The Mammoth Book of King Arthur (13 page)

The Romans gathered all the gold-hoards there were in Britain; some they hid in the earth, so that no man might find them, and some they took with them to Gaul.

The British sent men over the sea to Rome, and asked for help against the Picts, but they never got it, because [the Romans] were on an expedition against King
Attila the Hun. They sent then to the Angles, and the Anglian Aethelings, with the same request.

Mauricius [Martianus] and Valentinian succeeded to the kingdom and ruled seven years. And in their days Hengist and Horsa, invited by Vortigern, king of the Britons,
came to Britain [in three ships] landing at the place which is named
Ypwines fleot
, at first to help the Britons, but later they fought against them. [The king Vortigern gave
them land in the south-east of this land on condition that they fought against the Picts.] They did so and had victory wherever they went. They then sent to Angeln, requesting more aid,
and commanded that they should be told of the Britons’ worthlessness and the choice nature of their land. They soon sent hither a greater host to help the others. Then came the
men of three Germanic tribes: Old Saxons; Angles; and Jutes. [. . .] Their war-leaders were two brothers, Hengist and Horsa, who were Wihtgil’s sons. First of all, they killed and
drove away the king’s enemies; then later they turned on the king and the British, destroying through fire and the sword’s edge.

Hengist and Horsa fought against Vortigern the king in the place which is called
Ægælesþrep
, and his brother Horsa was killed. And after
that Hengist, and Æsc his son, succeeded to the kingdom.

Hengist and Aesc fought against the Britons in the place called
Crecganford
, and there killed 4,000 men [4 troops]; and the Britons then abandoned
Centlond
and in great fear fled to
Lundenbyrg.

Hengist and Aesc fought against the Welsh
[i.e. British]
near
Wippedesfleot
, and there killed 12
Welsh chieftains and one of their
thegns, whose name was Wipped, was killed there.

Hengist and Aesc fought against the Welsh and seized countless war-loot, and the Welsh fled from the English like fire.

Aelle and his three sons came to Britain with three ships at the place which is named
Cymenes ora
, and there killed many Welsh and drove some to flight into
the wood which is named
Andredes leag.

Here Aelle fought against the Welsh near the margin of
Mearcrædes burnam.

Here Aesc succeeded to the kingdom and was king of the inhabitants of
Cantwara
24 years [34 years].

Here Aelle and Cissa besieged
Andredes cester
and killed all who lived there; there was not even one Briton left there.

Here two ealdormen, Cerdic and Cynric his son, came to Britain with five ships at the place called
Cerdices ora
, and on the same day fought against the Welsh
[and were victors in the end].

Here Port and his two sons, Bieda and Mægla came with two ships to Britain at the place which is called
Portesmupa
and immediately seized land] and
killed a certain young British man – very noble.

Here Cerdic and Cynric killed a certain British king, whose name was Natanleod [Nazanleod] and five thousand men with him, after whom the land as far as
Cerdices
ford
was named
Natanleag.

Here the West Saxons came to Britain with three ships at the place called
Cerdices ora
, and Stuf and Wihtgar fought against the Britons and put them to
flight.

Here Cerdic and Cynric succeeded to the kingdom of the West Saxons; and the same year they fought against the Britons at the place they now name
Cerdices
ford.
And the royal family of the West Saxons ruled from that day on.

Here Cerdic and Cynric fought against the Britons at the place which is called
Cerdices leag.

Here Cerdic and Cynric took the Isle of Wight and killed a few [many] men at
Wihtgaræsbyrg.

Here Cerdic passed away and his son Cynric continued to rule 26 years; and they gave all Wight to their two
nefa
[
i.e.
nephews or grandsons]
Stuf and Wihtgar.

Here on 16 February the sun grew dark from early morning until
undern [9.00 a.m.].

Here on 20 June the sun grew dark and the stars appeared for well-nigh half an hour after
undern.

Here Wihtgar passed away and they buried him at
Wihtgaræsbyrg.

Here Ida, from whom originated the royal family of the Northumbrians, succeeded to the kingdom and ruled twelve years. And he built Bamburgh which was first enclosed
by a stockade and thereafter by a wall.

Here Cynric fought against the Britons at the place which is named
Searo byrg
and put the Britons to flight.

Here Cynric and Ceawlin fought against the Britons at
Beran byrg.

Here Ceawlin succeeded to the kingdom in Wessex, and Aelle succeeded to the kingdom of the Northumbrians, Ida having died, and each of them ruled 30 years.

Here Columba the priest came from Ireland to Britain to teach the Picts, and made a monastery on the island of Iona. Here Athelberht succeeded to the kingdom of Kent
and held it 53 years.

Here Ceawlin and Cutha [Ceawlin’s brother] fought against Athelberht and drove him into Kent; and they killed two ealdormen, Oslaf [Oslac] and Cnebba, on
Wibbandun.

Here Cuthwulf [Cutha] fought against the Britons at
Biedcanford
and took four settlements:
Lygeanburg
[Limbury],
Ægelesburg
[Aylesbury],
Benningtun
[Benson?],
Egonesham
[Eynsham]; and in the same year he passed away.

Here Cuthwine and Ceawlin fought against the Britons and they killed three kings, Coinmail, Condidan
and Farinmail, in the place which is called
Dyrham; and took three cities, Gloucester, Cirencester and Bath.

Here Ceawlin and Cutha fought against the Britons at the place which is named
Fetham leag
, and Cutha was killed; and Ceawlin took many towns and countless
war-loot.

Here King Aelle passed away and after him Aethelric ruled for five years.

Here Ceol ruled for five [six] years.

Here there was great slaughter at
Woddes beorge
and Ceawlin was driven out. Gregory succeeded to the papacy in Rome.

Here Ceawlin and Cwichelm and Crida perished; and Aethelfrith succeeded to the kingdom of the Northumbrians.

[596] Here Pope Gregory sent Augustine to Britain with very many monks who preached God’s word to the English nation.

Here Ceolwulf began to rule in Wessex and he continually fought and strove either against the Angle race or against the Welsh or against the Picts or against the
Scots.

Here Pope Gregory sent the pallium to Archbishop Augustine in Britain and very many religious teachers to help him [and among them was] Paulinus who turned Edwin,
king of Northumbria, to baptism.

Here Aedan, king of the Scots, fought with Dæl Reoda and against Aethelfrith, king of the Northumbrians, at
Dægsanstan
and they killed almost all
his raiding army; [there Aethelfrith’s brother, Theobald, was killed with all his troop. After that no king of the Scots dared lead a raiding army into his nation. Herin, son of
Hussa, led the raiding army there.]