The Description of Wales

BOOK I

CHAPTER PAGE I. Length and Breadth of Wales, the Nature of its 155 Soil, and the Three Remaining Tribes of Britons II. Of the Ancient Division of Wales into Three 156 Parts III. Genealogy of the Princes of Wales 157 IV. Cantreds—Royal Palaces—Cathedrals 158 V. Mountains and Rivers of Wales 159 VI. Concerning the Pleasantness and Fertility of 163 Wales VII. Origin of the Names Cambria and Wales 164 VIII. Concerning the Nature, Manners, and Dress, the 166 Boldness, Agility, and Courage, of this Nation IX. Their Sober Supper and Frugality 168 X. Their Hospitality and Liberality 170 XI. Concerning their cutting of their Hair, their 171 Care of their Teeth, and Shaving of their Beard XII. Their Quickness and Sharpness of Understanding 174 XIII. Their Symphonies and Songs 175 XIV. Their Wit and Pleasantry 177 XV. Their Boldness and Confidence in Speaking 183 XVI. Concerning the Soothsayers of this Nation, and 179 Persons as it were possessed XVII. Their Love of High Birth and Ancient Genealogy 183 XVIII. Their Ancient Faith, Love of Christianity and 185 Devotion

BOOK II. I. Concerning the Inconstancy and Instability of 189

I. Concerning the Inconstancy and Instability of 189 this Nation, and their Want of Reverence for Good Faith and Oaths II. Their living by Plunder, and Disregard of the 190 Bonds of Peace and Friendship III. Their Deficiency in Battle, and Base and 192 Dishonourable Flight IV. Their Ambitious Seizure of Lands, and 193 Dissensions among Brothers V. Their great Exaction, and Want of Moderation 194 VI. Concerning the Crime of Incest, and the Abuse 195 of Churches by Succession and Participation VII. Their Sins, and the consequent Loss of Britain 196 and of Troy VIII. In what Manner this Nation is to be overcome 198 IX. In what Manner Wales, when conquered, should 202 be governed X. In what Manner this Nation may resist and 204 revolt

BOOK I. Chapter I

CHAPTER I OF THE LENGTH AND BREADTH OF WALES, THE NATURE OF ITS SOIL, AND THE THREE REMAINING TRIBES OF BRITONS

CAMBRIA, which, by a corrupt and common term, though less proper, is in modern times called Wales, is about two hundred miles long and one hundred broad. The length from Port Gordber {155a} in Anglesey to Port Eskewin {155b} in Monmouthshire is eight days’ journey in extent; the breadth from Porth Mawr, {155c} or the great Port of St. David’s, to Ryd-helic, {155d} which in Latin means Vadum salicis, or the Ford of the Willow, and in English is called Willow-forde, is four days’ journey. It is a country very strongly defended by high mountains, deep valleys, extensive woods, rivers, and marshes; insomuch that from the time the Saxons took possession of the island the remnants of the Britons, retiring into these regions, could never be entirely subdued either by the English or by the Normans. Those who inhabited the southern angle of the island, which took its name from the chieftain Corinæus, {156} made less resistance, as their country was more defenceless. The third division of the Britons, who obtained a part of Britany in Gaul, were transported thither, not after the defeat of their nation, but long before, by king Maximus, and, in consequence of the hard and continued warfare which they underwent with him, were rewarded by the royal munificence with those districts in France.

CHAPTER II. Of the Ancient Division of Wales Into Three Parts

OF THE ANCIENT DIVISION OF WALES INTO THREE PARTS

WALES was in ancient times divided into three parts nearly equal, consideration having been paid, in this division, more to the value than to the just quantity or proportion of territory. They were Venedotia, now called North Wales; Demetia, or South Wales, which in British is called Deheubarth, that is, the southern part; and Powys, the middle or eastern district. Roderic the Great, or Rhodri Mawr, who was king over all Wales, was the cause of this division. He had three sons, Mervin, Anarawt, and Cadell, amongst whom he partitioned the whole principality. North Wales fell to the lot of Mervin; Powys to Anarawt; and Cadell received the portion of South Wales, together with the general good wishes of his brothers and the people; for although this district greatly exceeded the others in quantity, it was the least desirable from the number of noble chiefs, or Uchelwyr, {157a} men of a superior rank, who inhabited it, and were often rebellious to their lords, and impatient of control. But Cadell, on the death of his brothers, obtained the entire dominion of Wales, {157b} as did his successors till the time of Tewdwr, whose descendants, Rhys, son of Tewdwr, Gruflydd, son of Rhys, and Rhys, son of Gruffydd, the ruling prince in our time, enjoyed only (like the father) the sovereignty over South Wales.

