History Society

THE VORTIPOR STONE

This stone is believed to be a memorial to Vortipor, King of Demetia (modern Dyfed), who lived approximately AD475-540.  The stone pillar is just over two metres high.  On one face there is a Latin inscription, with an Ogham inscription along the left and top edge.  The cross indicates that Vortipor was a Christian.

The Latin inscription reads “The Memorial of Voteporigis the Protector.”

It is thought that Voteporigis or Votecorigas in the Latin and Ogham inscriptions is Vortipor, but some scholars claim the lack of an R in the first syllable of the name cannot be reconciled with the spelling given in historical sources.

The Romans brought Irish mercenaries across in the late 4th Century for protection from attacks by other Hibernians.  After the Romans left, the Irish Deisi (or Déssi) tribe of the County Waterford area ruled the region, hence the Ogham inscription as well as Latin.  They initially used the Roman title of 'Protector' (protictoris) instead of the British equivalent of King.

The Ogham inscription reading from bottom to top (image  rotated 90 degrees clockwise).

The site of the memorial stone may reflect a continuation of the Roman custom of roadside burial, or may simply have been intended to let the memorial be seen by people traveling along the road.  The Roman road replaced an old track, and it is possible that the stone was originally one of a pair of boundary markers that straddled the track in the Stone Age, which was reused for Vortipor’s memorial.

The stone stood near a stile on the south side of the Castell Dwyran churchyard until it was removed during repairs to the fence in 1879. The stone's location at the church was next to a meadow known locally as Parc y Eglwys. Local tradition warns that the land near the church must not be ploughed, else there would be “thunderings and lightings and the cattle will die”.  The meadow had evidence of large hut-circles, and is only 200 metres off the line of the Roman Road.

The Reverend Bowen Jones, the Rector of Llanfallteg moved the stone to his home at Gwarmacwydd, near Llanfallteg where it was used as a rubbing post in a field in front of the house.  Miss Bowen Jones, the rector’s daughter was the first to recognise an inscription on this stone, and she gave it to the Carmarthenshire Museum in 1921.

This replica of the inscription on the Vortipor stone was commissioned by the Llanfallteg History Society and carved by David Petersen of St Clears in 2011 and stands outside of The Millennium Hall in Llanfallteg.

The History Society started in 2003 with six members who had very varied interests in the history of the area they lived in.

Their existing knowledge was pooled and this was used in 2003 to put on the first exhibition in the Millennium Hall. This event attracted a few more members and a lot more information. Many lines of research were undertaken and the following year a second exhibition was put on over three days. Some 200 visitors came with many surprised how much and how varied the history and background to the community and it’s surroundings were.

Membership has now reached 13 regular attendees. In the better weather a program of field visits to local sites of interest have been and will continue to be arranged. In winter we have organised visiting speakers and also put on our own “slide shows” of members particular interest and all of these have been very well supported and received.

Part of the group are preparing and further investigating the information we already have to gleaned as full a picture as is possible, with a view to producing  a permanent record of our local history.

The group meet on the third Thursday of most months at 19.30 in the Millennium Hall. Field trips may change this. Contact the secretary for the current position.

In March 2009, the Society published a local history book "A history of a West Wales Village - LLanfallteg" ISBN 978-0-9562134-0-2. It has been very well recieved both locally and more widely. Copies are available in Whitland and other branch libraries, as well as our local schools. Copies may be purchased from the Secretary and many local shops, Llanfallteg Post Office and The Plash Inn. Price £10.

The current chair is Dave King (01437 563087) - davemking@clara.co.uk
Secretary and Treasurer is Heather Bearman (01437 563342) - hamb@btinternet.com