Luis Alberto de Cuenca

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Geoffrey de Monmouth

Escrita por el clérigo galés GEOFFREY DE MONMOUTH en el siglo xii, la HISTORIA DE LOS REYES DE BRITANIA conoció desde el primer momento una gran difusión, como atestiguan los numerosos manuscritos que de ella se han conservado. Si bien el propósito del libro es trazar el devenir histórico de los britanos desde Bruto, bisnieto del troyano Eneas, hasta su último rey, Cadvaladro, el mayor de sus hallazgos fue, sin duda, el relieve que concedió al rey Arturo, protagonista de una quinta parte del mismo. Es, en efecto, Geoffrey de Monmouth quien en palabras de Luis Alberto de Cuenca, traductor y prologuista de la obra «convirtió a un personaje borroso del folklore británico en un deslumbrante monarca e hizo de una fantasmagórica banda guerrera una corte feudal», dando así origen a uno de los mundos de ficción que más han cautivado la imaginación del hombre occidental.

Historia de los reyes de Britania

Geoffrey (of Monmouth, Bishop of St. Asaph)

A critical edition based on the eight known First Variant manuscripts, the prime source of Wace's Roman de Brut. Geoffrey's `history' of the British from their first colonisation of the island under Brutus to the late 7th century AD was one of the most influential works of the 12th century, and introduced to a wider audience central figures in English literature, including King Arthur and King Lear. `Wright's long introduction is a model of meticulousness and thoroughness...a fine study and edition...In a previous review I called Wright's edition of the vulgate text ``an auspicious beginning'' to a series that promised to become the standard scholarly treatment of Geoffrey's Historia...That promise is being kept.' Lister M. Matheson, SPECULUM April 1991 A critical edition based on the eight known First Variant manuscripts, the prime source of Wace's Roman de Brut. Geoffrey's `history' of the British from thier first colonisation of the island under Brutus to the late 7th century AD was one of the most influential works of the 12th century, and introduced to a wider audience central figures in English literature, including King Arthur and King Lear.

The Historia regum Britannie of Geoffrey of Monmouth: First variant version : a critical edition

Written shortly after the Norman conquest, Monmouth's “Histories of the Kings of Britain” attempted to create, for the British people, a national epic. In this seminal volume, he constructed a mythical history for Britain through the retelling of traditional tales, in particular stories of King Lear and King Arthur. Geoffrey of Monmouth (1095–1155) was a British cleric. He was one of the key who helped develop British historiography and popularised the tales of King Arthur—of which he represents the primary source. Other notable works by this author include: “The History of the Kings of Britain”, “Prophecies of Merlin”, and “Life of Merlin”. This vintage book will appeal to those with an interest in the original tales of King Arthur and British legends in general. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Histories of the Kings of Britain

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.

The History of the Kings of Britain

Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote his "Historia Regum Britanniae" (History of the Kings of Britain) in about 1136 AD. His book includes the first account of the Arthurian legend that survives, apart from very brief mentions of Arthur in earlier chronicles. This edition makes Geoffrey's history of Arthur accessible to a general audience for the first time. It includes only the parts of Geoffrey's "Historia" that are about Merlin or Arthur, omitting its lengthy histories of other kings, which do not interest today's readers. It breaks up Geoffrey's text into shorter chapters, and it adds subheadings that make the narrative easier to follow. Geoffrey lets us see King Arthur's place in history much more clearly than later versions of the legends, telling us that Arthur fought the Saxons after the Romans left Britain. He also includes stories of Merlin's early life that are left out of later accounts. This edition uses Aaron Thompson's 1718 translation of the "Historia," as revised and corrected by J. A. Giles in 1842. This edition also includes drawings by the famous illustrator, Howard Pyle, making it a beautiful book as well as a book that will fascinate anyone who is interested in the stories of King Arthur and wants to learn more about them.

The Earliest Version of the Arthurian Legend

The History of Merlin and King Arthur

Completed in 1136, The History of the Kings of Britain traces the story of the realm from its supposed foundation by Brutus to the coming of the Saxons some two thousand years later. Vividly portraying legendary and semi-legendary figures such as Lear, Cymbeline, Merlin the magician and the most famous of all British heroes, King Arthur, it is as much myth as it is history and its veracity was questioned by other medieval writers. But Geoffrey of Monmouth's powerful evocation of illustrious men and deeds captured the imagination of subsequent generations, and his influence can be traced through the works of Malory, Shakespeare, Dryden and Tennyson.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Geoffrey of Monmouth

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