Weiss, Judith, ed., trans., Wace's Roman de Brut: A History of the British (Exeter: University of Exeter Press (Exeter Medieval English Texts and Studies))
Text name(s): Roman de Brut
Number of pages of primary source text: 187
Author(s):
Dates: 1125 - 1175
Archival Reference:
Original Language(s):
- Anglo-Norman
Translation:
- Translated into English.
- Original language included.
Translation Comments: facing page verse Anglo-Norman/ prose modern English translation
Geopolitical Region(s):
- England
County/Region:
Record Types:
- Chronicle, Annals
- Literature - Verse
Subject Headings:
- Early Germanic Peoples: Goths, Franks, etc.
- Government
- Historiography
- Literature - Arthurian
- Literature - Epics, Romance
- Nobility / Gentry
- Royalty / Monarchs
- War - Military History
Apparatus:
- Index
- Bibliography
- Introduction
Comments:
Wace’s Roman de Brut, written in Anglo-Norman for a courtly audience, is an account of the mythical history of England, beginning with Brutus of Troy, its legendary first king, and providing an early version of the history of the legendary King Arthur. The Roman de Brut, which is largely based on Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia, was immensely influential on writers of Arthurian literature, romance, and chronicles. This translated edition of the text, which was previously only available in excerpts, includes facing page Anglo-Norman and modern English.
Introduction Summary:
The editor’s brief (29 pp) introduction provides a brief biographical sketch of the poet Wace, and provides historical context for the poem’s composition. The editor notes that she relied on the 1938 Anglo-Norman edition of the text published by Ivor Arnold. The editor also provides a brief overview of the events the poem describes, comparing it with English history to the 11th century, and to the work of Geoffrey of Monmouth. She also lists the manuscripts in which the text survives, and upon which her edition is based.
Cataloger: MCB
