This is the genealogy of Vortigern, which goes back to Fernvai, who reigned in the kingdom of Guorthegirnaim, and was the son of Teudor; Teudor was the son of Pascent; Pascent of Guoidcant; Guoidcant of Moriud; Moriud of Eltat; Eltat of Eldoc; Eldoc of Paul; Paul of Meuprit; Meuprit of Braciat; Braciat of Pascent; Pascent of Guorthegirn (Vortigern); Guorthegirn of Guortheneu; Guortheneu of Guitaul; Guitaul of Guitolion; Guitolion of Gloui. Bonus, Paul, Mauron, Guotelin, were four brothers, who built Gloiuda, a great city upon the banks of the river Severn, and in British is called Cair Gloui, in Saxon, Gloucester. There is another version, which appears similar, which is the Breton Life of St Gurthiern: Accordingly, Gurthiern was the son of Bonus, who was the son of Glou the son of Abros the son of Dos the son of Jacob the son of Genethauc the son of Jugdual the son of Beli the son of Outham the Elder The son of Maximian the son of Constantus the son of Constantine the son of Helen who was thought to have held the Cross of Christ. The Historia Brittonum of Nennius gives us far more information on Vortigern; in fact, the chief part is concerned with him. This probably early 9th century work appears to be based on a genuine historical tradition, but the greater part of this portion of his work is folk tale and legend. Scots from Ireland and Picts from the north harried those parts of the Ulster province. Much of his material is drawn from an older work, the Life of Germanus or Garmon, whose cult was centered in Powys. Vortigern is mentioned as a ruler called Guorthigirn, who seems to have the whole of what had been Roman Britain under his authority in some sense. A ruler in Kent is subject to him, as are rulers in other regions. His wife is not disclosed here, but he has sons: Vortimer, Catigern and Pascent, to which is added Faustus who is claimed as offspring from an incestous relation between Vortigern and his daughter. During a peace-conference with the Saxons, they treacherously produce hidden weapons and kill most of the British nobles. More strange is the story about his dealings with St. Germanus which interspace the historical material, and which is hardly more than a folk-tale.
According to Geoffrey of Monmouth - The Historia Regum Britanniae, which was first written down in 1136, is the last source for the stories around Vortigern. Geoffrey tells us of the archbishop Guithelinus, who takes the responsibility for the defence of Britain by popular demand after the final departure of the Roman armies. Guithelinus or Vitalinus goes to Brittany to get troops and a king to lead Britain: Constantinus, brother of Aldroenus, the king of Brittany. After some time he is killed, and his son Constans is made king by Vortigern, Duke of Gwent, who now enters the scene... Vortigern has Constans killed and 'reluctantly' accepts the crown, after which Geoffrey follows much of the earlier story. He gets Hengist from Germany to fight the Picts and marries his daughter Renwein for his own purposes and to reward Hengist. Kent is given to Hengist, thereby angering the Britons and Vortigern's own sons. Thy revolt and put Vortimer on the throne, who starts fighting the Saxons. Renwein then poisons him, after which Vortigern returns as king. Then followes the Saxon betrayal at Stonehenge, which Geoffrey calls "the Cloister of Ambrius", clearly after Amesbury. Then Geoffrey relates the Dinas Emrys legend, but calls the boy Merlin. Interspaced are the 'Prophecies of Merlin' as a separate chapter. Vortigern flees to Ercing, where he is killed by Ambrosius, who is called 'Aurelius Ambrosius' here. Vortigern is burned with his fortress.
Historia Brittonum: Again Vortigern ignominiously flew from St. Germanus to the kingdom of the Dimetæ, where, on the river Towy, he built a castle, which he named Cair Guothergirn. The saint, as usual, followed him there, and with his clergy fasted and prayed to the Lord three days, and as many nights. On the third night, at the third hour, fire fell suddenly from heaven, and totally burned the castle. Vortigern, the daughter of Hengist, his other wives, and all the inhabitants, both men and women, miserably perished: such was the end of this unhappy king, as we find written in the life of St. Germanus.
