Layamon's Brut is a Middle English poem assembled and remold by the vicar Layamon. The Brut relates the history of Britain and is the main historiography created in English since the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

Layamon's Brut is a seminal work of Middle English literature, composed in the early 13th century. This epic poem recounts the legendary history of Britain from its mythical origins under Brutus, a descendant of Aeneas, through the Arthurian tales and the establishment of British kingdoms. Written in an unrhymed alliterative verse, Layamon's style reflects the oral traditions of storytelling while also showcasing the poet's ability to weave complex narratives and characterizations. The poe...

Layamon's Brut, an epic poem written in Middle English between 1200 and 1225, serves as a monumental retelling of the legendary history of Britain, weaving together elements from Arthurian lore and the Anglo-Saxon chronicle. Written in an intricate alliterative style that reflects the poetic traditions of Old English, Layamon's work is notable for its ambitious scope, spanning the myths of King Arthur to the foundation of Britain itself. The poem stands as a vital text that captures the tr...

Layamon's Brut is a sweeping Middle English chronicle tracing Britain from Brutus of Troy to Cadwaladr, with Arthur at its blazing center. Written in the West Midlands c.1200, it adapts Geoffrey of Monmouth through Wace yet darkens and expands episodes: giants, prophecies, sea-crossings, and bruising wars. Layamon's long poem blends native alliterative phrasing with touches of rhyme and formulaic refrain, creating a muscular, incantatory cadence. Preserved in two manuscripts (one later fir...

In 'Layamon's Brut,' the early 13th-century poet Layamon presents a seminal Arthurian narrative that uniquely intertwines English and French linguistic traditions. This epic poem, composed in alliterative verse, serves as a historical chronicle and a retelling of the legend of King Arthur, embracing themes of heroism, loyalty, and the complexity of national identity. Layamon's work, believed to be inspired by earlier French and Latin sources, is notable for its rich imagery and emotional d...

Starting with William Blake's lost painting The Ancient Britons, this book shows how the visionary artist and poet reworked the Matter of Britain--the corpus of legends presenting an alternative history of Britain--into his own mythology. He thus adds to a tradition of Arthurian epic begun by Layamon in the 13th century and continued by Edmund Spenser in the 16th, in which a Romano-Celtic warlord becomes an icon of the English imagination.This book shows how Britain became...