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'''Vortigern''' was a king of [[Britain]] who has entered into legend as a proud [[tyrant]]. Historically speaking, he seems to have been the first ruler of Britannia after the [[Roman]]s left in 410 AD, though records from this period are very scanty as civilisation was collapsing everywhere, hence the name '[[Dark Ages]]'.

'''Vortigern''' was a king of [[Britain]] who has entered into legend as a proud [[tyrant]]. Historically speaking, he seems to have been the first ruler of Britannia after the [[Roman]]s left in 410 AD, though records from this period are very scanty as civilisation was collapsing everywhere, hence the name '[[Dark Ages]]'.

According to [[Nennius]], Vortigern rose to power around 425 AD, prior to this Britain seems to have been run by a council of magistrates. Vortigern was a follower of [[Pelagianism]], a heresy that denied [[original sin]] and preached [[salvation]] by one's own efforts, rather than those of any outside agency. His opponents were the [[Roman Catholic]]s, and it wasn't long before civil war broke out in Britain between these two factions. In light of this civil war and increased threat of attack from the [[Picts]], [[Irish]] and [[Anglo-Saxons]], Vortigern employed [[Saxon]] mercenaries under [[Hengist]] as his allies, but these turned against him and slaughtered his men. Hengist is said to have then founded the [[Anglo-Saxon]] Kingdom of [[Kent]], in the extreme South East of Britain. This, being the first Germanic Kingdom on the island of [[Great Britain]], is part of the founding mythology of the [[England|English]]. Vortigern himself fled to the mountains of [[Wales]]. The leader of the Roman Catholic faction [[Ambrosius Aurelianus]], became king in Vortigern's place.

According to [[Nennius]], Vortigern rose to power around 425 AD, prior to this Britain seems to have been run by a council of magistrates. Vortigern was a follower of [[Pelagianism]], a heresy that denied [[original sin]] and preached [[salvation]] by one's own efforts, rather than those of any outside agency. His opponents were the [[Roman Catholic]]s, and it wasn't long before civil war broke out in Britain between these two factions. In light of this civil war and increased threat of attack from the [[Picts]], [[Irish]] and [[Anglo-Saxons]], Vortigern employed [[Saxon]] mercenaries under [[Hengist]] as his allies, but these turned against him and slaughtered his men. Hengist is said to have then founded the [[Anglo-Saxon]] Kingdom of [[Kent]], in the extreme South East of Britain. This, being the first Germanic Kingdom on the island of [[Great Britain]], is part of the founding mythology of the [[England|English]]. Vortigern himself fled to the mountains of [[Wales]]. The leader of the Roman Catholic faction [[Ambrosius Aurelianus]], became king in Vortigern's place. According to Arthurian Legend, Vortigern was ultimately slain by [[Uther Pendragon]] and his castle burned to the ground, which had earlier been predicted by [[Merlin]] via a fight between two dragons: A white dragon (representing Uther's forces) and a red dragon (representing Vortigern's forces).

[[Category:English History]]

[[Category:English History]]