d 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 different places, which may be owing to its remains being more or less
perfect. In those parts where it is pretty entire, the fosse is twenty
seven, twenty six, and twenty five feet broad. But in those places where
the rampart has been most demolished the fosse only measures twenty two
and a half feet, twenty and eighteen, and in one place only sixteen feet
wide. As the ramparts sloped on the inside, it is obvious that in
proportion as they were demolished, the width of the fosse within would
be diminished. In some of the most entire parts the ramparts are from
six to seven, and even nine or ten feet high, and from eight to ten and
twelve feet thick. They are, no doubt, less now than they were
originally, owing to the effects of time and tillage. {5a}

Such is the Catrail, and were it identical with Cattraeth, we should
naturally expect to meet with some allusions to a work of that
description in the body of the Poem. Nor are we herein disappointed, for
the expressions "ffosawd," {5b} "clawdd," {5c} "ffin," {5d} "cladd
clodvawr," {5e} "goglawdd," {5f} "clawdd gwernin," {5g} and "gorffin
Gododin," {5h} are undoubtedly such allusions, though we readily admit
that some of them may, and probably do, refer to the ordinary circular
forts of the Britons, of whom there are several along the line. It may
be added here that Taliesin in his description of the b