Vortiporius

Vortiporius (Welsh: Gwrdebyr) was a king of the Demetae excoriated by Gildas in his De Excidio Britanniae (31). He is described as the worthless son of a good king, as having greying hair, and having a shameless daughter. His wife is described as having had a virtuous (honesta) death.

A memorial stone discovered in 1895, inscribed in Irish Ogham “VOTECORIGAS” and in Latin “MEMORIA VOTEPORIGIS PROTICTORIS,” has generally been assumed to be that of Gildas’s Vortiporius (Lloyd, 1:132-132), although some scholars have cast doubt on this (Sims-Williams, 2003). Charles-Edwards (p. 138) states: "The identification with Gilda's Vortiporius is very doubtful, but it has been suggested that Voteporix was an earlier member of the same dynasty..."

Events

Date of Birth: about 480.

This estimated date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [20]).

Date of Death: about 542 - 550.

This estimated date is given by Bartrum (EVWG [20]).

Relationships

Father: Agricola (Welsh: Aergul Lawhir).

This relationship is shown by Bartrum (EVWG [20]) and given by Lloyd (1:262).

Mother: unknown.

Spouse: unknown.

Children:

Cyngar.

References

Bartrum, Peter C (ed.) Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1968).

The sources Bartrum gives for Gwerthefyr include:

Harleian MS. 3859 -- dated to about the 980s:

2. “[O]uein map Elen merc Ioumarc map Himeyt map Tancoyslt merc Ouein map Margetiut map Teudos map Regin map Catgocaun map Cathen map Cloten map Nougoy map Arthur map Petr map Cincar map Guortepir map Aircol map Triphun (map) Clotri map Gloitguin map Nimet map Dimet map Maxim gulecic (map) Protec (map) Protector (map) Ebiud map Eliud (map) Stater (map) Pincr misser map Constans map Constantini et Helen luicdauc que de Britannia exiunt ad crucem Christi querendam usque ad Ierusalem, et inde attulit secum usque ad Constantinopolin, et est ibi usque in hodiernum diem”;

Bodleian MS. Rawlinson B. 502 -- a 12th century MS narrating the expulsion of the Déisi, some of whom migrated to south-west Wales: “Luid Eochaid mac Arttchuip dar muir cona chlaind hi crich Demed, conid ann atbathatar a maic 7 a hui. Conid dib cenel Crimthaind allae, diata Tualodor mac Rígin maic Catacuind maic Caittienn maic Clotenn maic Maee maic Artuir maic Retheoir maic Cangair maic Gartbuir maic Alchoil maic Trestin maic Aeda Brosc maic Corath maic Echach Almuir maic Artthchuirp;

Bodleian MS. Laud 610 -- a 15 century version of the above: “...Tualodar mac Rigind maic Catien maic Clothienn maic Noé maic Artuir maic Petuir maic Congair maic Goirtiben maic Alcon maic Tresund maic Aeda maic Brosc maic Corach maic Echdach Allmair maic Airtchuirp;”

Jesus College MS. 20 -- dated to the last part of the 14th century:

12. “...Ciengar merch Maredud m. Teudos, o gantref Teudos. Teudos [m. Rein] m. Gwgawn m. Cathen m. Eleothen m. Nennue m. Arthur m. Peder. Arthur m. Peder m. Kyngar m. Gwrdeber m. Erbin m. Aircol lawhir;”

30.

Achau Brenhinoedd a Thywysogion Cymru -- probably compiled in the early 1400s:

18a. “Iwein ap Elen ferch Llywarch ap Hyfeidd ap Tangwystyl ferch Ewein ap Maredudd ap Tewdos [ap Rhain] ap Kadwgon ap Kathen ap Gwlyddian ap Nowy ap Arthur ap Pedyr ap Kyngar ap Gwerthefyr ap Erbin ap Aergul (ap) Llawir ap Tryffin ap Ewein ap Gwledyr ferch Gletwin ap Nyfedd ap Dyved ap Ebynt ap Elynt ap Amloyd ap Amweryd ap Kustennin ap Maxen wledig;”

Gildas. De Excidio Britanniae s31;

Geoffrey of Monmouth. Historia Regum Britanniae.

Bartrum, Peter C.,“[20]” in An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500. [The source Bartrum cites for Gwerthefyr is his own Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts.]

Charles-Edwards, T.M. Wales and the Britons 350-1064. (Oxford U.P., 2013).

Gildae De Excidio Britanniae. (Hugh Williams ed.) (London:1899).

Guy, Ben. Medieval Welsh Genealogy. (The Boydell Press, 2020).

From Guy’s attempted recreation of the St David’s recension of the Gwynedd collection of genealogies as it might have existed in the tenth century, based on the Harleian genealogies:

2. [O]uein map [H]elen merc [L]oumarc map Himeyt map Tancoys[tl] merc Ouein map Margetiut map Teudos map Regin map Catgocaun map Cathen map Cloten map Nougoy map Arthur map Petr map Cincar map Gourtepir map Aircol map Triphun map Clotri map Gloitguin map Nimet map Dimet map Maxim Gule[t]ic map Protec map Protector map Ebiud map Eliud map Stater map Pincr Misser map Constans map Constantini magni map Constantii et Helen Lui[t]dauc, que de Brittania exuit ad crucem Christi querendam usque ad Ierusalem, et inde attulit secum usque ad Constantinopolin, et est ibi usque in hodiernum diem.

Lloyd, John Edward, A History of Wales. 2 volumes (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1911-1912).

Sims-Williams, Patrick. The Celtic Inscriptions of Britain. (Oxford: Blackwell, 2003).