Historia Brittonum XII: Saint Germanus 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

sanctus 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. et iterum guorthigirnus usque ad arcem guorthigirni, quae est in regione demetorum iuxta flumen teibi, ignominiose abscessit. et solito more sanctus germanus eum secutus est et ibi ieiunus cum omni clero tribus diebus totidemque noctibus causaliter mansit et in quarta nocte arx tota mediae circa noctis horam per ignem missum de caelo ex improuiso cecidit ardente igne caelesti; et guorthigirnus cum omnibus, qui cum eo erant, et cum uxoribus suis defecit. hic est finis guorthigirni, ut in libro beati germani repperi.

alii autem aliter dixerunt. postquam exosi fuerunt illi omnes homines gentis suae pro piaculo suo inter potentes et impotentes, inter seruum et liberum, inter monachos et laicos, inter paruum et magnum, et ipse dum de loco ad locum uagus errat, tandem cor eius crepuit et defunctus est, non cum laude. alii dixerunt: terra aperta est et deglutiuit cum in nocte, in qua combusta est arx circa eum, quia non inuentae sunt ullae reliquiae illorum, qui combusti sunt cum eo in arce. 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 sui largiente ambrosio illi, qui fuit rex inter omnes reges brittannicae gentis. quartus fuit faustus, qui a filia sua genitus est illi, et sanctus germanus baptizauit illum et nutriuit et docuit et condidit locum magnum super ripam fluminis, quod uocatur renis, et manet usque hodie. et unam filiam habuit, quae fuit mater fausti sancti.