Battle of Llongborth
Encyclopedia
Geraint son of Erbin is a medieval Welsh
poem celebrating the hero Geraint
and his deeds at the Battle of Llongborth. The poem consists of three-line englyn
stanzas and exists in several versions all in Middle Welsh. The earliest surviving version is in the Black Book of Carmarthen
, completed around 1250, though the poem may have been composed in the 10th or 11th century. The poem is significant for its early mention of King Arthur
.
, was a popular figure in Welsh tradition and is known through a variety of subsequent sources. Later genealogies associate him with southwestern Britain
and South Wales
in the late 6th century. The early poem Y Gododdin
mentions a "Geraint before the South", conceivably a reference to Geraint mab Erbin. However, Geraint achieved his greatest fame as the hero of the prose romance Geraint and Enid, a fictional tale that follows the narrative of Chrétien de Troyes
' French work Erec and Enide
.
Geraint son of Erbin makes heavy use of repetition in celebrating Geraint's deeds at Llongborth, which may be identified with Langport
, Somerset
, though llongborth may refer to a "ship harbour", akin to the Viking
longphort
in Ireland
. Each englyn
echoes the form of the others, with greater or lesser variation. One stanza contains a mention of King Arthur
and refers to him as amerauder, or emperor
. This is the first known reference to Arthur as emperor, a title used frequently in later works but absent in the early material. The association with Arthur also shows that from this early date Geraint was being drawn into the Arthurian orbit, a process repeated for various other heroes of Welsh tradition.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poem celebrating the hero Geraint
Geraint
Geraint is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a king of Dumnonia and a valiant warrior. He may have lived during or shortly prior to the reign of the historical Arthur, but some scholars doubt he ever existed...
and his deeds at the Battle of Llongborth. The poem consists of three-line englyn
Englyn
Englyn is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent known as cynghanedd.- The Eight Types :There are eight types of...
stanzas and exists in several versions all in Middle Welsh. The earliest surviving version is in the Black Book of Carmarthen
Black Book of Carmarthen
The Black Book of Carmarthen is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written entirely or substantially in Welsh. Written in around 1250, the book's name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Evangelist and Teulyddog at Carmarthen, and is referred to as black due to...
, completed around 1250, though the poem may have been composed in the 10th or 11th century. The poem is significant for its early mention of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
.
Poem and context
The poem's subject, Geraint mab ErbinGeraint
Geraint is a character from Welsh folklore and Arthurian legend, a king of Dumnonia and a valiant warrior. He may have lived during or shortly prior to the reign of the historical Arthur, but some scholars doubt he ever existed...
, was a popular figure in Welsh tradition and is known through a variety of subsequent sources. Later genealogies associate him with southwestern Britain
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
in the late 6th century. The early poem Y Gododdin
Y Gododdin
Y Gododdin is a medieval Welsh poem consisting of a series of elegies to the men of the Britonnic kingdom of Gododdin and its allies who, according to the conventional interpretation, died fighting the Angles of Deira and Bernicia at a place named Catraeth...
mentions a "Geraint before the South", conceivably a reference to Geraint mab Erbin. However, Geraint achieved his greatest fame as the hero of the prose romance Geraint and Enid, a fictional tale that follows the narrative of Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Perhaps he named himself Christian of Troyes in contrast to the illustrious Rashi, also of Troyes...
' French work Erec and Enide
Erec and Enide
Erec and Enide is the first of Chrétien de Troyes' five romance poems, completed around 1170. It is one of three completed works by the author...
.
Geraint son of Erbin makes heavy use of repetition in celebrating Geraint's deeds at Llongborth, which may be identified with Langport
Langport
Langport is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated west of Somerton in the South Somerset district. The town has a population of 1,067. The parish includes the hamlets of Bowdens and Combe...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, though llongborth may refer to a "ship harbour", akin to the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
longphort
Longphort
A longphort is a term used in Ireland for a Viking ship enclosure or shore fortress. Longphorts were originally built to serve as camps for the raiding parties in...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Each englyn
Englyn
Englyn is a traditional Welsh and Cornish short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent known as cynghanedd.- The Eight Types :There are eight types of...
echoes the form of the others, with greater or lesser variation. One stanza contains a mention of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and refers to him as amerauder, or emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
. This is the first known reference to Arthur as emperor, a title used frequently in later works but absent in the early material. The association with Arthur also shows that from this early date Geraint was being drawn into the Arthurian orbit, a process repeated for various other heroes of Welsh tradition.