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Layamon's Arthur: The Arthurian Section of Layamon's Brut
Layamon's Brut is a landmark in English literature, the first major work in English after the Norman Conquest, and the precursor of a rich Arthurian literature, from Malory to Tennyson and on to our own time. This edition combines a fully-edited version of the original text with a close parallel prose translation, together with a lengthy Introduction, textual notes and a full and up-to-date bibliography.
Written c.1200 - 1220, the Brut develops the themes of its principal source, Robert Wace's Roman de Brut, itself a version of Geoffrey of Monmouth's bestseller, the Historia Regum Britanniae, in a metre and idiom reminiscent of Old English. It demonstrates the fundamental strength of a native culture which survived two centuries of French dominance to re-emerge as a fusion of a national tradition and continental influences.
Written c.1200 - 1220, the Brut develops the themes of its principal source, Robert Wace's Roman de Brut, itself a version of Geoffrey of Monmouth's bestseller, the Historia Regum Britanniae, in a metre and idiom reminiscent of Old English. It demonstrates the fundamental strength of a native culture which survived two centuries of French dominance to re-emerge as a fusion of a national tradition and continental influences.
362 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1190
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About the author
Layamon
48 books2 followersfloruit 13th century
Layamon, English poet, circa 1205 wrote The Brut , the first account of knights of Arthur, king.
Layamon, occasionally notable author of the 12th century and the early 13th century, worked the language to discuss the legends of the Round Table.
Layamon describes a priest, lived at Areley Kings in Worcestershire. He provided numerous later inspiration for Sir Thomas Malory and Jorge Luis Borges and affected medieval history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layamon
Layamon, English poet, circa 1205 wrote The Brut , the first account of knights of Arthur, king.
Layamon, occasionally notable author of the 12th century and the early 13th century, worked the language to discuss the legends of the Round Table.
Layamon describes a priest, lived at Areley Kings in Worcestershire. He provided numerous later inspiration for Sir Thomas Malory and Jorge Luis Borges and affected medieval history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layamon
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 7, 2018
Mostly a scripture-like military history, with some wonderful stories including:
1. How Merlin through magic helped Uther win Gorlois' wife
2. Uther's death by poison by six spies posing as supporters
3. Arthur's response to being named king at 15 years old
4. Baldolf posing as a half-wit to pass through an army and enter a castle under siege
5. The marvelous loch with eagles, and water-monsters, and elves
6. The riot that led to a carpenter suggesting the round table
7. The man-to-man battle between Arthur and Frolle for France (and England)
8. Arthur's dream of the dragon and the bear
9. The abduction of Helene by an Ogre
10. Where Arthur went and the question of his return
WISDOM FROM LAYAMON'S ARTHUR:
ON WISDOM AND WORLDLY POSSESSIONS
MERLIN: "I am the richest of all men in wisdom and were I to covet possessions then I would diminish in skill."
ON PRIDE
NARRATOR: "Their boasting and their mockery brought shame upon themselves. And it is ever so with men who so behave!"
ON IDLENESSS
CADOR: "Idleness is hateful to all peoples since idleness causes a man to lose his valor, idleness makes a soldier neglect his duty, idleness leads to many evil deeds, idleness brings to ruin many thousands of men; few men prosper through idle habits."
ON PEACE
CADOR: "Peace tieces us down and makes us all but impotent."
GAWAIN: "Peace and quiet are good if one maintains them willingly--and God himself in his divinity created them--for peace allows a good man to do good deeds whereby all men are the better and the land happier."
ON THREATS
GERIN: "Threats are worth nothing unless there are deeds as well."
1. How Merlin through magic helped Uther win Gorlois' wife
2. Uther's death by poison by six spies posing as supporters
3. Arthur's response to being named king at 15 years old
4. Baldolf posing as a half-wit to pass through an army and enter a castle under siege
5. The marvelous loch with eagles, and water-monsters, and elves
6. The riot that led to a carpenter suggesting the round table
7. The man-to-man battle between Arthur and Frolle for France (and England)
8. Arthur's dream of the dragon and the bear
9. The abduction of Helene by an Ogre
10. Where Arthur went and the question of his return
WISDOM FROM LAYAMON'S ARTHUR:
ON WISDOM AND WORLDLY POSSESSIONS
MERLIN: "I am the richest of all men in wisdom and were I to covet possessions then I would diminish in skill."
ON PRIDE
NARRATOR: "Their boasting and their mockery brought shame upon themselves. And it is ever so with men who so behave!"
ON IDLENESSS
CADOR: "Idleness is hateful to all peoples since idleness causes a man to lose his valor, idleness makes a soldier neglect his duty, idleness leads to many evil deeds, idleness brings to ruin many thousands of men; few men prosper through idle habits."
ON PEACE
CADOR: "Peace tieces us down and makes us all but impotent."
GAWAIN: "Peace and quiet are good if one maintains them willingly--and God himself in his divinity created them--for peace allows a good man to do good deeds whereby all men are the better and the land happier."
ON THREATS
GERIN: "Threats are worth nothing unless there are deeds as well."
April 25, 2022
Magnificent! I studied at university decades back, and the power and beauty of the verse, the additions and variations from Wace's Roman de Brut - particularly the elfs' gifts to Arthur - and its place in forming the path of Arthurian literature sealed my fate as a specialist in this academic area.
March 31, 2018
my lord this was a slog to get through... now to write an entire essay on it
June 30, 2022
UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
August 22, 2014
The Englished version of Robert Wace's Roman de Brut, expanded to 30,000 lines and incorporating ideas of government, theological belief, and tensions between pagan and Christian ways of being contemporary to the author. Even greater emphasis than before is placed upon the notions of fellowship, loyalty, and reward-for-service that characterize Arthur's reign and nation-shaping (problematic term, but still our best way of describing his activity as king) in the chronicles, while Mordred's treachery is commented upon in more disparaging terms as well. The presence of fairies at Arthur's birth, and the circumstances of his coronation, as well as changes to his prophetic dream that align it more firmly with alchemical imagery than its earlier iterations render this text particularly interesting to me.
April 28, 2013
This is another one that really should be read in the original language.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews