The Hillfort Structure

The fortifications of Dinas Emrys include stone walls, ditches, and terraces built to defend the summit. The walls, constructed with dry-stone masonry, form an irregular enclosure approximately 300 feet long and 100 feet wide.

Excavations reveal multiple phases of construction and use, reflecting changes in military technology and social organization over centuries.

 Roman and Post-Roman Use

Although no direct Roman structures have been found at Dinas Emrys, the site likely remained significant during the Roman occupation of Britain (43-410 AD).

In the turbulent period following Rome's withdrawal, Dinas Emrys gained renewed importance as local Welsh rulers sought to consolidate power and resist Anglo-Saxon expansion.

  The Legend of Dinas Emrys

 Vortigern and the Dragons

The most famous legend associated with Dinas Emrys involves King Vortigern, a 5th-century British ruler struggling against invading Saxons. According to medieval Welsh chronicles, Vortigern attempted to build a fortress on the hilltop, but the walls kept collapsing mysteriously.

His advisors told him to find a boy with no natural father to solve the mystery. This boy was Merlin (Myrddin), who revealed that beneath the ground two dragons—one red and one white—were fighting, causing the destruction.

The red dragon symbolized the Welsh, while the white dragon represented the Saxons. Merlin prophesied that the red dragon would triumph, signaling Welsh resilience.

 Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Prophecy

The tale of Vortigern and the dragons was popularized by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain) in the 12th century.

Geoffrey’s work blended history and myth, greatly influencing later Arthurian legends and the figure of Merlin. shutdown123