History of the Britons

The Historia Brittonum describes the founding of Britain by a group of people who left Troy , and there is also a statement that the name was given to the kingdom by Brutus the Trojan , a descendant of Aeneas . The work became "the author’s single most important source in creating the Historia Regum Britanniae of Galfrid of Monmouth " ^[6] , and, due to the popularity of Galfrid's work, information from the Historia Brittonum , including the Trojan theory of the founding of Britain, will be included in subsequent, later, chronicles describing history kingdoms, including the Middle English work "Brut of England" ( Eng. Brut of England ), also known as the "Chronicles of England" ( Eng. The Chronicles of England ).

The work is also considered the earliest source in which King Arthur is mentioned. However, Arthur is never called a king in the text; he is referred to as dux bellorum (lit. “military leader”, military leader, military leader) or miles (warrior, soldier). The text also claims that Arthur participated in twelve battles, but, unlike the Annales Cambriae chronicle, these battles are not tied to specific dates.

Among the information about Arthur there was also a mention that Arthur carried the image of St. Mary on his shoulders, which, as the researchers reasoned, was nothing more than a translator’s mistake - it was understood that Arthur put the image of St. Mary on his shield - due to the similarity of the words “shoulders ”And“ shield ”in Welsh ^[7] .

The greatest classic philologist of the 19th century, Theodor Mommsen , divided The History of the Britons into several parts:

1. “Introduction” ( Prefatio Nennii Britonum );
2. "I. Six eras of the world "( De sex aetatibus mundi ) - § 1-6;
3. "II. History of Britons ”( historia Brittonum ) - § 7-49;
4. "III. Biography of Patrick ”( vita Patricii ) - § 50-55;
5. "IV. Arthuriana ”- § 56;
6. "V. Genealogies ”( regum genealogiae cum computo ) - § 57-66;
7. "VI. Cities of Britain ”( civitates Britanniae ) - § 66 ^a ;
8. "VII. The Miracles of Britain ”( de mirabilibus Britanniae ) - § 67-76.

According to research, The History of the Britons was written around 829. It is also mentioned that the work was written no earlier than “in the fourth year [of the reign] of King Mermenus” (this person was identified as Mervyn ap Guriad , King of Gwynedd ). Historians define the earliest date of writing as 828, which is based on a quote from Historia Brittonum : “With the Passion of Christ 796 years ago, and from the birth of God 831 will be the year” ^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} .

Edits and revisions of text

In the oldest surviving manuscript (Harley 3859), dating to about 1100 and used to create editions of Stevenson, Mommsen and John Morris The introduction written by Nennius is absent. The variant in which the "Nennius amendment" is found is now in the Cambridge public library under the designation ms. Ff. I.27 (Petri revision was based on this version). ^[12] . Gann used the manuscript ms for his work. 1964, kept at the Vatican Palace; this variation is a copy, the creation of which is attributed to the hermit Mark ^[13] . The Giles revision was based on the Gann revision, but does not contain the introduction of Nennius and the Mirablilia section. Anomalous manuscript ms. Chartres, even older than Harley 3859, was destroyed during World War II and belonged to the pen filius Urbagen (son of Urien) ^[8] . There are also several “ Gildas edits” (for example, Cotton Caligula A. VIII) ^[14] , but no one is currently trying to seriously recommend documents allegedly written by Gildas, a contemporary of Arthur ^[15] .

Professor David Doomville , who requested the textology of corrections of the text (he created the Vatican version, Dumville, 1985 ) branded the preface of Nennius (Prefatio Nennii) ^{[4] [5]} , arguing that, before being preserved to this day in the form of various manuscripts, the text of “History of the Britons” subjected to several anonymous edits ^[16] . This statement is now accepted by the scientific community as an official point of view, despite the fact that there are opponents of this theory ^[17] . To see the work of proponents of authorship of Nennius, see Liebermann, 1925 .

Scribe Methods

The words of Nennius (or an anonymous scribe) quoted in Prefatio aroused many different assumptions: “I threw everything into one ( coacervavi ) into one that I could find” - from written sources to “our traditions” (that is, oral sources) ^[18] . These words are found in the version of the introduction given in “Apology” ^[19] . Giles, in his version of the translation of the text, conveyed it as “I put together” ( English I put together ), veiling the fact that this is really a quote from the text of Nennius, and not editing an unknown editor (more recent translation ( English I heaped together ), given by Morris, see wikiquote: Historia Brittoum ). Leslie Alcock was not the first to pay attention to this phrase, but it is believed that it was with her that the interest in this fact began ^[20] .

