Chapter 1 #

¹ This is the genealogy of Saint Gurthiern, noble by birth and renowned in office, which a faithful layman, by name Iuthael son of Aidan, set forth — not for any earthly reward, but for a heavenly one.

² Accordingly, Gurthiern was the son of Boni, son of Glou, son of Abros, son of Dos, son of Jacob, son of Genethauc, son of Iugdual, son of Beli, son of Outham the Elder, son of Maximian, son of Constantius, son of Constantine, son of Helena, who is said to have possessed the Cross of Christ.

³ This is the genealogy of Gurthiern on his mother’s side: thus Gurthiern was the son of Dinoi, son of Lidinin, a king who held the sovereignty of the whole of Greater Britain.

⁴ Beli and Kenan were two brothers, sons of Outham the Elder. Kenan himself held the sovereignty at the time when the Britons went to Rome. There they held Letitia and the rest (…) Beli was the son of Anne, whom they say was a cousin of Mary, the mother of Christ. [Luke 1:26–27]

Chapter 2 #

¹ Now begins the account of the way of life of Saint Gurthiern, according to the tradition concerning him.

² When Gurthiern was a young man, he went out one day with his father to fight against their enemies. Gurthiern and his father were victorious on that day, and Gurthiern killed the son of his sister. For he did not know that the man was related to him; and after he learned that he was the son of his sister, he repented of having committed this fault and wept. And afterwards he went out into the wilderness and dwelt in a great valley between two mountains, in the northern part of Britain, and there he performed penance for the space of one year, and no one dwelt with him. And there he made for himself a small cell, and living water was near that cell [John 4:10], and a great rock stood beside the bank of the river, and in that river he immersed his body every day.

³ And when he came up from the river, he would lie upon a rock and pray. Thus he lived in that place for the space of one year. Now on a certain day a hunter came to him, and seeing a young man sitting and praying without ceasing upon a rock, questioned him and said: “Why do you dwell here, my son?” And the young man replied: “My own guilt has brought this upon me.” And he swore to him that he would tell no one of his presence in that place.

⁴ Afterwards, however, the hunter returned to the house of that man’s father and reported everything that he had seen, relating that the young man sitting and praying upon the rock resembled the king’s son. And the king said: “Let us go to that place, that we may see him toiling, as you have said.” And afterwards they went to the place where the young man dwelt, and they saw him labouring by the riverbank; and he fled into his cell and wept.

⁵ And his father begged him, saying: “O my son, why do you carry out this work here? You ought to come with me to my house and receive your father’s kingdom.” But he firmly refused. And his father said: “I will build you a monastery and a multitude of monks.” And he remained there for the space of a year and prayed. And an angel of the Lord came to him and said to him: “Go to another place which the will of God has foreseen for you” [Acts 8:26]. And he set out on the road with two servants, and they heard the voice of a certain woman, and they went to her and questioned her: “What has happened to you, woman?” And she said: “O servant of God, I had one son, and he has been killed in battle.” And he said to her: “Why do you carry his head?” And she replied: “Because I was not able to carry his body to its tomb.” And he said to her: “Go before us to that body.” And they went together and saw how matters stood. And Gurthiern said: “Give me his head, that I may join it to his body.”

⁶ And when prayer had been made, the man of God blessed him, and at once he rose again. And he rebuked them, saying: “Why have you brought me out of the good place in which I was?” But they said to him: “It is better for you to remain with us and with your mother.” And he said: “I do not wish it.” To him the holy man said: “Nevertheless, stay, and tell everyone the good that you have seen; and I will pray with you, that you may find again that place in which you were before.” And he received a blessing from him and remained with his mother. And from there they went out to the bank of the river which is called the Tamar, and they remained there for a long time.

⁷ And an angel of the Lord came to them, saying: “Look upon the sea each day, and a vessel will come to you, into which you shall enter” [Acts 27:22–24]. And sailing, they landed on a certain island were in it for a space of time. Afterwards an angel came to them and said: “Go to another place of promise, which is called Anaurut.”

⁸ Now Saint Gurthiern, when he came to the place appointed for him, remained there until the end of his life, working signs and wonders before and after.

⁹ Moreover, the angel of the Lord enjoined that, in whatever region of Lesser Britain it may be, all the land of Saint Gurthiern should serve Anaurut, because it is a city chosen by God; and the angel promised victory in battle to all kings who should keep the covenant of Saint Gurthiern. But whatever kings and princes or leaders do not keep it shall be cursed by the Lord. [Deuteronomy 28:1–2, 15] Thus may you all have salvation, from all clerics and layfolk, bishops and kings, priests and all orders keeping the covenant of Saint Gurthiern, that they may be in the unity of the Holy Trinity in eternal life, [Matthew 28:19] just as you have received salvation from us. So may you receive the angel’s commendation, that both we and you may find mercy from God. Thus farewell.

Chapter 3 #

¹ Concerning the discovery of the relics of Saint Gurthiern and of other saints, in the time of Abbot Benedict and of Guigon son of Huelin of the castle of Henpont, revealed on the island of Groe by the monk Oedrius.

² These are the relics of Gurthiern, who was king of the Angles. Although he held the governance of that same country, he nevertheless loved the contemplative life more than the active; and acting thus, he left his country and came in a small boat to the island which is called Groia. Remaining there, he performed many miracles, and here the most noble men of the Chemeneth of Eboeu paid him honour. From there the fame of him flew as far as Gradlon the Great, consul of Cornouaille, who sent his envoy to him that he might come to him; and the consul himself gave him Anaurut, where the rivers Heleia and Idola meet, and a thousand paces of land around that settlement, and also the parish of Beia.

³ In that time, when Guerech was ruling as count, a pestilence and famine arose in Broguerech, namely that worms were devouring the crops. And so the same count sent his messengers to Saint Gurthiern — that is, Guedgual and Catuoth and Cadur — that he might come to the aid of the country. But the man of God quickly arrived and blessed water, and sent it through that land, and drove away an immense multitude of worms. Because of this, Count Guerech gave him the parish of Veneaca upon the river Blavet, which was afterwards called Chervenac, through his goodness. And that same holy man remained there until his death.

⁴ This same little charter, found concerning the genealogy of Saint Gurthiern together with the revealed relics, much worn by age, is preserved within the enclosure of our renowned monastery.

⁵ These are the names: the relics of Saint Gurthiern; a portion of the head of Saint Guenmoloc; the relics of Paulennan and of Simphorian and of Tenennan and of Guedian and of Guenhael and of Idiunet, and the relics of others.