Vortigern

Vortigern was the king of Britain. The 6th century monk Gildas called him Gurthrigern.

After the death of Constantine II of Britain, the British nobles were deciding which of the king's younger sons (Aurelius Ambrosius (or Ambrosius Aurelianus) and Uther) would succeed the king. One of the nobles (Vortigern) advised them the best choice was the eldest named Constans. However, Constans was to become a monk. Vortigern persuaded the naive youth to leave the monastery and take up kingship. Constans agreed and became king of Britain. Constans made Vortigern his chief adviser. Constans bestowed upon Vortigern increasingly greater power.

Vortigern advised the young king to hire Pictish mercenaries. Through deception and treachery, Vortigern tricked the Picts into killing the king. Vortigern then seized power. The people, who were looking after Constans' younger brothers, feared for their safety and sent the brothers to Brittany, where the two princes were brought up by King Budicius I.

After ruling for some years, the Saxons under the leadership of Hengist and Horsa arrived on the British shores. Vortigern enlisted them to his services. Vortigern fell in love with Rowena, the beautiful daughter of Hengist, whom the king married. Vortigern gave his father-in-law a great deal of powers. Hengist also managed to persuade the king to allow more Saxons to settle in Britain.

According to the Welsh historian Nennius, Vortigern had three sons by Rowena: Vortimer, Categirn and Pascent. Vortigern also had a daughter, whom the tyrant slept with; his daughter gave birth to his fourth son, Faustus. St Germanus admonished Vortigern for committing incest with his daughter.

The British nobles were so alarmed that Vortigern gave the foreigners many powers and lands that they demanded the king should send them away. Vortigern ignored them. Even his own son Vortimier (his other sons were Paschent and Katiger) opposed him, and raised an army to drive the Saxons from Britain. Vortimier died from poisoning that his stepmother (Rowena) gave him.

Vortigern tried to make peace between the two warring sides. There was a truce between the Britons and Saxons. However, the Saxons had knives hidden in their clothes. In the night of long knives, the Saxons massacred the British nobles who had attended the meeting.

Vortigern was spared, but he lost much of Britain to his father-in-law. Vortigern fled to Wales. Vortigern tried to build a strong castle on top of the hill, but every night the walls would collapse. His advisers told Vortigern to find a boy with no father, and to kill the boy and use his blood mixed with mortar. They said that this blood sacrifice would make the walls strong.

By happenstance, Vortigern came upon a boy with no father. This boy was named Merlin. When Merlin heard the advisers' counsel, he rebuked them for lying. Merlin told the king the real reason for the walls collapsing was that there was a pool of water underneath his foundation and two dragons were fighting one another. All of this was true. When they dug a hole to find the pool, the two dragons escaped: one red, the other white. Merlin became Vortigern's chief adviser, while the other advisers were hanged for lying.

Aurelius and Uther returned from Brittany with a large army. Their intention was to depose Vortigern and drive out the Saxons from Britain. Vortigern withdrew to his castle. However, the new arrivals put the castle to torch; Vortigern died in the fire.

According to Nennius however, Vortigern's castle did burn down, killing the king and his wives as well as his followers, but Nennius made no mention of Aurelius Ambrosius' involvement. Nennius claimed the castle Cair Guothergirn was set ablaze by God himself.

Aurelius Ambrosius became king. Vortigern's son Paschent was involved in a rebellion and war against Aurelius.