Historia Brittonum primarily attracted attention due to its influence on the formation of legends and myths about King Arthur. It is the earliest source in which King Arthur is presented as a historical figure, as well as the source of many stories about Arthur, which were later rewritten and embellished by many authors.

Vortigern and Ambrose

Historia contains the story of King Vortigern , who allowed the Saxons to settle on the island of Great Britain, and in return received the wife of Hengist as his wife ^[21] . Another legend about Vortigern tells of the king’s attempts to build a citadel called Dinas Emrys near Snowdon but at the same time each attempt ended with the disappearance of building materials. The advisers told Vortigern that the construction site must be irrigated with the blood of a boy born in the absence of his father. After Vortigern meets young Ambrose , who reproaches the advisers for stupidity and shows that the cause of the curse was two snakes buried in the ground ^[22] .

The legend of the tower was rewritten and embellished by Galfrid of Monmouth in his History of the British Kings ; Merlin found a way out in his work, and the author himself claims that Ambrose is one of the names of this sage. Galfrid also looks at other characters, such as Ambrose Aurelian, who is mentioned in The History of the Britons, as well as Wortimer and Bishop Herman of Osser .

Battles of Arthur

In chapter 56 of The History of the Britons, we are talking about 12 battles of Arthur , in which he participated and defeated. In this chapter, an unknown author calls Arthur not a king, but dux bellorum (military leader, military leader):

At that time, the Saxons became strong, strong in their numbers, and spread their power in Britain. The hengist was lying on his deathbed, and his son, Octa, in the northern lands, in the Kingdom of Kent, celebrated the wedding and the kings of Kent went from him. Therefore, Arthur fought with the British kings in the days when Arthur was the military leader [ dux bellorum ]. His first battle was at the mouth of the river, known as Glain. And the second, third, fourth and fifth sections of it were higher than another river, known as Dubglas and in the current lands of Linnewis . Yes, his sixth section was above the river, known as Bassas. The seventh section was in the forest the dense Celidon, which is Kat Coit Selidon. The eighth section was the stake of the Gwynnion fortress, and Arthur carried the image of the virgin Mary on her shoulders; and the heathens fled this day. And the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Virgin Mary, his mother, was a great massacre among them. The ninth section was the count of the city ​​of the Legion . At ten, they went to the banks of the river, known as Tribuit. The eleventh slice happened on a mountain known as Agnet. The twelfth slash was on the hill of Badon , and 960 men fell from the sword of Arthur in the slash, and of all the slaughter he was the winner. And during that time, when they won in all battles, they won the help of the Germans and their number grew many times without interruption. And they convinced the German leaders that they could dominate with them in Britain, and gave dominion to Ide that Eoppa's son was. And he became the first king of Berneych, then means Bernice ^[23] .

Original text

At that time, the Saxons grew strong by virtue of their large number and increased in power in Britain. Hengist having died, however, his son Octha crossed from the northern part of Britain to the kingdom of Kent and from him are descended the kings of Kent. Then Arthur along with the kings of Britain fought against them in those days, but Arthur himself was the military commander ["dux bellorum"]. His first battle was at the mouth of the river which is called Glein. His second, third, fourth, and fifth battles were above another river which is called Dubglas and is in the region of Linnuis. The sixth battle was above the river which is called Bassas. The seventh battle was in the forest of Celidon, that is Cat Coit Celidon. The eighth battle was at the fortress of Guinnion, in which Arthur carried the image of holy Mary ever virgin on his shoulders; and the pagans were put to flight on that day. And through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of the blessed Virgin Mary his mother there was great slaughter among them. The ninth battle was waged in the City of the Legion. The tenth battle was waged on the banks of a river which is called Tribruit. The eleventh battle was fought on the mountain which is called Agnet. The twelfth battle was on Mount Badon in which there fell in one day 960 men from one charge by Arthur; and no one struck them down except Arthur himself, and in all the wars he emerged as victor. And while they were being defeated in all the battles, they were seeking assistance from Germany and their numbers were being augmented many times over without interruption. And they brought over kings from Germany that they might reign over them in Britain, right down to the time in which Ida reigned, who was son of Eobba. He was the first king in Bernicia, i.e., in Berneich.

