Historia Regum Britanniae

Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniæ (English: The History of the Kings of Britain) was written around 1136. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years. It begins with the Trojans in Homer's The Illiad and continues until the Anglo-Saxons had assumed control of Britain around the 7th century.

Related Topics:
Geoffrey of Monmouth - 1136 - Kings of the Britons - Trojans - Homer - The Illiad - Anglo-Saxon - Britain - 7th century

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Of the many rulers mentioned in the history, most notable are:

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• Brutus of Britain - Founded the colony of Britain and named the island after himself
• King Lear - Romanticized in Shakespeare's play King Lear
• Cassivelaunus - King of the Britons when Julius Caesar invaded
• Cymbeline - Parodied in Shakespeare's tragicomedy Cymbeline
• Lucius of Britain - First Christian king in Britain
• Old King Cole - Romanticized in a nursery rhyme
• Constantine the Great - First Christian Roman Emperor
• Vortigern - Famous king written in many medieval stories
• King Arthur - Most famous of all legendary kings

The history of Geoffrey is rough and unreliable but forms the basis for much English lore and literature. It also provides a rich source of material for Welsh bards. The source of the history comes from Nennius and Gildas as well as Welsh chronicles and documents to which Geoffrey refers but now seem lost. The Historia became tremendously popular during the High Middle Ages, despite the criticism of such writers as Giraldus Cambrensis. For many centuries, the Historia was accepted at face value, and much of its material was incorporated into Holinshed's 16th century Chronicles. Modern historians have regarded the Historia as a work of fiction with some truth mixed in. John Morris in The Age of Arthur calls it a deliberate spoof.

Related Topics:
English - Welsh - Bard - Nennius - Gildas - Welsh - Giraldus Cambrensis - Holinshed - 16th century

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Geoffrey of Monmouth's narrative is one of the central pieces in the Matter of Britain.

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