93 
Cuhelyn was a bard of tbe sixth century, according to 
Davies (of the eighth or ninth by other authorities), and of 
course the language is difficult to translate ; but in connection 
with what is said elsewhere, I think we may safely conclude 
that the Mawr Cor Kyvoeth was the circle of Stonehenge. 
From Aneurin we learn that the feast was celebrated in a 
suite of temporary buildings upon the Ystre or Cursus, into 
which one of the avenues leads from the Great Temple. This 
is half a mile north from Stonehenge, about two miles 
long, inclosed by two ditches 350 feet asunder. This, 
then, might be the “palace” of Nennius. The temple 
was apparently none other than the adjacent Stonehenge, 
sacred to the Supreme Being (according to Davies)*; but 
the character and worship of the priests who inhabited 
the “monastery” show pretty distinctly that the whole was a 
survival of heathenism, whatever slight varnish of Christianity 
might be spread over the narrative by later authorities. The 
writer of the “ Pictorial History of England” seems inclined 
to agree with the learned Herbert, that Hengist and his asso- 
ciates were the parties plotted against. I must confess that 
this is the only solution which can be found (in my opinion) 
for the mysterious language of the bards. Vortigern is blamed 
as being “ Gwrtheyrn Gwrthenau,” or “Vortigern of the 
untoward mouth.”f The 53rd triad tells us that “He revealed 
the hidden dragons which Lludd ap Beli had concealed in the 
stronghold of the higher poivers , — out of love for Bhon-wen, the 
daughter of Hengist the Saxon.” This was one of three dis- 
closures which were sufficiently important to cause the down- 
fall of the cause of the Britons. “ Some secret of vast moment 
was divulged by him out of friendship to his allies and love for 
his wife,” the beautiful Bowena. 
A poem of Taliesin (p. 63) is said to bo extant concerning 
this “ plot of long knives,” Twyll y cyllyl hirion, as it was 
called by the Britons, which, if published, might still further 
elucidate the subject ; but in the meantime we may partly 
guess that there was, in all probability, some ulterior design 
in inviting a comparative handful of Saxons to a feast at 
which the British nobility from all parts of the kingdom, and 
even from Ireland, assembled. They were to come unarmed, 
as being the guests of Vortigern. The flowing mead was 
abundantly supplied, in cups of glass, to the illustrious 
assemblage of gold-adorned guests — the torqueated Britons 
* But to Hen Yelen, Belinus the Ancient or the Sun, according to Welsh 
authorities. — Herbert's Brit., p. 49. 
t Britain and the Homans , p. 64. 