Most of the indicated places are unknown and it is currently impossible to determine their location. Some scholars have suggested that the author took all twelve battles of Arthur from the now-lost ancient Welsh poem on the grounds that some proper names are similar in sound and could rhyme. They also hypothesized that the strange assertion that Arthur carried the image of St. Mary on his shoulders arose because of the confusion in the Middle English words iscuit (shield) and iscuid (shoulders) ^[24] . The first hypothesis found opponents who claimed that the author took events that were not originally associated with Arthur, and that, perhaps, the author simply invented them ^[25] .

An expression similar to the description of Arthur at the Battle of Gwinnion was also found in the Annals of Cumbria : Arthur is described as carrying the “cross of our Lord Jesus Christ on his shoulders for three days and three nights ...”, although in this case the expression was used in the battle on Badon Hill, and not at the Battle of Gwinnion. ^[26] T. M. Charles-Edwards argues that both cases refer the reader to the same source ^[27] . However, other researchers, such as Thomas Jones and N.J. Highem, hypothesized that the expression from the “Annals of Cumbria” was borrowed from “The History of the Britons”, the unknown battle at Gwinnion was replaced by the famous battle on Badon Hill, and the one mentioned in “History “The religious symbol has been replaced by a more general religious symbol ^[27] .

The battle on Badon Hill is present in many texts that appeared after the History of the Britons, but it was not mentioned in the ones that appeared before it ^[28] . This is a historical event that Gildas mentions in his work, although Gildas does not mention the name of the British leader (although he mentions Ambrose Aurelius as the main scourge of the Saxons from whom they fled ^[29] ). Of the remaining battles in other Welsh sources, only the Battle of Tribute is usually associated with Arthur ^[30] . Tribute (spelled Tryfrwyd ) is mentioned in the ancient Wallace poem Pa Gur? , the battle with him dates from around the middle of the ninth century. In this poem, the description of the Battle of Tryfrwyd follows immediately after the story of the battle with the Sinbins or psogolavtsami , the battle with which Arthur and his people took in the Aidin Fortress (Edinburgh). In Tryfrwyd, they come into conflict with a character named Garwlwyd (Rough Gray), which is apparently identical to a character named Gwrgi Garwlwyd (Dog Man Rough Gray), appearing in one of the Welsh Triads ^{[31] [32] [33]} . The main character Arthur was named Bedwyr , and later became known as Sir Bediver, the poem also mentions the euhemerized god Manauidan ^[33] . The mention of the “city of the Legion” may be a reference to the city of Carleon , whose name translates precisely as “the city of the Legion”, however, it is possible that the city of Chester , on the site of which once was a large Roman fortress, could be implied ^[34] .

The Forest of Cat Point Selidon is believed to be the Caledonian Forest (Coed Celyddon), which once covered the Scottish Highlands . Margead Haycock hypothesized that the battle in the Selidon Forest may be the same battle that became known as the “Battle of the Trees” thanks to the poem Cad Goddeu ^{[35] [36]} . At the end of this poem, Arthur was mentioned, and a fragment of the story of the battle, preserved in the Peniarth 98B manuscript, indicates that the battle might have a different name - Cad Achren - which is a reference to Caer Ochren, the name of the locality on which Arthur raided more early poem, Preiddeu Annwfn ^[37] .

Many scholars have suggested that this chapter is an attempt to set the historical basis for the personality of Arthur , and tried to distribute the twelve battles involving Arthur according to historical conflicts or locations (see Places Associated with King Arthur ). however, Thomas Green argues that the fact that the only battles defined by the Old Wallian texts as related to Arthur are purely mythological, clearly undermines the theory that these battles generally had historical counterparts ^[38] .

Mirabilia

Another work was applied to the History of the Britons - a work called De mirabilibus britanniae (often shortened to Mirabilia ). He presents to the reader a list of 13 topological miracles, they are also miracles of Britain ^{[39] [40]} , as well as several wonders of Anglesey ( Menand insulae or Mona) and Ireland ^[41] .

Mirabilia is not considered part of the History of Britain ^[42] , but is believed to have been created shortly after it ^[43] and attached, though not to all, but to many manuscripts.

Two of the miracles that are included in this work concern Arthur (Paragraph 73 of the “Story”). More ancient editions report the huge hog Troint and the tragically dead son of Arthur, Anir. The sound of both names was determined according to the Garleian manuscript. However, Fletcher suggested that it would be more correct to call the hog Troit, and the son of Arthur - Amrom ^[44] (since this option is closer to the Welsh language).

