The History of Merlin and King Arthur
The Earliest Version of the Arthurian Legend
1656
First Published
3.36
Average Rating
144
Number of Pages
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.
Avg Rating
3.36
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Author
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Author · 6 books
Geoffrey of Monmouth (Latin: Galfridus Monemutensis, Galfridus Arturus, Welsh: Gruffudd ap Arthur, Sieffre o Fynwy) (c. 1100 – c. 1155) was a Welsh cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. Much of his work is considered to be pseudo-history. He is best known for his chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain); his document of quotations attributed to Merlin, Prophetiae Merlini (Prophecies of Merlin); and his poem Vita Merlini (Life of Merlin).