CHAPTER III. Genealogy of the Princes of Wales

GENEALOGY OF THE PRINCES OF WALES

THE following is the generation of princes of South Wales: Rhys, son of Gruffydd; Gruffydd, son of Rhys; Rhys, son of Tewdwr; Tewdwr, son of Eineon; Eineon, son of Owen; Owen, son of Howel Dda, or Howel the Good; Howel, son of Cadell, son of Roderic the Great. Thus the princes of South Wales derived their origin from Cadell, son of Roderic the Great. The princes of North Wales descended from Mervin in this manner: Llewelyn, son of Iorwerth; Iorwerth, son of Owen; Owen, son of Gruffydd; Gruffydd, son of Conan; Conan, son of Iago; Iago, son of Edoual; Edoual, son of Meyric; Meyric, son of Anarawt (Anandhrec); Anarawt, son of Mervin, son of Roderic the Great. Anarawt leaving no issue, the princes of Powys have their own particular descent.

It is worthy of remark, that the Welsh bards and singers, or reciters, have the genealogies of the aforesaid princes, written in the Welsh language, in their ancient and authentic books; and also retain them in their memory from Roderic the Great to B.M.; {158a} and from thence to Sylvius, Ascanius, and Æneas; and from the latter produce the genealogical series in a lineal descent, even to Adam.

But as an account of such long and remote genealogies may appear to many persons trifling rather than historical, we have purposely omitted them in our compendium.

CHAPTER IV

HOW MANY CANTREDS, ROYAL PALACES, AND CATHEDRALS THERE ARE IN WALES

SOUTH WALES contains twenty-nine cantreds; North Wales, twelve; Powys, six: many of which are at this time in the possession of the English and Franks. For the country now called Shropshire formerly belonged to Powys, and the place where the castle of Shrewsbury stands bore the name of Pengwern, or the head of the Alder Grove. There were three royal seats in South Wales: Dinevor, in South Wales, removed from Caerleon; Aberfraw, {158b} in North Wales; and Pengwern, in Powys.

Wales contains in all fifty-four cantreds. The word Cantref is derived from Cant, a hundred, and Tref, a village; and means in the British and Irish languages such a portion of land as contains a hundred vills.

There are four cathedral churches in Wales: St. David’s, upon the Irish sea, David the archbishop being its patron: it was in ancient times the metropolitan church, and the district only contained twenty-four cantreds, though at this time only twenty-three; for Ergengl, in English called Urchenfeld, {159a} is said to have been formerly within the diocese of St. David’s, and sometimes was placed within that of Landaff. The see of St. David’s had twenty-five successive archbishops; and from the time of the removal of the pall into France, to this day, twenty-two bishops; whose names and series, as well as the cause of the removal of the archiepiscopal pall, may be seen in our Itinerary. {159b}

In South Wales also is situated the bishopric of Landaff, near the Severn sea, and near the noble castle of Caerdyf; bishop Teilo being its patron. It contains five cantreds, and the fourth part of another, namely, Senghennyd.

In North Wales, between Anglesey and the Eryri mountains, is the see of Bangor, under the patronage of Daniel, the abbot; it contains about nine cantreds.

In North Wales also is the poor little cathedral of Llan-Elwy, or St. Asaph, containing about six cantreds, to which Powys is subject.

CHAPTER V

OF THE TWO MOUNTAINS FROM WHICH THE NOBLE RIVERS WHICH DIVIDE WALES SPRING

WALES is divided and distinguished by noble rivers, which derive their source from two ranges of mountains, the Ellennith, in South Wales, which the English call Moruge, as being the heads of moors, or bogs; and Eryri, in North Wales, which they call Snowdon, or mountains of snow; the latter of which are said to be of so great an extent, that if all the herds in Wales were collected together, they would supply them with pasture for a considerable time. Upon them are two lakes, one of which has a floating island; and the other contains fish having only one eye, as we have related in our Itinerary.

We must also here remark, that at two places in Scotland, one on the eastern, and the other on the western ocean, the sea-fish called mulvelli (mullets) have only the right eye.

The noble river Severn takes its rise from the Ellennith mountains, and flowing by the castles of Shrewsbury and Bridgenorth, through the city of Worcester, and that of Gloucester, celebrated for its iron manufactories, falls into the sea a few miles from the latter place, and gives its name to the Severn Sea. This river was for many years the boundary between Cambria and Loegria, or Wales and England; it was called in British Hafren, from the daughter of Locrinus, who was drowned in it by her step-mother; the aspirate being changed, according to the Latin idiom, into S, as is usual in words derived from the Greek, it was termed Sarina, as hal becomes sal; hemi, semi; hepta, septem.

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