus) are not versions of Gwyddel (‘Irish’), which is only comparable with the later Welsh forms Guidol and Guidolin, but not with the Latin originals.

• What was Vortigern’s original name?
  Although we cannot be sure that his parents did not call him Vortigern, it is very likely that he had a different birthname, or at least a Roman one. As his father was called Vitali(nu)s and his grandfather Vitalinus, we might safely speculate that this was his prenomen (personal name) or nomen (family- or clan-name). This seems strengthened by similar names that occur in close proximity: the battle of Guoloph, connected directly with his reign, is fought by Guitolinus and Ambrosius The former is often assumed (but for reason unclear to me) to have been at least a kinsman of Vortigern, which could make an identification with Vortigern himself a possibility as well! Even more so, when we look back from the semi-legendary conflict between Ambrosius and Vortigern, which could reflect this same conflict. Another is the archbishop Guithelinus, who acts in the same role as Vortigern in bringing in foreign troops in a strange parallel tale in the Historia Regum Britanniae, disappearing conveniently when Vortigern enters the story. Though this is of course no safe identification, I believe we can assume that Vortigern was originally called Vitalinus.

• Was Vortigern a tyrant?
  Yes and no. He was certainly a tyrant in the sense of ‘illegitimate ruler’, as Gildas meant it. Vortigern was not ruling in name of the Romans, but he had usurped the power as had his 'tyrannic' predecessors; Constantine III (406-411), Magnus Maximus (383-388), but also Constantine the Great (306-337)! Vortigern may have come to power with the aid of the military (without which he would not have ruled long, anyway), but he was no military commander. He even ruled together with a council, so was not an absolute dictator.
  We don’t know if Vortigern was a tyrant in the sense of a wicked ruler. Though later sources draw attention to his supposedly evil character, this is by no means supported in the earlier sources. Gildas only calls him infaustus (‘unlucky’), and not injust in any way.

• Why was he called Verteneu (‘the Thin’)?
  We do not know for sure. Welsh epithets (nicknames) were not always connected with names when the person was alive, and we don’t know how early this epithet is. Since epithets usually say something about the person involved, we might conclude that Vortigern was seen as an old man, the ‘thin’ referring to his stature. Another theory is that Verteneu means something like ‘fox’, referring to his character. What Verteneu certainly is not is a family name! To speak of a Verteneu-dynasty is not to understand what an epithet is.

• Was Vortigern a Pelagian?
  That is hard to answer. Pelagians were the followers of the British priest Pelagius, who preached that all Christians were responsible for their own soul and eventual salvation. The Catholics were opposed to that view, maintaining that salvation could only be obtained through the Church. Vortigern's involvements with St Germanus, a staunch Catholic as described by both his biographer Constantius and the Historia Brittonum, strongly indicate that he indeed was a Pelagian, because the saint visited Britain only to prosecute the Pelagians and stamp out the heresy. Others argue that Vortigern at least silently supported the heresy as the ruler in charge. This seems supported by the fact that the historical person of bishop Faustus of Riez, who might very well have been a son of Vortigern, is often called semi-Pelagian. But Faustus, even when rejecting the Predestination, was strongly anti-Pelagian. And nothing historical connects Vortigern with St Germanus, whose official Life is indeed silent about any such involvements. On top of that, Gildas is also silent on this matter, something he would certainly not have been had he known of any such heretical tendencies!

• Who was the father of Vortigern?
  According to the genealogy in the Historia Brittonum, his father was called Guitol (Vitalis) and originated in Gloucester. We don’t know anything more, apart from a few speculations; there is also a Guitol (Vitalis) in the genealogy of the Breton rulers of Cornouaille. He was the son of Gradlon Mawr and the father of Aldrwn (Aldroenus), who figures in the tale of archbishop Guithelinus a generation later. Was he the same person as Vitalis, father of Vitalinus/Vortigern? He was from the same generation, and links with Brittany are very prominent from the family of Vortigern. The ease with which Guithelinus was able to receive troops from Aldroenus would be more logical if the latter was his cousin! Another possible candidate for the person of Vitalis is the praefectus annonae West in 403.

• Was Britu the same as Vortigern?
  No, Britu was the son of Vortigern, as stated by the Pillar of Elise. He could not have been the same as Vortigern, for he was at least a generation younger. He is identified with both Vortimer and Faustus, both of whom were sons of Vortigern. Though we cannot be absolutely sure, Britu is most likely to be identified with Faustus of Riez, according to the strory the son of Vortigern by his own daughter. But while this story is almost certainly based upon malice and/or ignorance, we do know that Britu was the son of Vortigern and Sevira, daughter of the Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. Faustus name is almost certainly a ‘name in Christ’, received when he entered the church. Equally Faustus is much more likely to have been a son than a grandson of Vortigern, for he was already abbot at Lérins in 433. Faustus is also a better candidate than, say,Vortimer, who was not connected with the genealogy of Powys at all.

• When was Vortigern born?
  Vortigern is traditionally dated as reigning in the second half of the fifth century, with a floruit of probably 425x460. The Historia Brittonum however dates him as reigning from 425x450, on grounds which cannot be refuted easily. This can be confirmed through the genealogies, which has his children born from c. 400 as calculated from the pedigrees. This would mean that Vortigern could have been born c. 370, a date far too early for some, for it would make him very old in 450. But not only is this very possible, it is almost exactly the same floruit as that of the historian Prosper of Aquitane! An age of 80 is indeed old for the times, but by no means impossibly so, it would also explain the epthet of Verteneu as referring to his frail person. Having said that, I would personally prefer Vortigern to disappear from the scene after 441, the year historically referred to as the year the Saxons overthrew Britain. A birthdate after 370 would also make it very possible for him to have married Sevira, daughter of Magnus Maximus (k. 388) and a position to lead the Britons after 410, but it would make involvements with Hengist’s daughter rather improbable…(however, see King David).

• What was Vortigern before he became king?
  The traditional sources give several scant details about Vortigern’ s early career. Though Gildas doesn’t say anything directly, we might assume from what he says that Vortigern stemmed from a group of nobles that formed the Council around him, and who later grew into the kings and sub-king of Gildas’ day. Vortigern was by no means absolute king, rather paramount ruler or ‘first among equals’. This would mean him being a major landlord at least, based on a territory. The Historia Brittonum names that territory as an enlarged Powys, and names his background as Gloucester, but nothing more. Geoffrey of Monmouth names him as Dux Gewissei (ruler in Gwent), which he inherited through his wife Sevira. But Geoffrey also relates of Guithelinus, archbishop of London, who is enthrusted with the British defence after the Roman withdrawal. If Vortigern, this would be a perfect early career for the man. A very high ecclesiastical position, possibly with his own military forces but independent from the Roman government, would put him in a perfect position for later domination.

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