Historia Brittonum XI: Guorthigirn III

Mommsen’s chapters

The six ages of the world

§1: creation to David
§2: David to the Babylonian exile
§3: the Babylonian exile to the Passion
§4: since the Passion
§5: the first three ages
§6: the last three ages

Origins of the Britons

§7: description of Britain
§8: the three offshore islands
§9: the rivers of Britain
§10: the first inhabitants of Britain
§11: Aeneas and the Latin kings
§12: the Picts

Origins of the Irish

§13: Partholomus, the Spanish soldier
§14: the League of Eight
§15: the Scythians and Dal Riada

A computation

§16: the present year

Another origin tale

§17: the European descendants of Adam
§18: the peoples of Europe

Roman Britain

§19: Julius Caesar
§20: Caesar conquers Britain
§21: Claudius
§22: King Lucius is baptised
§23: Severus builds the Wall
§24: the usurper Caritius
§25: Constantius II
§26: Maximus
§27: Maximianus, Severus II and Constantius I
§28: Roman rule
§29: Maximianus, continued
§30: the Roman defeats by the Britons

The Saxons part 1

§31: Hengist and Horsa arrive

Saint Germanus part 1

§32: the arrival of Saint Germanus
§33: his first miracle
§34: Benlli’s citadel destroyed
§35: the origin of Powys

The Saxons part 2

§36: the Britons cannot feed the Saxons
§37: Guorthigirn marries Hengist’ daughter
§38: Hengist invites more Saxons

Saint Germanus part 2

§39: Guorthigirn cursed
§40: Gourthigirn consults his wizards
§41: the boy without a father
§42: the red and white serpents

The Saxons part 3

§43: the war against Hengist
§44: Guorthemir’s death
§45: the Saxons return
§46: the Night of the Long Knives

Saint Germanus part 3

§47: St Germanus destroys Guorthigirn
§48: another story of Guorthigirn’s death

Genealogy of Builth

§49: the descent of the kings of Builth from Guorthigirn
§50: Saint Germanus goes home

A Life of St Patrick

§50: escape from captivity
§51: the mission to Ireland
§52: the baptism of the Irish
§53: a calculation
§54: St Patrick’s many deeds
§55: comparing Patrick with Moses

Arthuriana

§56: Arthur’s twelve battles

Saxon genealogies

§57: the Bernician kings
§58: the Kentish kings
§59: the East Anglian kings
§60: the Mercian kings
§61: the Deiran and Northumbrian kings
§62: the Men of the North
§63: early Northumbrian history
§64: Oswald and Oswiu
§65: Oswiu and Ecgfrith

A computation

§66: the date of Guorthigirn

28 cities of Britain

§66a: a list of cities

Wonders of Britain

§67: Loch Lomond, the Trent Bore and Bath
§68: salt springs and the Severn Bore
§69: Aber Llyn Llifan
§70: Ffynnon Gwr Helig, a tree at the mouth of the Wye and a blow-hole in Gwent
§71: the altar of Llwynarth
§72: a spring in Gwent
§73: Carn Cafall and Gamber Head
§74: a burial mound in Ceredigion

Wonders of Anglesey

§75: four wonders
§76: the pond of Llwchlein

interea guorthemir filius guorthigirn cum hengisto et horso et cum gente illorum petulanter pugnabant et eos usque ad supradictam insulam, quae uocatur tanet, expulit et eos ibi tribus uicibus conclusit obsedit percussit comminuit terruit. et ipsi legatos ultra mare usque in germaniam transmittebant uocando ciulas cum ingenti numero bellatorum uirorum. et postea pugnabant contra reges nostrae gentis: aliquando uincebantur et expellebantur.

et guorthemir contra illos quattuor bella auide gessit. primum bellum super flumen derguentid; secundum bellum super uadum, quod dicitur in lingua eorum episford, in nostra autem lingua rithergabail, et ibi cecidit hors cum filio guorthigirni, cuius nomen erat categirn. tertium bellum in campo iuxta lapidem tituli, qui est super ripam gallici maris, commisit et barbari uicti sunt et ille uictor fuit et ipsi in fugam uersi usque ad ciulas suas mersi sunt in eas muliebriter intrantes. ille autem post modicum interuallum mortuus est et ante mortem suam ad familiam suam dixit, ut sepulchrum illius in portu ponerent, a quo exierant, super ripam maris, in quo uobis commendo: quamuis in alia parte portum brittanniae teneant et habitauerint, tamen in ista terra in aeternum non manebunt. illi autem mandatum eius contempserunt et eum in loco, in quo imperauerat illis, non sepelierunt. at barbari reuersi sunt magno opere, cum guorthigirnis amicus illis erat propter uxorem suam et nullus illos abigere audacter ualuit, quia non de uirtute sua brittanniam occupauerunt, sed de nutu dei. contra uoluntatem dei quis resistere poterit et nitatus? sed quomodo uoluit dominus fecit et ipse omnes gentes regit et gubernat.

factum est autem post mortem guorthemir regis guorthigirni filii et post reuersionem hengisti cum suis turbis consilium fallax hortati sunt, ut dolum guorthigirni cum exercitu suo facerent. at illi legatos, ut impetrarent pacem, miserunt, ut perpetua amicitia inter illos fieret. at ille guorthegirnus cum suis maioribus natu consilium fecerunt et scrutati sunt, quid facerent; tandem unum consilium cum omnibus fuit, ut pacem facerent, et legati eorum reuersi sunt et postea conuentum adduxerunt, ut ex utraque parte brittones et saxones in unum sine armis conuenirent, ut firma amicitia esset. et hengistus omni familiae suae iussit, ut unusquisque artauum suum sub pede in medio ficonis sui poneret. et quando clamauero ad uos et dixero: eu saxones eniminit saxas, cultellos uestros ex ficonibus uestris educite et in illos irruite et fortiter contra illos resistite. et regem illorum nolite occidere, sed eum, pro causa filiae meae, quam dedi illi in coniugium, tenente, quia melius est nobis, ut ex manibus nostris redimatur. et conuentum adduxerunt et in unum conuenerunt, et saxones amicaliter locuti in mente interim uulpicino more agebant et uir iuxta uirum socialiter sederunt. hengistus sicut dixerat, uociferatus est et omnes seniores trecenti guorthigirni regis iugulati sunt et ipse solus captus et catenatus est et regiones plurimas pro redemptione animae suae illis tribuit, id est estsaxum, sutsaxum.