Kettle the Christian

English translation The next day, that man, who received the Spirit, believed and was baptised, with all his sons and all the region with them. The name of the man was Ketel: and he [not clear who is being referred to] blessed him and added and said: "There will not be lacking a leader from your seed at any time." [lit: for ever]; Ketel himself, the Durnlac leader said "and you will be a king from this day". And thus it happened and so it was fulfilled which was said by the prophet (Ps 113 vv. 6-7). Raising the needy person from the dust and the poor man from the dung, so that he might sit with the leaders and hold the throne of glory. According to the word of St Germanus the king was created from the slave and all his sons were made kings and from their seed the whole region of the Pouisi was ruled up to the present day.

A full translation of Historia Britonum. Paragraphs 32 to 35 are the relevant ones.

Latin original In crastino [die X. add.] vir ille qui [ | hospitalis fuit illis X.]sanctum hospitaverat,| credidit, et baptizatus est cum omnibus filiis suis, et omnis regio cum eis. [ | cui nomen X.]Nomen viri| erat [Catell X.]Ketel: et benedixit ei, addiditque et dixit : 'Non deficiet [rex X. BB. deest N.]dux de semine tuo [ |qui vivat in longitudine dierum N.T. desunt X.]in æternum;'| ipse [est Catell X. Ketel Durtiluc T. Drunluc BB.]Ketel {Deyrnllwg, 'Vallis regalis.' Vale Royal} Durnluc [deestX.]dux, 'et tu [solus X. add. ait Germanus N.T. add. ]eris rex ab hodierna die.' Et sic evenit; et impletum [psalmigraphi propheta dicentis; BB.]est quod [dictum est X. add.]per prophetam [dicentem X.]dicitur; '{Ps. cxiii. 6,7}Suscitans de pulvere egenum, et de stercore erigens pauperem, ut sedeat cum principibus, et solium gloriæ teneat.' Juxta [verba X.]verbum S. Germani {St Germanus of Auxerre AD 445}, rex de servo factus est, et omnes filii ejus facti sunt reges; et a semine [illorum X.]eorum omnis regio [Povissorum X. Pavoisi T. Povoisorum C.N.]Pouisorum regitur usque in hodiernum diem.

Source: Printed transcript of 'Eulogium Britaniae sive Historia Britonum auctore Nennio'

The Welsh historian Nennius was born c800 and wrote Historia Britonum c850, which was the source for the Arthurian legends of Geoffrey of Monmouth. This paragraph probably refers to events which took place sometime between 595 when Augustine arrived and 700 when Britain was converted, although possibly the it is a contemporary reference to Ketel, a Viking invader.

The transcription shows two different quote marks and I have replaced one of them by |. Items in [ ] brackets are footnotes, which I guess show the variations of different source documents. Items in {} brackets are other notes.
There are placenames derived from Pouilly in central France, near Tours. Perhaps there is a connection?

The documented early Welsh / Viking interactions are:
795 C.E. Some scholars believe that Viking incursions into Wales began in this year, suggesting that the Vikings who raided the Church on Recru or Lombay Island had sailed there from a previous attack upon Wales.
835 C.E. The inhabitants of Cornwall (the West Welsh) were in contact with the Viking raiders whom they contracted with to fight against the Anglo-Saxon King Ecgberht. Ecgberht had subjugated the Cornish in 823.
850 C.E. Welsh Annals record that one Cyngen died on the swords of "the Heathen," meaning Viking raiders.
850 to 870 C.E. The southern Welsh districts of Gwent, Glamorgan and Dyfedd suffer Norse attacks.
854 C.E. Vikings referred to as Y Llu Du attacked Môn.

Source: Norse Raids and Settlements in Wales

Last update
9 May 1999 Kettle Genealogy
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