Arthur's Dog

The first miracle associated with Arthur is Kabbalah (or Cavallus , if in Welsh), the dog of Arthur, and the trace left by him during the pursuit of the giant hog Troint (→ Troit):

There is another miracle in the place known as Biellt . There are no stones to be counted and one is placed at the very top, with a dog’s paw print. When Kabbalah, a dog of the glorious warrior Arthur, led a hunt for Troint's hog, he made a mark on a sim stone. Later, the glorious warrior Arthur didn’t count the stones, put them in one place, put a stone with a dog trace on top, he called this Kern Kabala. And people from the time of those travels to this place and removes a stone with a dog’s footprint for one day and one night, and in the morning again finds it at the top ^[45] .

Original text

There is another marvel in the region which is called Buelt. There is a mound of stones there and one stone placed above the pile with the pawprint of a dog in it. When Cabal, who was the dog of Arthur the soldier, was hunting the boar Troynt, he impressed his print in the stone, and afterwards Arthur assembled a stone mound under the stone with the print of his dog, and it is called the Carn Cabal . And men come and remove the stone in their hands for the length of a day and a night; and on the next day it is found on top of its mound.

The text and its translation into English were given in the notes of Lady Charlotte Guest to her translation of “ Kiluha and Olven, ” and her book exactly reproduced the Latin text from the Garleian manuscript.

Arthur's Son

As the second miracle, the son of Arthur, Anir or Amr (in Welsh Amhar ) is mentioned, or rather his grave:

There is another miracle, in a place known as Erging . There the grave is poured, and its name is Licat Amr; buried in the place of this Amr, majestic by the grave. This husband Arthur was the son and murdered Arthur, he was buried in this place. And people came to this grave and measured it, and received six feet in length, another nine, and some twelve and fifteen. One person could measure twice, but at times the other did not receive the same as the first. He himself measured - checked ^[46] .

Original text

There is another wonder in the region which is called Ercing. A tomb is located there next to a spring which is called Licat Amr; and the name of the man who is buried in the tomb was called thus: Amr (← Anir). He was the son of Arthur the soldier, and Arthur himself killed and buried him in that very place. And men come to measure the grave and find it sometimes six feet in length, sometimes nine, sometimes twelve, sometimes fifteen. At whatever length you might measure it at one time, a second time you will not find it to have the same length - and I myself have put this to the test.

The History of the Britons contains chapters dedicated to Saint Herman of Osser - it is alleged that the chapters are excerpts from the saint's long-lost biography. In addition, the work contains unique traditions related to St. Patrick , as well as sections describing events in Northern England of the 6th-7th centuries and beginning with the paragraph on the creation of the first Welsh literature (chap. 62):

During the time when Talhayarn Kataguen was glorified, Neyrin, Taliesin , and Bluchbard, and Cyan, whose name is Guenit Guant, were famous in British poetry.

Original text

At that time, Talhaiarn Cataguen was famed for poetry, and Neirin, and Taliesin and Bluchbard, and Cian, who is called Guenith Guaut, were all famous at the same time in British poetry.

There are a number of works that are usually associated with the Historia Brittonum : partly because many of them were part of the Harleigh manuscript with it, and partly because during the research of Historia Brittonum these works are also often mentioned. Among such works:

• Lebor Bretnach - in fact, translation into Irish and editing the History of the Britons by the editors of Nennius;
• “ Annals of Cumbria ” - this chronicle describes the events that occurred from 447 to 954. Два самых известных из этих событий произошли в 516 году и 537 году — сражение при Бадоне и сражение при Камланне , «в коем Артур и Мордред слегли», соответственно. Данный труд использовался в качестве точки отсчёта для более поздних валлийских хроник;
• «Валлийские генеалогии » — одно из многих крупных собраний сведений по валлийской родословной, документирующих происхождение валлийского короля Хивела Да , Также с родословными, приведёнными в данном труде, связывают Елисейский столб ;
• « Англосаксонские королевские родословия » — версия собраний генеалогических сведений пяти королевств довикинговой эпохи — Берниции , Дейры , Кента , Восточной Англии и Мерсии — но, тем не менее, данные сведения более известны в виде независимых собраний.

Primary Sources

perev. - translation, rev. - revised edition

(Mirabilia only)

• (translated) R (1830), " The Wonders of the Island of Britain ", Cambrian quarterly magazine and Celtic repertory T. 2: 60- , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=3KI2AAAAMAAJ&pg = PA60 >  
• (trans.) Barber, Richard (1999), On the Marvels of Britain , New York: Barnes and Noble Books, p. 85–88, ISBN 0-7607-1959-4  

(Texts and translations in English.)

