Catigern
Encyclopedia
Catigern is a figure of Welsh
tradition, said to be a son of Vortigern
, the tyrannical King of the Britons
, and the brother of Vortimer
. A figure of this name also appears in the Welsh genealogies, though he is given different parentage. Catigern is nearly exclusively known for a tradition in which he fell in battle with the Saxons
.
. Chapters 43–45 say that after the British king Vortigern
had been appeasing the Saxons
, his son Vortimer
rose against the enemy and engaged them in four battles. At the third of these, the Battle of Epsford
(Aylesford
), Categirn fell, as did the Saxon leader Horsa. Chapter 48 also mentions Catigern, naming him as Vortigern's second son, after Vortimer and before Pascent and Faustus, and reiterates that he died in the same battle as Horsa. Neither mention is clear as to which side Catigern served on, but context implies he was fighting alongside his brother against the Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
describes this battle and the death of Horsa in the entry for 455, though it does not mention Catigern.
A Catigern, here Cattegirn, also appears in the Harleian genealogies
. This Cattegirn is included towards the head of three of the pedigrees of rulers of Powys. In each of these, however, he is said to be the son not of Vortigern, but the legendary Powys ancestor figure Cadell Ddyrnllwg
. This Cadell is known from the Historia Brittonum, which says that he had been a servant who was converted by Vortigern's enemy Saint Germanus of Auxerre
, and thereafter became a king whose descendants ruled Powys through the centuries. However, one of the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
refers to a "Cadern" who is the father of Cadell and the son of Vortigern.
's chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae
, in a section adapted from the Historia Brittonum account. Geoffrey adds the detail that Catigern and Horsa personally met in battle at Epsford and slew each other. Geoffrey's account spread widely through the Middle Ages and after, and Catigern has appeared in adaptations of Geoffrey, and occasionally, in other derivative works. His battle with Horsa is the subject of John Lesslie Hall
's poem "The Death of Horsa", and he appears as a minor character in William Henry Ireland
's play Vortigern and Rowena
, which was initially touted as a lost work by William Shakespeare
.
The Neolithic
chamber tomb
of Kit's Coty House
, located near Aylesford
, is identified with Catigern's tomb in local legend.
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...
tradition, said to be a son of Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
, the tyrannical King of the Britons
King of the Britons
The Britons or Brythons were the Celtic-speaking people of what is now England, Wales and southern Scotland, whose ethnic identity is today maintained by the Welsh, Cornish and Bretons...
, and the brother of Vortimer
Vortimer
Vortimer is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for his fierce opposition to his father's Saxon allies...
. A figure of this name also appears in the Welsh genealogies, though he is given different parentage. Catigern is nearly exclusively known for a tradition in which he fell in battle with the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
.
History
The earliest mention of Catigern appears in the Historia Brittonum, written in the 9th century and attributed to the monk NenniusNennius
Nennius was a Welsh monk of the 9th century.He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the Historia Brittonum, based on the prologue affixed to that work, This attribution is widely considered a secondary tradition....
. Chapters 43–45 say that after the British king Vortigern
Vortigern
Vortigern , also spelled Vortiger and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons. His existence is considered likely, though information about him is shrouded in legend. He is said to have invited the Saxons to settle in Kent as mercenaries to aid him in...
had been appeasing the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
, his son Vortimer
Vortimer
Vortimer is a figure in British tradition, a son of the 5th-century Britonnic ruler Vortigern. He is remembered for his fierce opposition to his father's Saxon allies...
rose against the enemy and engaged them in four battles. At the third of these, the Battle of Epsford
Battle of Aylesford
The Battle of Aylesford or Epsford is a battle between Britons and Anglo-Saxons recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Historia Brittonum. Both sources concur that it involved the Saxon leaders Hengist and Horsa on one side and the family of Vortigern on the other, but neither mentions who...
(Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
), Categirn fell, as did the Saxon leader Horsa. Chapter 48 also mentions Catigern, naming him as Vortigern's second son, after Vortimer and before Pascent and Faustus, and reiterates that he died in the same battle as Horsa. Neither mention is clear as to which side Catigern served on, but context implies he was fighting alongside his brother against the Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
describes this battle and the death of Horsa in the entry for 455, though it does not mention Catigern.
A Catigern, here Cattegirn, also appears in the Harleian genealogies
Harleian genealogies
The Harleian genealogies are a collection of Old Welsh genealogies preserved in British Library, Harleian MS 3859. Part of the Harleian Collection, the manuscript, which also contains the Annales Cambriae and a version of the Historia Brittonum, has been dated to c. 1100, although a date of c.1200...
. This Cattegirn is included towards the head of three of the pedigrees of rulers of Powys. In each of these, however, he is said to be the son not of Vortigern, but the legendary Powys ancestor figure Cadell Ddyrnllwg
Cadell Ddyrnllwg
- References :...
. This Cadell is known from the Historia Brittonum, which says that he had been a servant who was converted by Vortigern's enemy Saint Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre
Germanus of Auxerre was a bishop of Auxerre in Gaul. He is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, commemorated on July 31. He visited Britain in around 429 and the records of this visit provide valuable information on the state of post-Roman British society...
, and thereafter became a king whose descendants ruled Powys through the centuries. However, one of the genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
Genealogies from Jesus College MS 20
The genealogies from Jesus College MS 20 are a medieval Welsh collection of genealogies preserved in a single manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Jesus College, MS 20, folios 33r–41r...
refers to a "Cadern" who is the father of Cadell and the son of Vortigern.
Later literature and legend
Catigern appears briefly in Geoffrey of MonmouthGeoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
, in a section adapted from the Historia Brittonum account. Geoffrey adds the detail that Catigern and Horsa personally met in battle at Epsford and slew each other. Geoffrey's account spread widely through the Middle Ages and after, and Catigern has appeared in adaptations of Geoffrey, and occasionally, in other derivative works. His battle with Horsa is the subject of John Lesslie Hall
John Lesslie Hall
John Lesslie Hall , also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf....
's poem "The Death of Horsa", and he appears as a minor character in William Henry Ireland
William Henry Ireland
William Henry Ireland was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well-known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories...
's play Vortigern and Rowena
Vortigern and Rowena
Vortigern and Rowena, or Vortigern, an Historical Play is a play that was touted as a newly discovered work by William Shakespeare when it first appeared in 1796. It was eventually revealed to be a Shakespeare hoax, the product of prominent forger William Henry Ireland. Its first and only...
, which was initially touted as a lost work by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
.
The Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
chamber tomb
Chamber tomb
A chamber tomb is a tomb for burial used in many different cultures. In the case of individual burials, the chamber is thought to signify a higher status for the interree than a simple grave. Built from rock or sometimes wood, the chambers could also serve as places for storage of the dead from one...
of Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House
Kit's Coty House or Kit's Coty is the name of the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow on Blue Bell Hill near Aylesford in the English county of Kent. It is one of the Medway megaliths....
, located near Aylesford
Aylesford
Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.Originally a small riverside settlement, the old village comprises around 60 houses, many of which were formerly shops. One pub, a Post Office and four small independent shops remain...
, is identified with Catigern's tomb in local legend.