Historia Brittonum: He had three sons: the eldest was Vortimer, who, as we have seen, fought four times against the Saxons, and put them to flight; the second Categirn, who was slain in the same battle with Horsa; the third was Pascent, who reigned in the two provinces Builth and Guorthegirnaim, after the death of his father. These were granted him by Ambrosius, who was the great king among the kings of Britain. The fourth was Faustus, born of an incestuous marriage with his daughter, who was brought up and educated by St. Germanus. He built a large monastery on the banks of the river Renis, called after his name, and which remains to the present period.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records Horsa's death at the battle of Aylesford in 455: This yeare Hengist and Horsa fought Vortigern the king, in the place called Aegelesthrep, his brother Horsa was killed, and after that Hengist and Aesc received the kingdom. Rhuddfael (Ruduedel, Rhuddfedel, Rudduedel) is made the successor of Catigern in most of the later pedigrees (above). The fact that he is not present in any of the earlier ones makes it very likely that his presence there is due to either an interpolation or another kind of error. His name is strangely familiar, as it resembles the British name for the battle in which his father Catigern died. This battle, called Episford in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, is called Rithergabail in the Historia Brittonum: Four times did Vortimer valorously encounter the enemy; the first has been mentioned, the second was upon the river Darent, the third at the Ford, in their language called Epsford, though in ours Set thirgabail, there Horsa fell, and Catigern, the son of Vortigern; the fourth battle he fought, was near the stone on the shore of the Gallic sea, where the Saxons being defeated, fled to their ships.
In the Life of St. Garmon (not to be confused with the fifth-century saint), Vortimer was blessed by the saint for his opposition to Vortigern and his restauration of the churches, but this is not mentioned in the official Life of St. Germanus by Constantius, Germanus’ contemporary biographer. Neither is Vortimer connected in any way to Germanus in the Historia Brittonum. However, a much later (c. 1200) gloss in MS CCCC 139, fo 175r, mentions another story about Gwrthefyr son of Gwrtheyrn. This Vortimer, the son of Vortigern, in a synod held at Guartherniaun (after the wicked king, on account of the incest committed with his daughter, fled from the face of Germanus and the British clergy), would not consent to his father's wickedness; but returning to St. Germanus, and falling down at his feet, he sued for pardon; and in atonement for the calumny brought upon Germanus by his father and sister, gave him the land, in which the forementioned bishop had endured such abuse, to be his for ever. Whence, in memory of St. Germanus, it received the name Guarenniaun (Guartherniaun, Gurthrenion, Gwarth Ennian) which signifies, a calumny justly retorted, since, when he thought to reproach the bishop, he covered himself with reproach. It is said that he was so big and strong, that he, when fought a war in anger, lifted up a tree, which he had felled and uprooted with its branches, and destroyed his enemies with it. Because with this tree he felled Horsa, a bellicose fellow, after he was almost robbed of his strenght, had broken his weapons, and threw the others who had fled to the ground and chased them from the corners of Britain. And for five years they dared not enter the island until the death of Vortimer.
Historia Brittonum
At length Vortimer, the son of Vortigern, valiantly fought against Hengist, Horsa, and his people; drove them to the isle of Thanet, and thrice enclosed them within it, and beset them on the western side...The Saxons now despatched deputies to Germany to solicit large reinforcements, and an additional number of ships: having obtained these, they fought against the kings and princes of Britain, and sometimes extended their boundaries by victory, and sometimes were conquered and driven back... Four times did Vortimer valorously encounter the enemy; the first has been mentioned, the second was upon the river Darent, the third at the Ford, in their language called Epsford, though in ours Set thirgabail, there Horsa fell, and Catigern, the son of Vortigern; the fourth battle he fought, was near the stone on the shore of the Gallic sea, where the Saxons being defeated, fled to their ships... He had three sons: the eldest was Vortimer, who, as we have seen, fought four times against the Saxons, and put them to flight; the second Categirn, who was slain in the same battle with Horsa; the third was Pascent, who reigned in the two provinces Builth and Guorthegirnaim, after the death of his father. These were granted him by Ambrosius, who was the great king among the kings of Britain. The fourth was Faustus, born of an incestuous marriage with his daughter, who was brought up and educated by St. Germanus. He built a large monastery on the banks of the river Renis, called after his name, and which remains to the present period.
