Vortigern, the Worst King of the Britons
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The King who gave Britain away
He has been called the man responsible for the demise of the Britons in the 5th century by inviting the Saxons to settle in Britain as mercenaries.
We hear about Vortigern in the Story of Arthur.
Tales are told of his 'enemy' Ambrosius, of Merlin, and prophecies, and of several dark secrets about long-forgotten hill-forts in Wales. We remember Dinas Emrys and the fighting Dragons.
But Vortigern is remembered chiefly as the King who "gave Britain away".
The Tower of Vortigern
Merlin's Prophecy
It was said that Vortigern decided to build a tower on top of Dinas Emrys. This was a magnificent hill, and upon it would be a magnificent testament to the power of Vortigern, a tower taller than any in all of Britain.But each day, after the foundation was laid, the night would swallow it up.
The seers advised Vortigern to find a lad without a father. After a search, young Merlin and his mother were brought forward.
The boy told Vortigern that a pool beneath the site was causing the foundation to sink. Workmen dug beneath the site and indeed a pool of water was discovered.
Then Merlin asked the other magicians, "Tell me, now, you lying flatterers. What lies beneath the pool?" They could not say.
Merlin ordered the pool to be drained, and two dragons emerged, one red, one white. After the dragons had battled, Merlin prophesied, "Alas for the Red Dragon, for its end is near. It will be overrun by the White one, the Saxons.
Merlin continued with his prophecy, telling Vortigern that Ambrosius and Uther, the sons of Constantine, were sailing from Armorica to defeat the Saxons. "Even as I speak they are spreading their sails to cross the sea. They will conquer the Saxon people, and then burn you alive, shut up inside your tower!".
Things happened as Merlin had foretold.
More on Merlin
The Historical Vortigern
Vortigern Makes a Treaty with the Saxon Leaders: Buy at AllPosters.com
We meet an historical Vortigern in the writings of the monk, Gildas, in his De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae written around 540.
He tells us how Vortigern made a foolish mistake in inviting "the fierce and impious Saxons" as mercenaries to counter the threat from the Picts in the north.
According to Gildas, a small group came at first, then invited more of their countrymen and the colony grew. Eventually the Saxons broke their treaty and plundered the lands of the Romano-British.
Gildas described the British resistance, the war chief Ambrosius, and the defeat of the invaders at the battle of Mount Badon.
Rowena and the Wassail Cup
In the list of Vortigern's sins and crimes is his marriage to Rowena 'the pagan woman' (Ronnwenn paganes).
Now why this was seen as a crime is no mystery. Who recorded the marriage of King Vortigern? The monks who hated the Saxon Gods! And the marriage was held at the Winter Solstice when the Christians celebrated the birth of their Saviour. In any case the marriage was one which was marked by love and deep devotion. It may have been intended only as a dynastic union for political purposes but Rowena and Vortigern lived in happiness together.
There's an interesting story about Rowena and Vortigern and a custom still used in parts of the world today.
During a celebration with the Saxons, hosted by King Vortigen, Rowena raised her cup and proclaimed, "Louerd King, waes hael," Lord King, be hale! (Meaning be of good health) to which he cried out, "Drink, hael!"
The two became enamored with each other, met in a rendezvous of passionate lovemaking, and were joined in marriage the next day.
Our word "wassail" traces back to this historical event, and commonly refers to drinking from a large bowl or loving cup on Christmas Day.
Though what passes for wassail today is nothing more than mulled cider, the original recipe was actually made with ale, as seen in the lyrics to the Christmas carol classic "Gloucestershire Wassail":
Wassail! Wassail! All over the town,
Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown
Sons of Woden
Hengist and Horsa
Woden was the chief god of the Germanic warrior tribes, including the Angles and Saxons, and most Saxon kings of England claimed descent from Woden. Among them were Hengest and Horsa, the legendary founders of the English nation.Vortigern had unknowingly unleashed a threat to his kingdom with his invitation to the brothers.
The danger signs had been there from the start- Hengest and Horsa had agreed to help Vortigern on condition that they could bring more warriors with them than had first been suggested.
Legend tells us of a great battle at Ayelsford in which Horsa was killed (c.455), and that Vortigern perished in a burning hut.
Is it Legend or History?
Hengist continued his war in Britain for another 18 years. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives evidence of his ferocity. 'The Britons gave up Kent and in great fear fled to London .. the Welsh fled as one flees fire'.But were Hengest and Horsa historical figures ? There is no corroborating evidence to show that Hengest or Horsa ever existed, or even if they were actually the same character.
Hengest is recorded in two other Anglo-Saxon literary sources: Beowulf and The Finnesburh fragment. These go a long way to suggest that he probably did exist, but matters are confused because 'Hengest' and 'Horsa' both mean literally 'horse', with Horsa just being an alternative name for Hengest in another dialect.
The tribal names, Hengest and Horsa, may all be mythical, but in the 5th century a Jutish chief and his retinue did arrive in Kent, did serve a British king, and did revolt, preparing the way for the later settlement of Kent.
The Saxons
This map, more or less connected to Vortigern, Hengist and Horsa, shows three homogeneous and related groups called Saxons, Jutes, and Angles.Although known generically as Saxons, these people were culturally slightly different. The name is drawn from their distinctive weapon, the 'Seax'.
To counter the threat of the Saxons, coastal and estuary defences were erected, and possibly some of the old Roman ones repaired.
Around the year 500 the Britons who, we are told, were under the command of Arthur, defeated the Saxons at Mount Badon, and halted the Germanic invaders.
The White Horse
Popular folklore tells us that when, Horsa and Hengist landed in Britain, they carried a White Horse standard.
In the English countryside there are several "white horses".
One of the most famous is the White Horse of Uffington, cut on the slopes of White Horse Hill, a downland viewpoint in the Vale of the White Horse, Berkshire.
This is probably the oldest example of this type of hill figure in Britain, and can only be seen properly from the air. The Uffington Horse has lasted through the centuries because of the periodic cleaning of it, known as 'scouring', held as a festive occasion by local villagers. It's now maintained by the ancient monuments section of the Department of the Environment.
The horse was a potent symbol for early peoples and even today, more than 1500 years after Hengest and Horsa, the county of Kent has a horse as its symbol.
What was worse for the People of Britain?
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ccrcats
Jan 17, 2012 @ 9:12 am | delete
- What a great story.
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OldStones
Dec 23, 2011 @ 7:43 am | delete
- I thought i was fairly well versed in history/legend, but I do not recall Vortigern. I enjoy learning about him though.
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alexanderj
Mar 6, 2011 @ 2:38 pm | delete
- i was never that hot on history, but this is a great story, I'd have studied more if history was like this at school!
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MamaBelle
Jan 15, 2011 @ 8:24 am | delete
- Great Lens, enjoyed the visit, Thanks.
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ChrisDay
Dec 2, 2010 @ 12:10 pm | delete
- I'd love to have seen the holiday brochures in Scandinavia, for seaside activity holidays in Britain . . . .
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About Susanna Duffy
by susannaduffy
G'day. When I first read The Boy's King Arthur at age 9, I fell in love with the Matter of Britain. (I'm still besotted).
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