Chapter II.

Dumnonia and Glaston.

UMNONIA, therefore,as a geographical term, seems to lie in the background of our national, and especially West-Country, annals, as a somewhat dim and uncertain region, regarded as a half fabulous realm, not to be defined by modern counties or by modern Bishoprics, although the name has survived in Devon. It has long since dropped out of use and finds little mention in our text-books. William of Malmesbury could say “ In Dumnonia quae Devenscire dicitur 55 and render himself intelligible to men of his own age (1143) ; and, further back still in our history, Asser, the biographer of King Alfred, could quote “ Dumnonia" , as already noted, probably meaning Devon and part of Somerset reaching up to the Parret mouth and, perhaps, further east still, towards  Bristol (a .d . 875-900).

That there was a Church if not a distinct Diocese in Dumnonia, we may infer from a letterwritten by Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne in a d 704 who gave a kind of pastoral charge to Gerontius, King of Dumnoiiia, and to all priests (sacerdotes) living in Dumnonia. The view of Aldhelm, who was partially Romanized, was that Dumnonia was rather uncivilized (dira), a view we need not endorse, as he probably meant that the Celtic Church was not sufficiently imbued with Roman and papal influences.

The old Roman geographers used the name of Dumnonia mid had a definition for it, Claudius Ptolemaeus ad  150 placing the Dumnonii next to the Durotriges or Dorsaetas,

 i.e. men of Dorset, on the east, and extending this region to" Volida" ie Fowey or Falmouth in Cornwall.

He gave them Isca Dumnoniorum (Exeter) and Caerleon.

 On the Coast

28 Dumnonia

of Somerset Dumnonia included Uxella on the Axe and Uphill1 above Brean.

 This certainly would include 4'Anchor Head ” on the present site of Weston-super-Mare with the old fort of  Worlesborough above it.

It is worth noticing that a later

Roman geographer, Caius Julius Solinus, a .d . 238 extended

the Dumnonii much further up the Severn and placed them

opposite to the Silures.

Dr. Guest in his “ Origines Celticae,” 2 conjectures that the bounds of Dumnonia stretched from Malmesbury to the

Land’s End and that the kings of Dumnonia had added to this realm by conquest and that, in the days of Gereint,

Dumnonia must have been in power and dignity the first of

the British Kingdoms.

 He writes : " It is not my object to

trace the several stages of decay through which the power of Dumnonia passed as it melted away before the ascendancy of England.

The more intimate relations of this British

Kingdom were no doubt with the kindred races of Wales and Brittany, but the influences it exercised over the national

progress and even over the literature of its English neighbours

were by no means of slight account, though they have been

strangely overlooked.

They afford, I think, the only solution of some of the most intricate problems connected with our

early history, and materials for such inquiry may be scanty,

but they are not altogether wanting.”

The three chief “ perpetual choirs ” of the Isle of Britain

were : (1) That of Llan Iltud Vawr in Glamorgan ; (2) That

of Ambrosius in Ambresbury, near Salisbury ;

 (3) That of Glaston. In each of these choirs there were 2,400, that is

there were one hundred for every hour of the day and night

in rotation perpetuating the praise of God without rest or

intermission. What may be termed the spiritual life of an

enlarged Dumnonia was centred around these places about

a .d . 500. This implied a kind of national unity from Salisbury to the Land’s End. When, later on, the Bishopric of

Sherborne was formed and Aldhelm ruled over “ Selwood1. See “ George of Ravenna,” p. 424. Urbs ab Uxellae ostio longe

separata. Fluvius est Axe— Uxella forte est Axbridge : also “ History of

the Ancient Britons,” by J. A. Giles, D.C.L., vol. ii, p. 102.

2. Vol. ii, pp. 270-2.

Dumnonia and Glaston 2 9

shire/’ this inland continuity from Wiltshire westward was

slightly impaired about a .d . 700. But Dumnonia unity was

preserved along the north coasts and littoral of the Severn

Sea, being in its very nature maritime and its inhabitants seafaring. Glaston and Llan Iltud Vawr preserved their Celtic

traditions. It was a matter of navigation and of a sea-andriver-intercourse, easier in its way than travel through inland

forests and less perilous.

That road or highway, possibly of Roman origin, linking

Dumnonia and its northern parts together, leading from

Bristol (and Bath) westward to Uxella or Axbridge, Brent and

so to Cynwith or Comwith passage on the Parret was first

constructed with a strategic and maritime purpose. It was

the trunk road of ancient Dumnonia for all purposes. It

helped the pilgrim also on his way to Glaston and was connected with all land routes and especially with the sea routes

across Severn. Glaston also had its river anchorages, its

canals and moorland boats (batelli) and river craft. The tidal

wave swept humble currough or larger barge and vessel up to its

sacred portals.

If we adopt Sir Charles Elton’s definitions of ancient Siluria1

and infer that it meant a block of Wales including Glamorgan

and Hereford, as well as Monmouth, it will be seen that the

Dumnonii must have been found some distance up the Severn.

Hath and Bristol (Bristowa, the town of the British) ; both

with churches dedicated to St. Michael, would have been

occupied by them. Gildas, our oldest historian, who knew

the Severn well, mentions a certain “ King of Dumnonia ”

Constantine by name (Dumnoniae tyrannus), as apart from

Vortipore, King of Demetia which we assume to mean geographically, South Wales and not simply Pembroke. The

name of Constantine, it may be noted, introduces early

Christian association (300-400). To-day there is a Cornish

parish near Falmouth called Constantine where it is said

a lthough the rumour cannot be substantiated) silver coins

of Arthur were found near the church.2 Constantine, also,

1 Elton’s “ Origins of English History,” p. 141.

2 Lewis’ “ Topographical Dictionary,” vol. i, p. 509.