Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Matter of Britain

Value: 10 Credits

This module provides an introduction to the first complete narrative history of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain. Who was Geoffrey? Why does his History apparently glorify Britain’s Celtic past during the thoroughly Norman twelfth century? Did his version of events, which came to dominate medieval historical and legendary accounts, have any basis in Welsh tradition? If so why did his story so thoroughly replace that of his sources? Why did he arouse such bitter vituperation amongst later medieval writers?

After a brief look at the politics of Geoffrey’s day, and the evidence for Geoffrey’s own identity, we will consider the ways in which the History relies upon (or not) its sources, and to what purpose it alters these. The story of Arthur will be viewed as a particular case study: Geoffrey clearly knew of and used aspects of Welsh Arthurian tradition. On the other hand, in many important ways the Arthur known to the modern period is the invention of this imaginative, often frustrating, but always lively writer.