The Chronicle of the Kings of England, book 1, chapter 1:
Vortimer, the son of Vortigern thinking it unnecessary longer to dissemble that he saw himself and his Briton circumvented by the craft of the Angles, turned his thoughts to their expulsion, and stimulated his father to the same attempt. At his suggestion, the truce was broken seven years after their arrival; and during the ensuing twenty, they frequently fought partial battles, and, as the [Anglo-Saxon] chronicle relates, four general actions. From the first conflict they parted on equal terms: one party lamenting the loss of Horsa, the brother of Hengist; the other, that of Katigis, another of Vortigern's sons. The Angles, having the advantage in all the succeeding encounters, peace was concluded; Vortimer, who had been the instigator of the war, and differed far from the indolence of his father, perished prematurely, or he would have governed the kingdom in a noble manner, had God permitted. When he died, the British strength decayed, and all hope fled from them;
Historia Regum Britanniae, Book VI, chapter 12.
Vortigern marries Rowen, the daughter of Hengist....The king the same night married the pagan lady, and became extremely delighted with her; by which he quickly brought upon himself the hatred of the nobility, and of his own sons. For he had already three sons, whose names were Vortimer, Catigern, and Pascentius.
Historia Regum Britanniae, Book VI, chapter 13.
These things they [the Britons] represented to the king, and endeavoured to dissuade him from entertaining them [the Saxons] , lest they might, by some treacherous conspiracy, prove an overmatch for the native inhabitants. But Vortigern , who loved them above all other nations on account of his wife, was deaf to their advice. For this reason the Britons quickly desert him, and unanimously set up Vortimer his son for their king; who at their instigation began to drive out the barbarians, and to make dreadful incursions upon them. Four battles he fought with them, and was victorious in all: the first upon the river Dereuent; the second upon the ford of Epsford, where Horsa and Catigern, another son of Vortigern , met and, after a sharp encounter, killed each other; the third upon the sea-shore, where the enemies fled shamefully to their ships, and betook themselves for refuge to the Isle of Thanet. But Vortimer besieged them there, and daily distressed them with his fleet. And when they were no longer able to bear the assaults of the Britons, they sent king Vortigern , who was present with them in all those wars, to his son Vortimer, to desire leave to depart, and return back safe to Germany. And while a conference upon this subject was being held, they in the meantime went on board their long galleys, and, leaving their wives and children behind them, returned back to Germany.
Historia Regum Britanniae, Book VI, chapter 14
Vortimer, after this great success, began to restore his subjects to their possessions which had been taken from them, and to show them all marks of his affection and esteem, and at the instance of St. Germanus to rebuild their churches. But his goodness quickly stirred up the enmity of the devil against him, who entering into the heart of his stepmother Rowen, excited her to contrive his death. For this purpose she consulted with the poisoners, and procured one who was intimate with him, whom she corrupted with large and numerous presents, to give him a poisonous draught; so that this brave soldier, as soon as he had taken it, was seized with a sudden illness, that deprived him of all hopes of life. Hereupon he forthwith ordered all his men to come to him, and having shown them how near he was to his end, distributed among them all the treasure his predecessors had heaped up, and endeavoured to comfort them in their sorrow and lamentation for him, telling them, he was only going the way of all flesh. But he exhorted those brave and warlike young men, who had attended him in all his victories, to persist courageously in the defence of their country against all hostile invasion; and with wonderful greatness of mind, commanded a brazen pyramid to be placed in the port where the Saxons used to land, and his body when dead to be buried on the top of it, that the sight of his tomb might frighten back the barbarians to Germany. For he said none of them would dare approach the country, that should but get a sight of his tomb. Such was the admirable bravery of this great man, who, as he had been a terror to them while living, endeavoured to be no less so when dead. Notwithstanding which, he was no sooner dead, than the Britons had no regard to his orders, but buried him at London.