Vortiporius facts for kids
Vortiporius was a king who ruled the ancient kingdom of Dyfed in what is now Wales. He lived in the early to mid-500s. His kingdom was mostly in the area we now call Pembrokeshire.
We don't have much information about Vortiporius or his time. Most of what we know comes from a writer named Gildas. Gildas wrote a book around 540 AD called De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (which means "On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain"). In this book, Gildas criticized five kings, including Vortiporius. He mentioned that Vortiporius was old, his wife had passed away, and he had at least one daughter.
Vortiporius also appears in some old family trees, like one from the 700s called The Expulsion of the Déisi. His name is written a bit differently in these old records, like Gartbuir or Guortepir.
Contents
Gildas's View of Vortiporius
Around 540 AD, a writer named Gildas wrote a book criticizing five British kings. He compared them to wild animals mentioned in a religious book called the Book of Revelation. Gildas called Vortiporius "the spotted leopard" and the "tyrant of the Demetians." Demetia was the old name for the kingdom of Dyfed.
Gildas focused on kings from certain areas, including Gwynedd and Dyfed. We don't know exactly why Gildas was so upset with these specific kings. He didn't write about many other kingdoms that were doing well at the time. Gildas said that Vortiporius was a bad son, even though his father was good.
The Mysterious Monument Stone
In 1895, a special stone was found near a church in Castell Dwyran, Wales. This stone is very old, from around the 400s or 500s. It has writing in two languages: Latin and an ancient Irish script called ogham.
The Latin writing on the stone says Memoria Voteporigis Protictoris, which means "Monument of Voteporix Protector." The ogham writing has a similar name in Irish: Votecorigas. When the stone was found, many people thought it was a monument for King Vortiporius.
However, modern language experts have studied the names carefully. They noticed a small difference in the spelling of the name on the stone compared to Vortiporius's name. Because of this difference, most experts now believe the stone is for a different person, even though their names sound very similar.
Vortiporius in Legends
A writer named Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote a famous book in the 1100s called Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain). This book tells legendary stories about British kings. In Geoffrey's book, Vortiporius is mentioned as a king who followed Aurelius Conanus.
Geoffrey wrote that Vortiporius became king and then fought against the Saxons, defeating them. He then ruled peacefully for four years. After him, another king named Malgo took over. It's important to remember that Geoffrey's book is a work of fiction and legend, not a true historical record.
Family Life
Vortiporius was the son of a man named Aergol Lawhir. This means his grandfather was Triffyn Farfog. Vortiporius also had a son named Cyngar.
See also
- Vortimer, another historical figure sometimes confused with Vortiporius.
