History of the Britons
by Nennius
The History
62 to 66
62. Then Dutgirn at that time fought bravely against the
nation of the Angles. At that time, Talhaiarn
Cataguen1 was famed for poetry, and Neirin, and
Taliesin and Bluchbard, and Cian, who is called Guenith
Guaut, were all famous at the same time in British
poetry.
The great king, Mailcun,2 reigned among the
Britons, i.e. in the district of Guenedota, because his
great-great-grandfather, Cunedda, with his twelve sons, had
come before from the left-hand part, i.e. from the country
which is called Manau Gustodin, one hundred and forty-six
years before Mailcun reigned, and expelled the Scots with
much slaughter from those countries, and they never returned
again to inhabit them.
63. Adda, son of Ida, reigned eight years; Ethelric, son
of Adda, reigned four years. Theodoric, son of Ida, reigned
seven years. Freothwulf reigned six years. In whose time the
kingdom of Kent, by the mission of Gregory, received
baptism. Hussa reigned seven years. Against him fought four
kings, Urien, and Ryderthen, and Guallauc, and Morcant.
Theodoric fought bravely, together with his sons, against
that Urien. But at that time sometimes the enemy and
sometimes our countrymen were defeated, and he shut them up
three days and three nights in the island of Metcaut; and
whilst he was on an expedition he was murdered, at the
instance of Morcant, out of envy, because he possessed so
much superiority over all the kings in military science.
Eadfered Flesaurs reigned twelve years in Bernicia, and
twelve others in Deira, and gave to his wife Bebba, the town
of Dynguaroy, which from her is called
Bebbanburg.3
Edwin, son of Alla, reigned seventeen years, seized on
Elmete, and expelled Cerdic, its king. Eanfled, his
duaghter, received baptism, on the twelfth day after
Pentecost, with all her followers, both men and women. The
following Easter Edwin himself received baptism, and twelve
thousand of his subjects with him. If any one wishes to know
who baptized them, it was Rum Map Urbgen:4 he was
engaged forty days in baptizing all classes of the Saxons,
and by his preaching many believed on Christ.
64. Oswald son of Ethelfrid, reigned nine years; the same
is Oswald Llauiguin;5 he slew Catgublaun
(Cadwalla),6 king of Guenedot,7 in the
battle of Catscaul,8 with much loss to his own
army. Oswy, son of Ethelfrid, reigned twenty-eight years and
six months. During his reign, there was a dreadful mortality
among his subjects, when Catgualart (Cadwallader) was king
among the Britons, succeeding his father, and he himself
died amongst the rest.9 He slew Penda in the
field of Gai, and now took place the slaughter of Gai Campi,
and the kings of the Britons, who went out with Penda on the
expedition as far as the city of Judeu, were slain.
65. Then Oswy restored all the wealth, which was with him
in the city, to Penda; who distributed it among the kings of
the Britons, that is Atbert Judeu. But Catgabail alone, king
of Guenedot, rising up in the night, excaped, together with
his army, wherefore he was called Catgabail Catguommed.
Egfrid, son of Oswy, reigned nine years. In his time the
holy bishop Cuthbert died in the island of
Medcaut.10 It was he who made war against the
Picts, and was by them slain.
Penda, son of Pybba, reigned ten years; he first
separated the kingdom of Mercia from that of the North-men,
and slew by treachery Anna, king of the East Anglians, and
St. Oswald, king of the North Men. He fought the battle of
Cocboy, in which fell Eawa, son of Pybba, his brother, king
of the Mercians, and Oswald, king of the North-men, and he
gained the victory by diabolical agency. He was not
baptized, and never believed in God.
66. From the beginning of the world to Constantinus and
Rufus, are found to be five thousand six hundred and
fifty-eight years.
Also from the two consuls, Rufus and Rubelius, to the
consul Stilicho, are three hundred and seventy-three
years.
Also from Stilicho to Valentinian, son of Placida, and
the reign of Vortigern, are twenty-eight years.
And from the reign of Vortigern to the quarrel between
Guitolinus and Ambrosius, are twelve years, which is
Guoloppum, that is Catgwaloph.11 Vortigern
reigned in Britain when Theodosius and Valentinian were
consuls, and in the fourth year of his reign the Saxons came
to Britain, in the consulship of Felix and Taurus, in the
four hundredth year from the incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
From the year in which the Saxons came into Britain, and
were received by Vortigern, to the time of Decius and
Valerian, are sixty-nine years.
Notes
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1
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Talhaiarn was a descendant of Coel Godebog, and
chaplain to Ambrosius.
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2
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Better known as Maelgwn.
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3
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Bambrough. See Bede, iii. 6, and Sax. Chron.
A.D. 547.
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4
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See Bede's Eccles. Hist. From the share which
Paulinus had in the conversion of the Northumbrian
king, it has been inferred that he actaully
baptized him; but Nennius experssly states, that
the holy sacrament was administered by Rhun, the
son of Urien. The Welsh name of Paulinus is Pawl
Hen, or Polin Eagob.
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5
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Llauiguin, means the "fair," or the "bounteous
hand."
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6
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This name has been variously written; Bede
spells it Caedualla (Cadwalla); Nennius,
Catgublaun; the Saxon Chronicle, Ceadwalla; and the
Welsh writers, Cadwallon and Kalwallawn: and though
the identity of the person may be clearly proved,
it is necessary to observe these particulars to
distinguish him from Cadwaladr, and from another
Caedualla or Caedwalla, a king of the West Saxons;
all of whom, as they lived within a short time of
each other, have been frequently confounded
together.--Rees's Welsh Saints.
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7
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Gwynedd, North Wales.
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8
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Bede says at Denis's brook.
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9
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The British chronicles assert that Cadwallader
died at Rome, whilst Nennius would lead us to
conclude that he perished in the pestilence at
home.
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10
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The isle of Farne.
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11
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In Carmarthenshire. Perhaps the town now called
Kidwelly.
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History of the Britons
by Nennius
The History, 57 to
61 <<< Contents
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