Inventing King Arthur: Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain
LecturesLiam Daley
This course offers an in-depth look at the first complete “historical” narrative of the reign of King Arthur, Geoffrey’s Historia Regum Britanniae. Almost a quarter of the total work, this crucial first account of Arthur includes Arthur’s magically-contrived conception, his conquest of Rome, and his overthrown and death at the hands of his nephew Mordred. This course also looks at the “battle of books” that followed in the wake of Geoffrey’s work, with some contemporaries arguing that Geoffrey simply made the whole thing up, and others rallying to Geoffrey’s (and Arthur’s) defense.
Course Instructor: Dr. Liam Daley
Course Instructor: Dr. Liam Daley
- Lecture 1: Arthur Before Geoffrey of Monmouth01:06:33
- Lecture 2: History and Prophesy59:30
- Lecture 3: The Norman Context56:15
- Lecture 4: The Battle of the Books01:06:55