Welsh Journals

PLACES AND PERSONS OF THE EARLY WELSH CHURCH* IT might be deemed an impertinence in one who is not a professional historian for him to discuss a particularly difficult and obscure phase of our history. But although much excellent work has been done on the Welsh Church for the period from the fifth to the seventh century, there are some points which seem to be particularly valid and relevant, and there are others which have either not been made at all or, if made, have not been followed up with the close attention which they deserve. This article will be mainly concerned with topography and nomenclature and with ecclesiastical and secular settlements, linked with the growth and development of Welsh social and political institutions. Britain under Roman rule had witnessed the coming of Christianity, and possibly the martyrdom of Aaron and Julius in 304, commemorated significantly enough at Caerleon in that south-eastern part of Wales which had been so thoroughly roman- ized. In 314 there were three bishops of British churches at the Council of Aries, and in 359 there were many British bishops at the Council of Rimini. This seems to show that when Roman power was withdrawn about 410, the British Christian Church was securely established, at least in those areas where Roman influence had been greatest. Britain, however, was now faced with the problem of the continuance of an organized government. It was an acute problem, from the point of view both of internal dissension and of external pressure from the Picts and Scots. It would seem that events threw up a strong leader in the person of Vortigern, who continued the policy of hiring Saxon mercenaries, a policy which was successful until the disasters of the mid-fifth century and the subsequent migrations to Brittany.1 It was a policy, too, which influenced the later estimation of Vortigern's character, if he really is the superbus tyrannus mentioned by Gildas. Meanwhile, the Christian Church was being firmly established in south-east Wales. Cadog, founder of Llancarfan, was the son of Gwynllyw, son of Glywys, that is, the son of the king who gave his name to Gwynllwg (now part of modern Monmouthshire) and the grandson of Glywys, ruler of a This article is based on the O'Donnell Lecture for 1970. delivered by the author at the University of Oxford on 14 May 1970. 1 For a recent assessment of Vortigern. see D. Kirby, 'Vortigern', Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, XXIII (1968). 37-59.