William Raymond Johnston Barron

Layamon

S. C. Weinberg

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, RobertWace'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.

The Arthurian Section of Layamon's Brut (lines 9229-14297)

Layamon's Arthur

At sixteen-thousand lines long, Layamon's Brut, written c.1200-1220, is the second longest poem in the English language. This national epic celebrates a myth, largely invented by Geoffrey of Monmouth, in his Historia (1138) and elaborated by the Jerseyman Wace (1155), of a Britain founded by Trojan refugees, repeatedly beset by foreign invasions and internal treachery across the centuries, triumphantly unified under such heroes as Uther Pendragon and Arthur. It marks the revival of English literature, breaking the virtual silence which followed the last entries in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, and the beginnings of an Arthurian tradition which was to lead to Malory, to Tennyson and on to our own age. Here, for the first time in eight centuries, the poem is published complete and fully edited with modern punctuation and paragraphing. The text is accompanied by textual notes and commentary which take account of the most recent scholarship, and is presented in parallel with a close, literal translation. Unique to this edition, textual divisions expose the thematic structure of the work.

Brut, Or, Hystoria Brutonum

Brut

A modern translation presented side by side with original text; also includes an introduction and notes.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Glyn Sheridan Burgess

"The story of the voyage of the sixth-century Irish saint, Brendan the Navigator, is one of the greatest legends of the Middle Ages. To the nations of medieval Europe the ocean voyage became a metaphor for the perilous journey of the Christian soul in search of the Promised Land, and no spiritual odyssey attracted wider interest." "But Brendan's reach goes far beyond his medieval and monastic context. He is frequently cited as a discoverer of the New World - the search for the mythical St. Brendan's Isle was an important motif behind the voyages of Columbus. Brendan's story also has much in common with the Irish seafaring tales we know as immrama, and his voyage contributes to our understanding of the history of quest and travel literature, containing as it does echoes of the Odyssey and the Aeneid, Sinbad the Sailor and the quest for the Holy Grail." "This volume collects the most important versions of the voyage from a variety of cultures and presents them in modern English translations together with contextual introduction, explanatory commentaries and bibliography. The indexes in this new paperback edition allow easy comparison between the different versions." --Book Jacket.

Representative Versions of the Legend in English Translation with Indexes of Themes and Motifs from the Stories

The Voyage of Saint Brendan

W... R... J... Barron

Starting with the European roots of romance, Dr Barron devotes the main body of his book to a detailed study of the English corpus. He discusses its rich variety of forms in the later Middle Ages, concluding that the English romances show their own conception of the romantic `mode'.

English Medieval Romance

Dual text on facing pages, now revised and updated. Critically acclaimed translation now in its twenty fifth year. Extensive notes, glossary and introduction .

William Raymond Johnston Barron

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