Nennius (DNB00)
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Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk of the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the ''
Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' () is a purported history of early Britain written around 828 that survives in numerous recensions from after the 11th century. The ''Historia Brittonum'' is commonly attributed to Nennius, as some recensions ha ...
'', based on the prologue affixed to that work. This attribution is widely considered a secondary (10th-century) tradition. Nennius was a student of Elvodugus, commonly identified with the bishop
Elfodd Elfodd, Elvodug or Elfoddw ( or ''Elbodius''; died 809) was a Welsh bishop. He induced the Welsh church to accept the Roman computus for determining the date of Easter endorsed elsewhere in Britain at the Synod of Whitby in 664. This was after ce ...
of Bangor who convinced British ecclesiastics to accept the Continental dating for Easter, and who died in 809 according to the ''
Annales Cambriae The (Latin for ''Annals of Wales'') is the title given to a complex of Latin chronicles compiled or derived from diverse sources at St David's in Dyfed, Wales. The earliest is a 12th-century presumed copy of a mid-10th-century original; later ...
''. Nennius is believed to have lived in the area made up by
Brecknockshire Brecknockshire ( or ), also known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon, was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was created in 1 ...
and
Radnorshire Radnorshire () was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974, later becoming a Districts of Wales, district of Powys from 1974 to 1996. It covered a sparsely populat ...
in present-day
Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...
, Wales. Thus, he lived outside the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, isolated by mountains in a rural society. Because of the lack of evidence concerning the life of Nennius, he has become the subject of legend himself. Welsh traditions include Nennius with Elbodug and others said to have escaped the massacre of Welsh monks by Ethelfrid in 613, fleeing to the north.


Authorship of the ''Historia Brittonum''

Nennius was traditionally credited with having written the ''
Historia Brittonum ''The History of the Britons'' () is a purported history of early Britain written around 828 that survives in numerous recensions from after the 11th century. The ''Historia Brittonum'' is commonly attributed to Nennius, as some recensions ha ...
'' . The ''Historia Brittonum'' was highly influential, becoming a major contributor to the
Arthurian legend The Matter of Britain (; ; ; ) is the body of medieval literature and legendary material associated with Great Britain and Brittany and the legendary kings and heroes associated with it, particularly King Arthur. The 12th-century writer Geoffr ...
, in particular for its inclusion of events relevant to debate about the
historicity of King Arthur The historicity of King Arthur has been debated both by academics and popular writers. While there have been many claims that King Arthur was a real historical person, the current consensus among specialists on the period holds him to be a mytho ...
. It also includes the legendary origins of the
Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...
, Scots, St. Germanus and
Vortigern Vortigern (; , ; ; ; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; ; , , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Sub-Roman Britain, Britain, known perhaps as a king of the Britons or at least ...
, and documents events associated with the
Anglo-Saxon invasion The settlement of Great Britain by Germanic peoples from continental Europe led to the development of an Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon cultural identity and a shared Germanic language—Old English—whose closest known relative is Old Frisian, s ...
of the 7th century as contributed by a Northumbrian document. Evidence suggests that the ''Historia Brittonum'' was a compilation of several sources, some of which are named by Nennius, while others are not. Some experts say that this was not the first compiled history of the Britons and that it was largely based on
Gildas Gildas (English pronunciation: , Breton language, Breton: ''Gweltaz''; ) — also known as Gildas Badonicus, Gildas fab Caw (in Middle Welsh texts and antiquarian works) and ''Gildas Sapiens'' (Gildas the Wise) — was a 6th-century Britons (h ...
' ''
De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (English: ''On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain'') is a work written in Anglo-Latin literature, Latin in the late fifth or sixth century by the Britons (historical), British religious polemicist Gildas. It is a sermon in three parts condemnin ...
'' written some three centuries before. Other sources included a ''Life of St Germanus'' and several royal pedigrees. Stenton, Frank. ''Anglo Saxon England''. New York: Oxford UP, 1971. 75–76 Most other sources have not survived and therefore cannot be confirmed. The surviving manuscripts of the ''Historia Brittonum'' appear to be redacted from several lost versions: information about Nennius contained in the ''Prologue'' and in the ''Apology'' differs, the ''Prologue'' containing an expanded form of the ''Apology'' that is only found in editions copied during the 12th century, leading experts to believe that later versions of the document were altered. The largest known edition contains seventy-six sections including the ''Prologue'' and the ''Apology''. The work was translated into Irish by Giolla Coemgin in and is the earliest example of the original ''Historia Brittonum'', that includes the author's name, Nennius. Originally written as a history of the Britons in an attempt to document a legitimate past, the ''Historia Brittonum'' contains stories of legend and superstition alike.Gransden, Antonia. ''Historical Writing in England''. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 11 The historical accuracy of the ''Historia Brittonum'' is at best questionable, but the document is internally consistent and provides information from and indirectly about Nennius' sources. Some historians argue that the ''Historia Brittonum'' gives good insight into the way 9th century Britons viewed themselves and their past. Nennius makes several attempts to trace the history of the Britons back to the Romans and Celts through his empirical observations of what he refers to as ''"The Marvels"'' or ''"Wonders of Britain"''. These include ruins, landmarks and other aspects of the British countryside that Nennius deems worthy of documentation. His explanation of the physical landmarks and ruins take on a mystical interpretation despite Nennius being a Christian monk. Within the writing of Nennius is a sense of nationalist pride attempting to legitimise the people of Britain and embellish the past through legend much as the Romans used the story of ''
Romulus and Remus In Roman mythology, Romulus and (, ) are twins in mythology, twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the Founding of Rome, founding of the History of Rome, city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his frat ...
'' to legitimise the founding of Rome. One such example of Nennius stressing legend is in his accounts of Arthur and his twelve battles. The ''Historia Brittonum'' would come to be the basis on which later medieval authors such as
Geoffrey of Monmouth Geoffrey of Monmouth (; ; ) was a Catholic cleric from Monmouth, Wales, and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur. He is best known for his chronicle '' The History of ...
would write the , one of the early Welsh chronicles and romantic histories of King Arthur. Nennius however never refers to Arthur as a King instead calling him a "Dux Bellorum" who lead the kings of Britain in battle, a military commander.


