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Vortigern's Hollow
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084 Applegarth
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Vortigern's Hollow, where the first High King supposedly died and was buried. The history behind the third High King of Britain is very tangled even though his genealogy is quite well known. His marriage to the daughter of the much beloved Magnus Maximus insured him a place as an advisor to the young heir to Britain, Constans but he soon had the young king killed and took his place. Ambrosius Aurelianus and Uther Pendragon, the younger brothers of Constans were ignored and escaped to their cousin Budic I, in Brittany. Vortigern struggled against the invasion of the Saxons and set up strongholds around Britain, one of which was at the southern slopes of Yr Aran, above Beddgelert (Gwynedd). Every morning the previous day's work was found demolished. Vortigern's magicians told him to seek a boy with no father, born of the fairies. He would be able to solve the High-King's problem. Vortigern's men searched far and wide and discovered such a boy at what was soon to become Caer-Fyrddin (Carmarthen). His name was Myrddin Emrys, or "Merlin" for short. Merlin remained with the High King after the first meeting at the later abandoned castle site but disillusioned, the British finally rebelled against their High-King. Ambrosius Aurelianus (Emrys Wledig), of whom Vortigern had previously had no fear, had by now grown into a burly young man and took his place in the events of the time to lead their struggle. Merlin handed over to him the mountain site where Vortigern had failed to build, and it became his fort of Dinas Emrys. Vortigern took refuge in the refortified hillfort of Tre'r Ceiri in Yr Eifl (the Rivals) in Lleyn, but Ambrosius pursued him and drove him south, via Nant Gwetheyrn and the sea to Ergyng and a wooden castle on the old hillfort of Caer-Guorthigirn (Little Doward) above Ganarew. Here, the castle was miraculously struck by lightning and Vortigern burnt to death! He was later buried in a small chapel in Nant Gwrtheyrn (Lleyn). |
