The History of the Kings of Britain / Edition 1

The History of the Kings of Britain / Edition 1

ISBN-10:
1551116391
ISBN-13:
9781551116396
Pub. Date:
12/11/2007
Publisher:
Broadview Press
ISBN-10:
1551116391
ISBN-13:
9781551116396
Pub. Date:
12/11/2007
Publisher:
Broadview Press
The History of the Kings of Britain / Edition 1

The History of the Kings of Britain / Edition 1

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Overview

The History of the Kings of Britain is arguably the most influential text written in England in the Middle Ages. The work narrates a linear history of pre-Saxon Britain, from its founding by Trojan exiles to the loss of native British (Celtic) sovereignty in the face of Germanic invaders. Along the way, Geoffrey introduces readers to such familiar figures as King Lear, Cymbeline, Vortigern, the prophet Merlin, and a host of others. Most importantly, he provides the first birth-to-death account of the life of King Arthur. His focus on that king’s reign sparked the vogue for Arthurian romance throughout medieval Europe that has continued into the twenty-first century.

This new translation is the first in over forty years and the first to be based on the Bern manuscript, now considered the authoritative Latin text. It is accompanied by an introduction that highlights the significance of Geoffrey’s work in his own day and focuses in particular on the ambiguous status of the text between history and fiction. Appendices include historical sources, early responses to the History, and other medieval writings on King Arthur and Merlin.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781551116396
Publisher: Broadview Press
Publication date: 12/11/2007
Series: Broadview Editions
Edition description: New Edition
Pages: 312
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Michael A. Faletra is Assistant Professor of English at Reed College, Portland, Oregon.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Geoffrey of Monmouth: A Brief Chronology
A Note on the Text

The History of the Kings of Britain

Appendix A: Major Historical Sources

  1. From Gildas, The Ruin of Britain (De Excidio Britanniae)
  2. From Pseudo-Nennius, The History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum)

Appendix B: Merlin

  1. The Apple Trees (Afallennau)
  2. Geoffrey of Monmouth, The Life of Merlin (Vita Merlini)
  3. From Gerald of Wales, The Journey Through Wales (Itinerarium Kambriae)

Appendix C: King Arthur, From Myth to Man

  1. From Aneirin, The Gododdin
  2. From What Man is the Gatekeeper? (Pa gur yw y porthor?)
  3. From The Stanzas of the Graves
  4. From Trioedd Ynys Prydein:The Welsh Triads
  5. From The Legend of St. Goeznovius (Legenda Sancti Goeznovii)
  6. From William of Malmesbury, The Deeds of the Kings of the English (Gesta Regum Anglorum)
  7. From Caradoc of Llancarvan, The Life of Gildas (Vita Gildae)
  8. From Gerald of Wales, The Description of Wales (Descriptio Kambriae)
  9. From Gerald of Wales, The Education of Princes (De Principis Instructione Liber)
  10. From William Caxton’s Preface to Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur

Appendix D: Early Responses to Geoffrey of Monmouth

  1. From Henry of Huntington, Epistle to Warin the Briton
  2. From Gerald of Wales, The Journey Through Wales (Itinerarium Kambriae)
  3. From William of Newburgh, The History of the Deeds of the English (Historia Rerum Anglicarum)
  4. From Ranulf Higden, Polychronicon

Works Cited and Recommended Reading

Index of Proper Names

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