against the Saxons in the North, viz., Rhydderch, Gwallawg, and Morgant,
though the latter, under the impulse of envy, procured the assassination of
Urien, in the Isle of Lindisfarne.

After the Saxons had finally established themselves on the eastern coast, in
the forementioned countries, an immense rampart, extending nearly from the
Solway to the Frith of Forth, was erected, either with the view of checking
their further progress westward, or else by mutual consent of the two
nations, as a mere line of demarcation between their respective dominions.
This wall cannot have an earlier date, for it runs through the middle of the
country originally occupied by the Gadeni, and could not of course have been
constructed as a boundary by them; nor can it be referred to a more recent
period, as there could be no reason for forming such a fence after the Saxons
had intruded upon the whole country which it divides. This was the famous
CATRAIL, which we presume to be identical with CATTRAETH, where the
disastrous battle of that name, as sung by Aneurin, was fought.

Catrail means literally "the war fence" (cad-rhail), but on the supposition
that it is synonymous with Cattraeth, the rhyme in the Gododin would
determine the latter to be the correct term, or that by which Aneurin
distinguished the line. The meaning of Cattraeth would be either "the war
tract" (cad-traeth), or "the legal war fence" (cad-rhaith); the latter of
which would give some countenance to the idea that it was formed by mutual
agreement.

The whole course of the Catrail, which may be traced from the vicinity of
Galashiels to Peel-fell, is upwards of forty five miles. The most entire
parts of it show that it was originally a broad and deep fosse; having on
each side a rampart, which was formed of the natural soil, that was thrown
from the ditch, intermixed with some stones. Its dimensions vary in