The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through
Wales
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Book II
Chapter VIII
Passage of the river Conwy in a boat, and of
Dinas Emrys
On our return to Banchor from Mona, we were shown the
tombs of prince Owen and his younger brother
Cadwalader,170
who were buried in a double vault before the high altar,
although Owen, on account of his public incest with his
cousin-german, had died excommunicated by the blessed martyr
St. Thomas, the bishop of that see having been enjoined to
seize a proper opportunity of removing his body from the
church. We continued our journey on the sea coast, confined
on one side by steep rocks, and by the sea on the other,
towards the river Conwy, which preserves its waters
unadulterated by the sea. Not far from the source of the
river Conwy, at the head of the Eryri mountain, which on
this side extends itself towards the north, stands Dinas
Emrys, that is, the promontory of Ambrosius, where
Merlin171
uttered his prophecies, whilst Vortigern was seated upon the
bank. There were two Merlins; the one called Ambrosius who
prophesied in the time of king Vortigern, was begotten by a
demon incubus, and found at Caermardin, from which
circumstance that city derived its name of Caermardin, or
the city of Merlin; the other Merlin, born in Scotland, was
named Celidonius, from the Celidonian wood in which he
prophesied; and Sylvester, because when engaged in martial
conflict, he discovered in the air a terrible monster, and
from that time grew mad, and taking shelter in a wood,
passed the remainder of his days in a savage state. This
Merlin lived in the time of king Arthur, and is said to have
prophesied more fully and explicitly than the other. I shall
pass over in silence what was done by the sons of Owen in
our days, after his death, or while he was dying, who, from
the wicked desire of reigning, totally disregarded the ties
of fraternity; but I shall not omit mentioning another event
which occurred likewise in our days. Owen,172
son of Gruffyth, prince of North Wales, had many sons, but
only one legitimate, namely, Iorwerth Drwyndwn, which in
Welsh means flat-nosed, who had a son named Llewelyn. This
young man, being only twelve years of age, began, during the
period of our journey, to molest his uncles David and
Roderic, the sons of Owen by Christiana, his cousin-german;
and although they had divided amongst themselves all North
Wales, except the land of Conan, and although David, having
married the sister of king Henry II., by whom he had one
son, was powerfully supported by the English, yet within a
few years the legitimate son, destitute of lands or money
(by the aid of divine vengeance), bravely expelled from
North Wales those who were born in public incest, though
supported by their own wealth and by that of others, leaving
them nothing but what the liberality of his own mind and the
counsel of good men from pity suggested: a proof that
adulterous and incestuous persons are displeasing to
God.
The Itinerary of Archbishop Baldwin through
Wales
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Chapter VII
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