History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum)Nennius, active 796
History
History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum)
Nennius, active 796
Britons; Great Britain -- History -- Roman period, 55 B.C.-449 A.D.
13. Long after this, the Scots arrived in Ireland from Spain. The first
that came was Partholomus,(1) with a thousand men and women; these
increased to four thousand; but a mortality coming suddenly upon them,
they all perished in one week. The second was Nimech, the son of...,(2)
who, according to report, after having been at sea a year and a half,
and having his ships shattered, arrived at a port in Ireland, and
continuing there several years, returned at length with his followers
to Spain. After these came three sons of a Spanish soldier with thirty
ships, each of which contained thirty wives; and having remained there
during the space of a year, there appeared to them, in the middle of the
sea, a tower of glass, the summit of which seemed covered with men, to
whom they often spoke, but received no answer. At length they determined
to besiege the tower; and after a year's preparation, advanced towards
it, with the whole number of their ships, and all the women, one ship
only excepted, which had been wrecked, and in which were thirty men,
and as many women; but when all had disembarked on the shore which
surrounded the tower, the sea opened and swallowed them up. Ireland,
however, was peopled, to the present period, from the family remaining
in the vessel which was wrecked. Afterwards, other came from Spain, and
possessed themselves of various parts of Britain.
(1) V.R. Partholomaeus, or Bartholomaeus.
(2) A blank is here in the MS. Agnomen is found in some of
the others.
14. Last of all came one Hoctor,(1) who continued there, and whose
descendants remain there to this day. Istoreth, the son of Istorinus,
with his followers, held Dalrieta; Buile had the island Eubonia, and
other adjacent places. The sons of Liethali(2) obtained the country of
the dimetae, where is a city called Menavia,(3) and the province Guiher
and Cetgueli, (4) which they held till they were expelled from every
part of Britain, by Cunedda and his sons.
(1) V.R. Damhoctor, Clamhoctor, and Elamhoctor.
(2) V.R. Liethan, Bethan, Vethan.
(3) St. David's.
(4) Guiher, probably the Welsh district Gower. Cetgueli is
Caer Kidwelly, in Carmarthenshire.
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