HISTORY OF BRITAIN, 407-597, by Fabio P. Barbieri

The Arthurian Collection is a part of Vortigern Studies

VORTIGERN STUDIES

Appendices

• Appendix I: Legendary versions of the Roman conquest of Britain

A study of Welsh legends of Roman conquest, with some important insights into Celtic royal theory.

• Appendix II: The lost legend of Gwyrangcon

A look at a mysterious minor figure in Nennius.

• Appendix III: Aurelius Ursicinus at Hoxne

The Aurelius Ursicinus whose tremendous treasure was found at Hoxne was probably Ambrosius’ purple-wearing father, the overthrown Mild King. A local legend of a martyred king may refer to him, and may have something to tell us about Christian practice under pagan Saxon rule.

• Appendix IV: Procopius and Britain

A demonstration that Procopius’ sources for Britain were of two kinds: either bookish and outdated, or a pack of lies from mendacious Frankish sources.

• Appendix V: Saint Patrick and the Isle of Man

A demonstration that, in about 580, St.Patrick was regarded mainly as the patron saint of one Ulster tribe, the Dal Fiatach.

• Appendix VI: More about the legend of the fortress and the dragons

Further points about the legends of Vortigern and Vortimer, extending the comparison with Irish legendry.

• Appendix VII: Urien and his legends

Demonstration that at least four separate and incompatible legends were told about Urien, the hero of Taliesin’s poetry, and that Nennius’ account of him was only one of them and totally unreliable as history.

• Appendix VIII: Aegidius and Britain?

Regretful dismissal of an attractive but unreliable Renaissance-age notice from Lorraine, about contacts between the Roman commander Aegidius and Britain in the fifth century.

• Appendix IX: Modern parallels for the final defeat of Cadwallon

Thoughts about the end of Cadwallon’s murderous ride through North Britain in 634.

• Appendix X: Mil Du the knight.

Reconstruction, from a piece of Welsh hagiography and a Breton legend, of one of Arthur’s least-known feuds, with one Mil Du Marchog. It involves an interesting observation about Arthurian epic.

• Appendix XI: Vitalinus, Fitela, Sinfjotli?

A suggestion that one of the more obscure characters from the saga of the Volsungs may derive from English memories of Vitalinus/Vortigern.

• Appendix XII: More evidence for direct contact between Franks and Celtic Britons, ca..535

The survival in Welsh Britain of a non-classical table of descent for European peoples, which can only go back to the very first generation of Frankish Christians and can easily be dated to 535 at the latest, shows that British Celtic and Frankish (not Roman) Gaulish ecclesiastics had been in direct contact some time in the second quarter of the sixth century.

History of Britain, 407-597 is copyright ƒD 2002, Fabio P. Barbieri. Used with permission.

Comments to: Fabio P. Barbieri