Who Was Vortigern?
Who Was Vortigern?
Vortigern is one of the most important figures in the history of Britain. What do we know about him historically, and what later legends grew up around him?
According to the available sources, a man named Vortigern became a powerful ruler over the Britons soon after the Romans left. He is presented in the medieval records as a foolish and wicked king.
Because the Britons were facing attacks from the Picts and the Scots, the British leader Vortigern came up with an idea for how to deal with the problem. He decided to hire Germanic mercenaries—the Anglo-Saxons—to help defend the borders of Britain. In return, the Germanic mercenaries would be given some territory and resources. Of course, this plan eventually backfired.
The Anglo-Saxons became dissatisfied with their end of the deal. Eventually, they turned against the Britons and started conquering more territory, ultimately leading to the creation of England. Vortigern, therefore, had a profoundly important role in the history of Britain.