well worth consideration ; but, interesting as it is, it
need not detain us long here.
In the ? Myrvyian, or Cambrian Archa?ology,? a
work replete with ancient lore, mention is made of
Caer-Eiddyn, or the fort of Edin, wherein dwelt
a famous chief, Mynydoc, leader of the Celtic
Britons in the fatal battle with the Saxons under
Ida, the flame-bearer, at Catraeth, in Lothian, where
the flower of the Ottadeni fell, in 510; and this is
believed to be the burgh subsequently said to be
named after Edwin.
In the list of those who went to the battle of
Catraeth there is record of 300 warriors arrayed in
fine armour, three loricated bands (Le., plated for
defence), with their commanders, wearing torques
of gold, ?three adventurous knights,? with 300 of
equal quality, rushing forth from the summits of
the mighty Caer-Eiddyn, to join their brother
chiefs of the Ottadeni and Gadeni.
In the ?British Triads? both Caer-Eiddyn
(which some have supposed to be Carriden), and
also DinasEiddyn, the city of Eiddyn, are repeatedly
named. But whether this be the city of
Edinburgh it is exceedingly difficult to say; for,
after all, the alleged Saxon denominative from
Edwin is merely conjectural, and unauthenticated
by remote hcts.
From Sharon Turner?s ?Vindication of Ancient
British Poem%,? we learn that Aneurin, whose work
contains 920 lines, was taken prisoner at the battle
of Catraeth,* and was afterwards treacherously slain
by one named Eiddyn; another account says! he
died an exile among the Silures in 570, and that the
battle was lost because the Ottadeni ?had drunk
of their mead too profusely.?
The memory of Nynydac Eiddyn is preserved
a beautiful Welsh poem entitled The Drinking
Iorn,?by Owain, Prince of Powis.
i full of energy.
The poem
?? When the mighty bards of yore
Awoke the tales of ancient lore,
What tide resplendent to behold,
Flashed the bright mead in vase of Gold !
The royal minstrel proudly sung
Of Cambria?s chiefs when time was young;
How, with the drink of heroes flushed,
Brave Catraeth?s lord to battle rushed,
The lion leader of the strong,
And marshal of Galwyiada?s throng ;
The sun that rose o?er Itun?s bay
Ne?er closed on such disastrous day ;
There fell Mynydoc, mighty lord,
Beneath stem Osway?s baneful sword ;
Yet shall thy praise, thy deathless pame,
Be woke on harps of bardic fame,
Sung by the Cymri?s tuneful tmb,
Aneurin of celestial strain.?
DanielWilson,one of the ablest writers on Scottish
ntiquities, says that he thinks it useless ?to follow
le fanciful disquisitions of zealous anticuarians
Zspecting the origin and etymology of Edinburgh ;
: has successively been derived, both in origin and
1 name, from Saxon, Pict, and Gael, and in each
ase With sufficient ingenuity to leave the subject
lore involved than at first? But while on this
ubject, it should be borne in mind that the unirtunate
destruction of the national records by the
waders, Edward I. and Oliver Cromwell, leaves
ie Scottish historian dependent for much of his
iaterial on tradition, oi information that can only
e obtained with infinite labour; though it may
o doubt be taken for granted that even if these
rchives had been preserved in their entirety they
ould scarcely have thrown much, if any, light upon
le que& vexata of the origin of the name of
;dinburgh.
CHAPTER 11.
THE CASTLE OF EDINBURGH.
Of its Origin and remoter History-The Legends concaning it-Ebranke-St. Monena-Defeat of the Saxons by King Bridei--King Ed&-
Ring Grime-The Story of Grime and Benha of Badlieu-The Starting-point of authentic Edinburgh History-SL Mugarct-Her Piety
and vlliaMe Disoosition-Her Chaoel--Ha Dath-Rcstontion of her Oiatary-Her BurLCDonnld Bauc-Khg a v i d L-l?hc Royal
Gardens, afterwp;ds the North Lock
AFTER the departure of the Romans the jnhabitants
of fiorthern Britain bore the designation of Picti,
or Picts; and historians are now agreed that these
were not a new race, but only the ancient Caledonians
under a new name.
The most remote date assigned for the origin
*The famous Cutrail, or Pictsmrk-ditch, is a u wto have had
somc amnection with this battle df cluaeth. (Gdb Cambrrasir. 11.)
of the Castle of Edinburgh is that astounding
announcement made in Stods ?Summarie of
Englyshe Chronicles,? in which he tells us that
?Ebranke, the sonne of Mempricius, was made
ruler of Britayne ; he had, as testifieth Policronica,
Ganfride, and others, twenty-one wyves, of whom
he receyved twenty sonnes and thirty daughters,
which he sent into Italye, there to be maryed to
