Module Information

This module will examine the development of historical writing in Britain from the sixth century through to the reign of Edward I. It will initially focus upon the basic skills required to use editions of medieval texts efficiently, primarily a basic understanding of the terminology associated with manuscripts, editorial principles and the critical apparatus. This basic knowledge will then enable a better understanding of the most important sources for early medieval Britain. Starting with the work of Gildas, the primary source for early medieval Britain and proceeding through the major texts of Bede, the Historia Brittonum, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and associated minor texts, the first part of the module will provide an overview of pre-Norman sources and their relationships to each other. The second-half of the module will focus upon the three most prominent writers of the early twelfth century, William of Malmesbury and Henry of Huntingdon who wrote two of the most important chronicles of the period, and Geoffrey of Monmouth whose History of the Kings of Britain became the most influential work of the medieval period. It was also responsible for the Matter of Britain which so influenced European literature with its stories of Brutus, Vortigern and King Arthur. The module will finish with an introduction to the chronicle sources that deal primarily with the history of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. By the end of the module the student will have an understanding of the major chronicle sources of medieval Britain, their reasons for being written and their relationships to each other. They will also be able to consult the editions of these sources with confidence and therefore study them in greater depth.

This module will provide an additional choice as part of the range of skills, sources and methods modules available to second year students, which will be of particular interest to students studying for the single honours in Medieval and Early Modern History. It will give students an opportunity to consider how and why medieval chronicles and texts were produced and how they may be used as a source by historians.