A Companion to Geoffrey of Monmouth (Brill's Companions to European History)

A Companion to Geoffrey of Monmouth brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to provide an updated scholarly introduction to all aspects of his work. Arguably the most influential secular writer of medieval Britain, Geoffrey (d. 1154) popularized Arthurian literature and left an indelible mark on European romance, history, and genealogy. Despite this outsized influence, Geoffrey’s own life, background, and motivations are little understood. The volume situates his life and works within their immediate historical context and frames them within current critical discussion across the humanities. By necessity, this volume concentrates primarily on Geoffrey’s own life and times, with the reception of his works covered by a series of short encyclopaedic overviews, organized by language, that serve as guides to further reading. Readership: A Companion to Geoffrey of Monmouth should appeal to anyone with an interest in Arthurian literature, Celtic studies, and medieval history. Contents Acknowledgements A Note on Translations Figures Abbreviations Notes on Contributors Introduction and Biography Part 1 Sources Chapter 1 Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Welsh Sources Chapter 2 Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Classical and Biblical Inheritance Chapter 3 Geoffrey of Monmouth and the English Past Chapter 4 Riddling Words: the Prophetiae Merlini Part 2 Contemporary Contexts Chapter 5 Early Manuscript Dissemination Chapter 6 Early Reactions to Geoffrey’s Work Chapter 7 The Latin Reception of the De gestis Britonum Chapter 8 Geoffrey of Monmouth’s De gestis Britonum and Twelfth-Century Romance Chapter 9 The Most Excellent Princes: Geoffrey of Monmouth and Medieval Welsh Historical Writing Chapter 10 Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Conventions of History Writing in Early 12th-Century England Part 3 Approaches Chapter 11 Colonial Preoccupations in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s De gestis Britonum Chapter 12 Geoffrey and Gender: the Works of Geoffrey of Monmouth as Medieval “Feminism” Chapter 13 Geoffrey of Monmouth and Race Chapter 14 Religion and the Church in Geoffrey of Monmouth Part 4 Reception Introduction to Part 4 The Medieval Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth Chapter 15 Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Byzantine Reception Chapter 16 The De gestis Britonum in Castile Chapter 17 The Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth in the Crown of Aragon Chapter 18 The Middle Dutch Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth Chapter 19 The English Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth Chapter 20 The Anglo-Norman and Continental French Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Corpus from the 12th to the 15th Centuries Chapter 21 The German Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth Chapter 22 The Old Icelandic “Brut” Chapter 23 The Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth in Ireland Chapter 24 The Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Work in Italy Chapter 25 Geoffrey of Monmouth in Portugal and Galicia Chapter 26 The Scottish Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth Chapter 27 The Reception of Geoffrey of Monmouth in Wales Bibliography Manuscripts General Index "A Companion to Geoffrey of Monmouth brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to provide an updated scholarly introduction to all aspects of his work. Arguably the most influential secular writer of medieval Britain, Geoffrey (d. 1154) popularized Arthurian literature and left an indelible mark on European romance, history, and genealogy. Despite this outsized influence, Geoffrey's own life, background, and motivations are little understood. The volume situates his life and works within their immediate historical context, and frames them within current critical discussion across the humanities. By necessity, this volume concentrates primarily on Geoffrey's own life and times, with the reception of his works covered by a series of short encyclopaedic overviews, organized by language, that serve as guides to further reading. Contributors are Jean Blacker, Elizabeth Bryan, Thomas H. Crofts, Siân Echard, Fabrizio De Falco, Michael Faletra, Ben Guy, Santiago Gutiérrez Garcia, Nahir I. Otaño Gracia, Paloma Gracia, Giorgia Henley, David F. Johnson, Owain Wyn Jones, Maud Burnett McInerney, Françoise Le Saux, Barry Lewis, Coral Lumbley, Simon Meecham-Jones, Paul Russell, Victoria Shirley, Joshua Byron Smith, Jaakko Tahkokallio, Hélène Tétrel, Rebecca Thomas, Fiona Tolhurst"-- Provided by publisher

A Companion to Geoffrey of Monmouth brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to provide an updated scholarly introduction to all aspects of his work. Arguably the most influential secular writer of medieval Britain, Geoffrey (d. 1154) popularized Arthurian literature and left an indelible mark on European romance, history, and genealogy. Despite this outsized influence, Geoffrey's own life, background, and motivations are little understood. The volume situates his life and works within their immediate historical context, and frames them within current critical discussion across the humanities. By necessity, this volume concentrates primarily on Geoffrey's own life and times, with the reception of his works covered by a series of short encyclopaedic overviews, organized by language, that serve as guides to further reading.