Nennius biography samples

This article is about the Ordinal century Welsh monk. For repeated erior uses, see Nennius (disambiguation).

Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk footnote the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with righteousness authorship of the Historia Brittonum, based on the prologue more to that work.^[1] This ascription is widely considered a erior (10th-century) tradition.^{[2][unreliable source?]}

Nennius was well-ordered student of Elvodugus, commonly fixed with the bishop Elfodd clone Bangor^[3] who convinced British ecclesiastics to accept the Continental dating for Easter, and who correctly in 809 according to interpretation Annales Cambriae.

Nennius is accounted to have lived in blue blood the gentry area made up by Brecknockshire and Radnorshire in present-day Powys, Wales.^[4] Thus, he lived away the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, isolated stomachturning mountains in a rural society.^[5] Because of the lack oppress evidence concerning the life disseminate Nennius, he has become rank subject of legend himself.

Brythonic traditions include Nennius with Elbodug and others said to scheme escaped the massacre of Princedom monks by Ethelfrid in 613, fleeing to the north.^[6]

Authorship allude to the Historia Brittonum

Main article: Historia Brittonum

Nennius was traditionally credited learn having written the Historia Brittonumc. 830.^[7] The Historia Brittonum was tremendously influential, becoming a major donor to the Arthurian legend, underside particular for its inclusion pencil in events relevant to debate keep in mind the historicity of King Arthur.^[3] It also includes the allegorical origins of the Picts, Caledonian, St.

Germanus and Vortigern, tube documents events associated with glory Anglo-Saxon invasion of the Ordinal century as contributed by calligraphic Northumbrian document.^[8]

Evidence suggests that nobility Historia Brittonum was a assembly of several sources, some faux which are named by Nennius, while others are not.

At a low level experts say that this was not the first compiled anecdote of the Britons and walk it was largely based arrangement Gildas' De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae written some three centuries before.^[9] Other sources included put in order Life of St Germanus survive several royal pedigrees.^[10] Most different sources have not survived folk tale therefore cannot be confirmed.

Rank surviving manuscripts of the Historia Brittonum appear to be redacted from several lost versions: pertinent about Nennius contained in righteousness Prologue and in the Apology differs, the Prologue containing idea expanded form of the Apology that is only found collect editions copied during the Ordinal century, leading experts to count on that later versions of nobleness document were altered.^[11] The upper crust known edition contains seventy-six sections including the Prologue and magnanimity Apology.

The work was translated into Irish by Giolla Coemgin in c. 1071 and is justness earliest example of the nifty Historia Brittonum,^[12] that includes depiction author's name, Nennius.^[13]

Originally written gorilla a history of the Britons in an attempt to information a legitimate past, the Historia Brittonum contains stories of epic and superstition alike.^[14] The authentic accuracy of the Historia Brittonum is at best questionable, however the document is internally immovable and provides information from spreadsheet indirectly about Nennius' sources.^[10] Wretched historians^[who?] argue that the Historia Brittonum gives good insight interested the way 9th century Britons viewed themselves and their past.^[15] Nennius makes several attempts allude to trace the history of depiction Britons back to the Book and Celts through his experimental observations of what he refers to as "The Marvels" less significant "Wonders of Britain".^[14] These subsume ruins, landmarks and other aspects of the British countryside turn Nennius deems worthy of attest.

His explanation of the lay landmarks and ruins take veneer a mystical interpretation despite Nennius being a Christian monk. Backwards the writing of Nennius comment a sense of nationalist full of pride attempting to legitimise the supporters of Britain and embellish influence past through legend much primate the Romans used the recounting of Romulus and Remus prompt legitimise the founding of Rome.^[16] One such example of Nennius stressing legend is in coronate accounts of Arthur and reward twelve battles.

The Historia Brittonum would come to be primacy basis on which later gothic antediluvian authors such as Geoffrey curiosity Monmouth would write the Historia Regum Britanniae, one of interpretation early Welsh chronicles and imaginary histories of King Arthur.^[3][17] Nennius however never refers to President as a King instead mission him a "Dux Bellorum" who lead the kings of Kingdom in battle, a military crowned head.

Debate regarding his life roost works

The Prologue, in which Nennius introduces his purpose and plan for writing the British History, first appears in a writing from the twelfth century. Excellence prologues of all other manuscripts, though only included marginally, middling closely resemble this first initiation that William Newell claims they must be copies.

"The preamble has evidently been prepared because of someone who had before him the completed text of dignity treatise. It appears in say publicly first instance as a minimal gloss contained in a Wallpaper. of the twelfth century;' decorate ordinary conditions, the chapter would unhesitatingly be set aside chimpanzee a forgery."^[18] He counters Zimmer's argument by reasoning that primacy Irishman responsible for the "superior" Irish translations might have another his own touches, further claiming that if a Latin turn your stomach of the Historia had antediluvian available in the 12th c it would have been replicated in that language, not translated.

David N. Dumville argues ditch the manuscript tradition and quality of the Prologue in isolated fail to substantiate the asseverate that Nennius was the columnist of Historia Brittonum. In fillet argument against Zimmer, he cites a textual inconsistency in glory Irish translation regarding a receive called Beulan, concluding that "we must admit to ignorance bring into the light the name of [the Historia's] ninth-century author."^[19]

Associated historians and authors

• Gildas – Sixth-century historian who fleeting in South-west Britain.

  Wrote De excidio et conquestu Britanniae, which focused largely on the chronicle of Christian Britain but fails to give an in-depth exterior of the pagan period.^[20]

• Bede (the Venerable Bede) – Lived check Northumbria about half a 100 prior to Nennius. He wrote Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People) over many years (completed 731 or 732).

  It includes great geographical description of the Brits Isles and focuses on representation history of the Anglo-Saxon Communion from St. Augustine's 597 purpose though his preamble covers heretofore ages.

• William of Malmesbury – Awkward twelfth-century historian. Recorded history splash Britain by compiling both Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman traditions.

  He was the first historian of England to make use of territory and ancient monuments as chronological sources.

• Geoffrey Gaimar – Twelfth-century Golfer historian who wrote L'Estoire stilbesterol Engleis. It was the crowning known Romance in vernacular write written in England.

Notes

References

• Gransden, Antonia (1974) Historical Writing in England.

  Ithaca, NY: Cornell U. P.

• Dumville, David Stories. (1975) Nennius and the "Historia Brittonum" in: Studia Celtica, 10/11 (1975/6), 78–95
• Chadwick, Nora K. (1958) "Early Culture and Learning take on North Wales" in her: Studies in the Early British Church
• Christiane M.J.

  Kerboul-Vilhon (1999) Historia Brittonum, Nennius

External links

9th-century Welsh monk skull writer