history of the kings of britain by geoffrey of monmouth

As such, this material could be used for patriotic myth-making just as Virgil linked the founding of Rome to the Trojan War in The Æneid. This tale went on to achieve greater currency because its inventor linked Brutus to the diaspora of heroes that followed the Trojan War. Traditionally attributed to Nennius, its actual compiler is unknown it exists in several recensions. The Historia Brittonum is the earliest known source of the story of Brutus of Troy.

Geoffrey drew on a number of ancient British texts, including the ninth century Historia Brittonum. Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae is a central component of the Matter of Britain. Davenport, the question of Britain's identity and significance in the world 'was a theme of special importance for writers trying to find unity in the mixture of their land's Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Roman and Norse inheritance.' Several agendas thus can be seen in this body of literature. The legendary history of Britain was created partly to form a body of patriotic myth for the country. King Arthur is the chief subject of the Matter of Britain, along with stories related to the legendary kings of Britain, as well as lesser-known topics related to the history of Great Britain and Brittany, such as the stories of Brutus of Troy, Coel Hen, Leir of Britain (King Lear), and Gogmagog. The name distinguishes and relates the Matter of Britain from the mythological themes taken from classical antiquity, the ' Matter of Rome', and the tales of the Paladins of Charlemagne and their wars with the Moors and Saracens, which constituted the ' Matter of France'.

Of France, and of Britain, and of Rome the grand. Not but with three matters no man should attend:

History of the kings of britain by geoffrey of monmouth