The aim of this paper is to give an account of the historical reliability of Nennius’ Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) as it is one of the earliest sources in which a person called Arthur is mentioned. Therefore, this paper will, firstly, give a brief account of the Historia Brittonum. Its structure, content, and, most importantly in terms of historical accuracy, its origin and development will be reviewed and classified, not only in the context of the emergence of the Arthurian legend but also in terms of real historical events. Secondly, an overview of Nennius’ sources will be provided and, in a further step, successively analysed in more detail. These sources include accounts of a Welsh monk named Gildas, the Venerable Bede, and others. Finally, after having reviewed and discussed the sources’ historical reliability, everything will be put into context and the question as to how accurate Nennius really was will be answered. However, before reading this paper it has to be pointed out that scholars still argue about the correct dates, sources, and, surprisingly enough, about the content of Nennius’ Historia Brittonum as well as its interpretation.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- The historical Arthur: Nennius' sources and their implications for the historical reliability of his account of Arthur
- Nennius' Historia Brittonum
- Nennius' sources
- Assessment of historical reliability
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the historical reliability of Nennius' Historia Brittonum, one of the earliest sources mentioning Arthur. It examines the chronicle's structure, content, origin, and development, placing it within the context of the Arthurian legend and real historical events. It also analyzes Nennius' sources, including accounts by Gildas and Bede, to determine the accuracy of his narrative.
- Historical reliability of Nennius' Historia Brittonum
- Origin and development of the Arthurian legend
- Analysis of Nennius' sources
- Assessment of historical accuracy of Nennius' account
- Impact of Nennius' work on subsequent writers of annals and accounts of the Arthurian legend
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by introducing Nennius' Historia Brittonum, discussing its authorship, structure, and content, including its references to Arthur. It then examines Nennius' sources, particularly the works of Gildas and Bede. The paper analyzes the historical reliability of these sources and their influence on Nennius' account. The paper concludes by discussing the impact of Nennius' work on subsequent writers of annals and the Arthurian legend.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key terms and concepts explored in this paper include Nennius' Historia Brittonum, the Arthurian legend, historical reliability, sources, Gildas, Bede, Anglo-Saxon invasion, British history, oral traditions, and legendary narratives.
- Quote paper
- M.Ed. Stefan Westkemper (Author), 2010, The historical Arthur. Nennius’ sources and their implications for the historical reliability of his account of Arthur, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/272406
