Albion Revisited

A series of articles on Ancient British Christianity

7^th December 2006

Part 8.  The Kolbrin

The story of Joseph (Ilyid) and the Hawthorn

The Kolbrin is an anthology of works by many authors, most of whom are unknown now. Therefore, determining an exact time-line is impossible. However, some of the books include stories that are remarkably similar to stories from the Biblical Old Testament. The writers seemed to tell these stories from either direct or indirect personal experience. Other books were written in the earliest years of the Current Era, and one book, The Book of Wisdom, was modernised in the 19^th century from two books that were written shortly after the close of the Biblical period.

            Some of the original manuscripts were written on thin sheets of bronze in an effort to protect them from destruction. The bronze sheets were kept in copper-clad boxes to offer the best protection for the manuscripts. The collection became known as The Bronze Book of Britain. It was combined with another collection, called The Coelbook, to become The Kolbrin.

            The manuscripts were stored in Glastonbury Abbey until a fire nearly destroyed it in 1181. The Kolbrin is purported to be a collection of manuscripts that was saved from the great fire. The following extracts have been taken from Book, and presented for study alongside the other parts in this series. In a way, the texts could be deemed self-authenticating, in that no forger would have written in such a way. I would be interested to hear from anyone who is able to identify the names that I have put in bold type. I am of course aware that Sabrin is the Sabrina of the Romans, now the River Severn, and the Summerland is the ancient name for Somerset. Other than that, I haven't been able to locate the places mentioned.

The Britain Book. Chapter One. (Salvaged parts.)

[The first six sections do not concern us]

1:7 In the Books of Britain it is written:  Ilyid came seaborne in a ship of Tarsis from across the Sea of Wicta, setting up at Rafinia in the land of the Wains. From thence to the river Tarant which flows between the Kingdom of Albany and the Kingdom of Korin, Albany being the land between the Isen and the Ikta. Passing Ivern and Insels, south of the Kathebelon, and then past Dinsolin to take water at the town where ships traded, standing at the foot of the red cliff between the two white ones around the extreme of the world to the northern Ikta in Siluria. Here they were unwelcome, but were permitted to take water and wood and to trade for meat and grain. Sailing thence towards the rising sun they came to the place beyond Sabrin called Summerland.

1:8 They were coldly welcomed by Homodren of the Chariots, but in the kingdom of Arviragus they came under the mantle of the High Druid of the south whose ear was inclined towards them, for he understood full well the nature of the three-faced God. The king heard their words but did not take them to heart, saying they differed little from what was there.

1:9 Then were the shipborne wanderers given land over from the Isle of Departure, saying that could they live where no one else could because of the spirits, then their holiness would be established before all the people. The strangers were sorely tried by the Druids, but the spirits troubled them not. Nor did the sickness of the place come upon them, and the people wondered. They were troubled because of where the strangers were, and were stirred up by the Druthin, but the shield of Arviragus protected them.

1:10 Now, eastwards and to the north there was a lake and between this and the Isle of Departure there was a swampland and there was a village of houses that stood out above the water, and the moon-maidens and the moon-matrons who served the dead dwelt there. Among these was Islass the Dreamer who was sacred to the guardian of this place.

1:11 Islass was the daughter of the queen’s youngest sister and a holder of the king’s favour, and when she attended him she divulged her dreams. It happened that she dreamed the same dream thrice, and this was its manner as she told it to the king. “Behold I saw a moon which had three changing faces, and as I watched the changes, the moon itself changed and became a sun, and within this sun was a face of a god. As I looked long on the sun, another sun appeared, and such was its brilliance that the first sun appeared inferior in brightness. Then the two became one and its brilliance filled the sky. In the midst of this I saw the king, and many Druthin, and priests of the strangers. Then I saw a great battle-sword and the brilliance faded as did the figures, and only the sword remained, from which blood dripped, drop by drop. Then too, it faded.”

1:12 The king took heed of the dream and gave the strangers land beside the Summerhouse of the king, which could be reached by ships. Inland from here the gifted land extended to the tree now called the Great Oak, which still stands, and thence to the hill south of the residence where Ilyid, being wearied, rested against a great stone. Beyond this was an avenue of standing trees and oak trees placed one and one, and the gifted land came up against this.

1:13 It extended southward to the holy vineyard which was fenced about. The fruit of these vines was small and bitter in the mouth. The strangers built huts for shelter on the hillside, high enough to be free of the tides. They settled down and learned the language, though Ilyid and two of the women spoke it strangely.

1:14 The words of the strangers fell on deaf ears, for the people were content with the gods they knew and did not wish to weary their minds with the words of the new ones. When the strangers gathered in praise of the One True God the tribesmen stoned them and shouted abuse, but Ilyid persevered and while later the people still would not believe that the God of whom he spoke was more powerful than their gods, they would sit around and listen to his stories.

1:15 Now, when the strangers were granted the land, the Druthin disputed this with the king and said that they wanted a divine sign that their gods approved. Ilyid said, “Give me but half a year.” At the witnessing of this the Druthin set up a holistone and Ilyid struck his staff into the soil to mark the covenant.

1:16 The following Eve of Summer there was a gathering and it was found that a small green shoot was coming up from the ground beside the staff which was an offshoot of the staff. The king decreed that this was a sign that the land accepted the strangers, but these took it as a sign that what they taught fell on fertile ground and would take root.

1:17 Here, the strangers, now called the Wise Ones, were free from the yoke of Rome and from the intolerance of the Jews. They were not subject to immoral customs, and were among the right-living people, simple but pure in mind and body. Close by was a place for trading in metals, slaves, dogs, and grain. Here, Ilyid built himself a house unlike any others, for it was square and in two parts, more stone than timber. This place was called Kwinad.

1:18 Here, on twelve portions of land, the wise strangers dwelt in peace and they built a church which was a full sixty feet long and a full twenty six feet wide. At one end was a statue four feet high, carved from a beech trunk. The roof was thatched with reeds, after the manner of the Britons. The walls were of wicker overlaid with plaster of chalk and mud.

1:19 Ilyid is buried outside the forked path before the church, and on his tomb was written, “I brought Christ to the Britons and taught them. I buried Christ and now here my body is at rest.”

1:20 Islass was the first convert and it is said that she alone knew the secret of the Holy Hawthorn. What this may be, none can know now. It is said that when the Druthin murmured against the staff of Ilyid, she placed a twig in water and it flowered.

1:21 Here, in this holy place, under the direct guidance of God, our father founded the first church in Britain. It is said it was not built by human hands, which is true, and from here shall come that which will be the salvation of mankind in the years to come. Here was the resting place for the souls of the dead, when they received their last sustenance before passing through the glass wall. From here ran the old road to the place of light where the bright-winged spirits flew freely in the place called Dainsart in the old tongue.

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