The Cat-Stane, Edinburghshire : is it not the tombstone of the grandfather of Hengist and Horsa? / by J. Y. Simpson.
- James Young Simpson
- Date:
- 1862
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Cat-Stane, Edinburghshire : is it not the tombstone of the grandfather of Hengist and Horsa? / by J. Y. Simpson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.
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![roll.' Under the year 737, Simeon of Durham enters the consecration of this bishop, spelling his name as Hweicca and Hweitta.1 2 In a note appended to Florence’s Chronicle, under the year 775, his death is re- corded, and his name given as Witta.3 III. The name Yetta occupies a constant and conspicuous place in the lineage of Hengist and Horsa, as given by Bede, Nennius, the Saxon Chronicle, &c. In the list of their pedigree, Yetta or Witta is always represented as the grandfather of the Teutonic brothers. The inscription on the Cat-stane further affords, however, a most important additional element or criterion for ascertaining the par- ticular Yetta in memory of whom it was raised; for it records the name of his father, namely, Yictus or Yicta. And in relation to the present inquiry, it is alike interesting and important to find, that in the genealogy given by our ancient cbrouicles of the predecessors of Hengist and Horsa, whilst Yetta is recorded as their grandfather, Yicta or Wecta is, with equal constancy, represented as their great-grandfather. The old lapidary writing on the Cat-stane describes the Yetta for whom that monument was raised as the son of Yecta; and the old parchment and paper writings of our earliest chroniclers invariably describe the same relationship between the Yetta and Yicta of the forefathers of Hengist and Horsa. Thus Bede, when describing the invasion of England by the German tribes in the time of Yortigern, states that their “leaders were two brothers, Hengist and Horsa, who were the sons of Yictgils, whose father was Yitta, whose father was Vecta, whose father was Woden, from whose stock the royal race of many provinces deduces its origin,” “ Erant autem filii Victgilsi, cujus pater Yitta, cujus pater Yecta cujus pater Yoden, de cujus stirpe multarum provinciarum regum genus ori- ginem duxit.”4 In accordance with a common peculiarity in his ortho- graphy of proper names, and owing also, perhaps, to the character of the 1 Monumenta Historica, p. 023. 2 lb., p. 659. 3 lb., p. 644. 4 Ilistoria Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglonun, lib. i. cap. 15, p. 34 of Mr Stevenson s edition. In some editions of Bede’s History (as in Dr Giles’ Translation, for ex- ample), the name of Vitta is carelessly omitted, as a word apparent])- of no moment. Such a discussion as the present shows how wrong it is to tamper with the texts of such old authors.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28270976_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