• (rev., trans.) Morris, John, ed. (1980), British history; and the Welsh annals , vol. 8, History from the Sources, London: Phillimore, ISBN 978-0-8476-6264-7  
• (rev., trans.) Giles, JA , ed. (1847), Nennius: Historia Britonum , vol. 2, London: Henry G. Bohn , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=dsQ9AAAAcAAJ >   ;
  • Nennius's History of the Britons (Giles tr.) In :, in Six Old English Chronicles , 1, (1848) (Mirabilia section is edited but untranslated).
• (rev., trans.) Gunn, W. (Bill), Rev., ed. (1819), The "Historia Brittonum" commonly attributed to Nennius, from a manuscript lately discovered in the library of the Vatican Palace at Rome; edited in the tenth century by Mark the Hermit; with an English version, facsimile .. , London: J. and A. Arch , < https://books.google.com/books?id=CbosAAAAMAAJ >   (lacks Mirabilia)
• (rev., trans.) Todd, James Henthorn, ed. (1848), Leabhar Breathnach annso sis (The Irish version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius) , Dublin: Irish Archaeological Society , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=rioNAAAAYAAJ >   (includes Mirabilia).
• (translated) Nennius's "History of the Britons", together with "The annals of the Britons" and "Court pedigrees of Hywel the Good", also "The story of the loss of Britain" , London: Society for promoting Christian knowledge, 1938  
• (trans.) wikisource: History of the Britons (a collection of works by Gann, Giles, and others).
• (rev.) Gale (1691)  
  • fixed and republished in Bertram (1757)  
• (rev.) Petrie, Henry, ed. (1848), Nennius , GE Eyre & W. Spottiswoode   w: Monumenta Historica Britannica
• (rev.) Mommsen, Theodore, ed. (1898), Historia Brittonvm cvm additamentis Nennii , vol. 3, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctorum Antiquissimi xiii, Berlin, p. 111–222 , < https://archive.org/details/chronicaminorasa13momm/ >   google
  • Latin library
• (rev ..) Stevenson, Joseph, ed. (1838), Nennii Historia Britonum ad fidem codicum manuscriptorum , vol. 4, sumptibus Societatis , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=VEUMAAAAIAAJ >  
• (rev.) Dumville, David N., ed. (1985), The Historia Brittonum: The Vatican Recension , vol. 3, Cambridge: DS Brewer, ISBN 0-85991-203-5  

(Others)

• (translated) Dumville, David N. (1974), "Some aspects of the chronology of the Historia Brittonum", Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies T. 25.4: 439–45  

Secondary Sources

(Basic; Encyclopedic Dictionaries)

• Lacy, Norris J. (1991), The New Arthurian Encyclopedia , New York: Garland, ISBN 0-8240-4377-4   ;
• Lacy, Norris J. (1986), The Arthurian Encyclopedia , New York: Garland, ISBN 0-87226-164-6   ; article “Nennius” by GA (Geoffrey Ashe).
• Koch, John Thomas (2006), Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia , ABC-CLIO, p. 925-, ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0 , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=f899xH_quaMC&pag=PA925 >  

(Manuscripts. Directories)

• Manuscripts Catalog (unopened) (inaccessible link) . British Library. Date of treatment March 7, 2012. Archived November 9, 2005.
• Hardy, Thomas Duffus (1862), Descriptive catalog of materials relating to the history of Great Britain , vol. 1, part 1, Longman: Longman , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=5Mo9dzBFtQEC >   (Rolls Series: Rerum Britannicarum medii Ævi Scriptores (Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages)), p. 318- (# 776-).

(Critical research)

• Alcock, Leslie (1971)  
• Dumville, David N. (1974), "Some aspects of the chronology of the Historia Brittonum", Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies T. 25.4: 439–45  
• Fletcher, Robert Huntington (1906), The Arthurian material in the chronicles , vol. 10, p. 32–4 , < https://books.google.com/books?id=CdwWAAAAYAAJ >   ,
• Green, Thomas (2007). Concepts of Arthur . Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-4461-1 .
• Higham, NJ (2002), ' King Arthur: Myth Making and History , London: Routledge & Kegan Paul  
• Liebermann, F. (1925), Nennius the author of the Historia Brittonum , Manchester, p. 25–44 , < https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=EjKg3UoCJeIC&pg=PA25 >  
• Mackillop, James (2004), Historia Brittonum , A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (online ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780198609674 , < http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198609674.001.0001 / acref-9780198609674 >   )
• Bromwich, Rachel (2006). Trioedd Ynys Prydein: The Triads of the Island of Britain. University Of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1386-8 .