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The first modern edition of a text which shows the suspicion with which Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain was received two decades after it first appeared.
The history of the Yorkshire secular clerk, Alfred of Beverley (c.1148 x c.1151), an important primary source in Anglo-Norman historiography, supplies a history of Britain from its supposed foundation by Brutus down to the death of Henry I in 1135.
Alfred's history is of particular interest in that it is the first Insular Latin chronicle to incorporate the legendary British history of Geoffrey of Monmouth (published c.mid 1130s) within a continuous account of the island's past. In attempting to fuse the radically new Galfridian account of the past with that of the conventional twelfth-century (Bedan) view, Alfred's use and manipulation of his sources is highly revealing and suggests a quite critical reception of Geoffrey's history, a mindset which by the end of the twelfth century appears almost entirely to have disappeared amongst chroniclers.
Alfred's history is also an important, and presently undervalued, witness to the reception and dissemination of three of the most important Anglo-Norman histories: Symeon of Durham Historia Regum, The Chronicle of John of Worcester and Henry of Huntingdon, Historia Anglorum, from which works it borrows extensively. In the manner of use of these sources, the author tells us much about the ecclesiastical and intellectual interests and outlook of the period.
The history of the Yorkshire secular clerk, Alfred of Beverley (c.1148 x c.1151), an important primary source in Anglo-Norman historiography, supplies a history of Britain from its supposed foundation by Brutus down to the death of Henry I in 1135.
Alfred's history is of particular interest in that it is the first Insular Latin chronicle to incorporate the legendary British history of Geoffrey of Monmouth (published c.mid 1130s) within a continuous account of the island's past. In attempting to fuse the radically new Galfridian account of the past with that of the conventional twelfth-century (Bedan) view, Alfred's use and manipulation of his sources is highly revealing and suggests a quite critical reception of Geoffrey's history, a mindset which by the end of the twelfth century appears almost entirely to have disappeared amongst chroniclers.
Alfred's history is also an important, and presently undervalued, witness to the reception and dissemination of three of the most important Anglo-Norman histories: Symeon of Durham Historia Regum, The Chronicle of John of Worcester and Henry of Huntingdon, Historia Anglorum, from which works it borrows extensively. In the manner of use of these sources, the author tells us much about the ecclesiastical and intellectual interests and outlook of the period.
Price: $190.00
Pages: 438
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Inc.
Imprint: Boydell Press
Series: Boydell Medieval Texts
Publication Date:
31 January 2023
Trim Size: 9.21 X 6.14 in
ISBN: 9781783274888
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
HISTORY / Europe / Medieval, European history: medieval period, middle ages, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Religious, Biography: religious and spiritual
This fine book, the first modern critical edition of Alfred's History, will hopefully spark new and much-deserved interest in Alfred's work.
— ARTHURIANA
Delicately draws out the network of interlinking writers and minds that lies behind the construction of Alfred's History. A lot can be learned about the way he uses the work of other writers who were his sources and presumably correspondents, and creates from it a unified narrative. The edition is a skilful exercise in twelfth-century historiography above anything else.
— Northern History
Slevin and Lockyer have allowed modern audiences the chance to engage with a historical work that was previously available in print only via Thomas Hearne's 1716 edition of the Bodleian manuscript. The edition carries strong potential to contribute to current debates on historiographical thought in medieval England.
— SPECULUM
Slevin and Lockyer have made a significant contribution to academic scholarship. Their elucidation of Alfred's text permits a fuller understanding of the vibrancy of historical inquiry in the first half of the twelfth century, and of the circulation of texts between different religious communities.
— YORKSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
— ARTHURIANA
Delicately draws out the network of interlinking writers and minds that lies behind the construction of Alfred's History. A lot can be learned about the way he uses the work of other writers who were his sources and presumably correspondents, and creates from it a unified narrative. The edition is a skilful exercise in twelfth-century historiography above anything else.
— Northern History
Slevin and Lockyer have allowed modern audiences the chance to engage with a historical work that was previously available in print only via Thomas Hearne's 1716 edition of the Bodleian manuscript. The edition carries strong potential to contribute to current debates on historiographical thought in medieval England.
— SPECULUM
Slevin and Lockyer have made a significant contribution to academic scholarship. Their elucidation of Alfred's text permits a fuller understanding of the vibrancy of historical inquiry in the first half of the twelfth century, and of the circulation of texts between different religious communities.
— YORKSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Preface and Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
List of plates, figures and maps
INTRODUCTION
Alfred of Beverley - Man, Milieu & Memory
Date and Circumstances of the History
Sources
i. Introduction
ii. Henry of Huntingdon
iii. Geoffrey of Monmouth
iv. John of Worcester
v. The Durham Historia Regum
The Afterlife of Alfred
Historical place, purpose and value
Manuscripts
Editions
i. Previous Edition
ii. This Edition
TEXT AND TRANSLATION
Appendices
General Index
Abbreviations
List of plates, figures and maps
INTRODUCTION
Alfred of Beverley - Man, Milieu & Memory
Date and Circumstances of the History
Sources
i. Introduction
ii. Henry of Huntingdon
iii. Geoffrey of Monmouth
iv. John of Worcester
v. The Durham Historia Regum
The Afterlife of Alfred
Historical place, purpose and value
Manuscripts
Editions
i. Previous Edition
ii. This Edition
TEXT AND TRANSLATION
Appendices
General Index