Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Irish version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius (Author: unknown)

p.25

Historia 1

EGO Nemnius Elvodugi discipulus, aliqua excerpta scribere curavi, i. e. I have taken pains to write certain fragments, and I am Nenamnis a disciple of Eludach, because the folly and ignorance of the nation of Britannia have given to oblivion the history and origin of its first people, so that they

p.27

are not commemorated in writings nor in books. But I have brought together the histories that I found in the Annals of the Romans, out of the chronicles of the learned saints, viz.: Isidore, and Jerome, and Eusebius, in the Annals of the Saxons and Gae1s, and what I discovered from the tradition of our own old men.

Britonia insola a Britinia filio Isocon dicta est, i. e. the island of Britain is named from Britan, or some say that it was from one Brutus it was named, i. e. the first consul that was of the Romans; but Albion was the first name of the island of Britain. Eight hundred thousand paces is the length of the island of Britain. Two hundred thousand paces is its breadth. Eight and twenty principal caers or cities are in it; and these following are their names, according to the learned of Britain:—

p.29

Caer-Gortigern. Caer-Grutus. Caer-Mencest. Caer-Luill. Caer-Medguid. Caer-Colun. Caer-Gusdirt. Caer-Abrog. Caer-Caradog. Caer-Brut. Caer-Machod. Caer-Lunaind. Caer-Oen. Caer-Irangin. Caer-Pheus. Caer-Loninoperuisc. Caer-Grugan. Caer-Sant. Caer-Legun. Caer-Gnidiud. Caer-Breatan. Caer-Leiridoin. Caer-Pendsa. Caer-Druithgolgod. Caer-Luiticoit. Caer-Urnocht. Caer-Eilimon.