Debate regarding his life and works

The Prologue, in which Nennius introduces his purpose and means for writing the ''British History'', first appears in a manuscript from the twelfth century. The prologues of all other manuscripts, though only included marginally, so closely resemble this first prologue that William Newell claims they must be copies. "The preface has evidently been prepared by someone who had before him the completed text of the treatise. It appears in the first instance as a marginal gloss contained in a MS. of the twelfth century;' under ordinary conditions, the chapter would unhesitatingly be set aside as a forgery." He counters Zimmer's argument by reasoning that the Irishman responsible for the "superior" Irish translations might have added his own touches, further claiming that if a Latin version of the ''Historia'' had been available in the 12th century, it would have been replicated in that language, not translated. David N. Dumville argues that the manuscript tradition and nature of the Prologue in particular fail to substantiate the claim that Nennius was the author of ''Historia Brittonum''. In his argument against Zimmer, he cites a textual inconsistency in the Irish translation regarding a place called Beulan, concluding that "we must admit to ignorance of the name of he ''Historia's''ninth-century author."


Associated historians and authors

*
Gildas Gildas (English pronunciation: , Breton language, Breton: ''Gweltaz''; ) — also known as Gildas Badonicus, Gildas fab Caw (in Middle Welsh texts and antiquarian works) and ''Gildas Sapiens'' (Gildas the Wise) — was a 6th-century Britons (h ...
– Sixth-century historian who lived in South-west Britain. Wrote ''
De excidio et conquestu Britanniae (English: ''On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain'') is a work written in Anglo-Latin literature, Latin in the late fifth or sixth century by the Britons (historical), British religious polemicist Gildas. It is a sermon in three parts condemnin ...
'', which focused largely on the history of Christian Britain but fails to give an in-depth look of the pagan period.Gransden, Antonia. ''Historical Writing in England.'' Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. * Bede (the
Venerable Bede Bede (; ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, Bede of Jarrow, the Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable (), was an English monk, author and scholar. He was one of the most known writers during the Early Middle Ages, and his most fa ...
) – Lived in Northumbria about half a century prior to Nennius. He wrote ''
Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum The ''Ecclesiastical History of the English People'' (), written by Bede in about AD 731, is a history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England generally; its main focus is on the growth of Christianity. It was composed in Latin, and ...
'' (Ecclesiastical History of the English People) over many years (completed 731 or 732). It includes a geographical description of the British Isles and focuses on the history of the Anglo-Saxon Church from St. Augustine's 597 mission though his preamble covers earlier ages. *
William of Malmesbury William of Malmesbury (; ) was the foremost English historian of the 12th century. He has been ranked among the most talented English historians since Bede. Modern historian C. Warren Hollister described him as "a gifted historical scholar and a ...
– Early twelfth-century historian. Recorded history of Britain by compiling both Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman traditions. He was the first historian of England to make use of topography and ancient monuments as historical sources. *
Geoffrey Gaimar Geoffrey Gaimar (fl. 1130s), also written Geffrei or Geoffroy, was an Anglo-Norman chronicler. His contribution to medieval literature and history was as a translator from Old English to Anglo-Norman. His ''L'Estoire des Engleis'', or ''History ...
– Twelfth-century Norman historian who wrote '' L'Estoire des Engleis''. It was the first known Romance in vernacular verse written in England.


Notes

*


References

* Gransden, Antonia (1974) ''Historical Writing in England''. Ithaca, NY: Cornell U. P. * Dumville, David N. (1975) ''Nennius and the "Historia Brittonum"'' in: ''Studia Celtica'', 10/11 (1975/6), 78–95 * Chadwick, Nora K. (1958) "Early Culture and Learning in North Wales" in her: ''Studies in the Early British Church'' * Christiane M.J. Kerboul-Vilhon (1999
Historia Brittonum, Nennius


External links

* * * *
''Historia Brittonum''
at the
Avalon Project The Avalon Project is a digital library of documents relating to law, history and diplomacy. The project is part of the Yale Law School Lillian Goldman Law Library. The project contains online electronic copies of documents dating back to the b ...
.
Nennius and ''Historia Brittonum''
commentary from ''
The Cambridge History of English and American Literature ''The Cambridge History of English and American Literature'' is an encyclopedia of literary criticism that was published by Cambridge University Press between 1907 and 1921. Edited and written by an international panel of 171 leading scholars and ...
'', Volume 1, 1907–21.
''The Wonders of Britain''
The ''de mirabilibus britanniae'' section of the Historia Brittonum, with details {{Short description, 9th-century Welsh monk and writer 9th-century births 9th-century deaths Geoffrey of Monmouth Medieval Welsh literature Writers of Arthurian literature 9th-century Welsh historians 9th-century writers in Latin 9th-century Christian monks Welsh Christian monks