
Father Pyrlig was a Welsh Catholic priest during the 9th century. He served as Court Chaplain of Wessex from 899, succeeding Beocca.
Biography[]
Pyrlig was born in Wales to a family of native Britons, and he fought as a warrior against the Anglo-Saxons before deciding to pursue a career in the Catholic Church. Even after entering the priesthood, he quietly maintained his hunger for women and battle. In 884, Pyrlig was sent by King Alfred the Great to deliver a letter urging King Guthrum of East Anglia to act against the 200 rogue Vikings who had landed near Beamfleot. He was captured at London by the brothers Sigefrid and Erik Thurgilsson and was sentenced to be beheaded, but he offered to fight for his freedom in a match witnessed by Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his retinue (who had been sent to accompany Aethelred of Mercia to peace talks with the Vikings). Pyrlig defeated and spared the Viking warrior Boltan, shocking Sigefrid, who asked Pyrlig to join him; however, Pyrlig ultimately decided to join Uhtred. King Alfred later sent him to spy on the Ealdorman Odda of Devon, and Pyrlig failed to convince Odda not to raise his fyrd without the king's permission; ultimately, Odda sent Pyrlig to Winchester to inform Alfred of his decision.
In 910, the queen mother Ealhswith sent Pyrlig as an emissary to King Hywel Dda of Deheubarth with the goal of acquiring an army to support her daughter Aethelflaed against the invading Danes at the Battle of Tettenhall. King Hywel agreed, but he forced Pyrlig to swear on the Bible that he would ensure that the Welsh would receive all of the spoils from the battle. Pyrlig agreed, and he accompanied King Hywel and his general Rhodri into the battle, once again taking up an axe and fighting. He then returned to King Edward's side following the battle, accompanying him to Mercia to settle a successino dispute there following Aethelred's death.