Dr. Miles Russell

I think it's fair to say in the past it was viewed as one of the most important texts relating to the history of the Britons, giving them their lost voice. But in the last 200 years, people have tended to be a bit more critical of it and say, well, actually, it appears to just be either complete fantasy. It's made up or it's some kind of misguided fantasy.

patriotic drivel, which really made sense in the 12th century, but doesn't today. The difficulty really is we don't know anything about the man who wrote it, Geoffrey of Monmouth. We know that he existed, which is good. We know that he was living in Oxford in the 1130s. We know that by his name, Geoffrey of Monmouth, he must have grown up or spent his formative years on the Welsh-English border.

patriotic drivel, which really made sense in the 12th century, but doesn't today. The difficulty really is we don't know anything about the man who wrote it, Geoffrey of Monmouth. We know that he existed, which is good. We know that he was living in Oxford in the 1130s. We know that by his name, Geoffrey of Monmouth, he must have grown up or spent his formative years on the Welsh-English border.

patriotic drivel, which really made sense in the 12th century, but doesn't today. The difficulty really is we don't know anything about the man who wrote it, Geoffrey of Monmouth. We know that he existed, which is good. We know that he was living in Oxford in the 1130s. We know that by his name, Geoffrey of Monmouth, he must have grown up or spent his formative years on the Welsh-English border.

But beyond that, We know very little about him or indeed why he chose to write this book. He says in his foreword that Walter, the Archdeacon at Oxford, his ultimate boss, gave him the task of translating a very ancient book in what he calls the Celtic tongue, translating it into Latin.

But beyond that, We know very little about him or indeed why he chose to write this book. He says in his foreword that Walter, the Archdeacon at Oxford, his ultimate boss, gave him the task of translating a very ancient book in what he calls the Celtic tongue, translating it into Latin.

But beyond that, We know very little about him or indeed why he chose to write this book. He says in his foreword that Walter, the Archdeacon at Oxford, his ultimate boss, gave him the task of translating a very ancient book in what he calls the Celtic tongue, translating it into Latin.

But people have taken that to think, well, this is some kind of smokescreen, some kind of cover for something he's actually inventing, because there is no original Celtic text that people have found. But all the way through his book, we can see he's making reference to oral history. And other writers of the same time are like Henry of Huntingdon and William of Marsbury.

But people have taken that to think, well, this is some kind of smokescreen, some kind of cover for something he's actually inventing, because there is no original Celtic text that people have found. But all the way through his book, we can see he's making reference to oral history. And other writers of the same time are like Henry of Huntingdon and William of Marsbury.

But people have taken that to think, well, this is some kind of smokescreen, some kind of cover for something he's actually inventing, because there is no original Celtic text that people have found. But all the way through his book, we can see he's making reference to oral history. And other writers of the same time are like Henry of Huntingdon and William of Marsbury.

They're talking about the stories of the Britons, which are known by heart. So there is this sort of tradition of all storytelling, of passing myths down from generation to generation, but not actually writing anything down. And it is actually the beginning of the 12th century that we start seeing things like the Mabinogion in Wales, a whole series of different texts. We see the Welsh Triads.

They're talking about the stories of the Britons, which are known by heart. So there is this sort of tradition of all storytelling, of passing myths down from generation to generation, but not actually writing anything down. And it is actually the beginning of the 12th century that we start seeing things like the Mabinogion in Wales, a whole series of different texts. We see the Welsh Triads.

They're talking about the stories of the Britons, which are known by heart. So there is this sort of tradition of all storytelling, of passing myths down from generation to generation, but not actually writing anything down. And it is actually the beginning of the 12th century that we start seeing things like the Mabinogion in Wales, a whole series of different texts. We see the Welsh Triads.

We see Geoffrey of Monmouth. They're starting to write down stories which seem to have been passed around. Now, the difficulty with an oral history is obviously tracing its origins. And of course, it's the possibility that every generation is slightly modifying it or changing it. And therefore, the story becomes distorted. Names become garbled and it becomes increasingly difficult

We see Geoffrey of Monmouth. They're starting to write down stories which seem to have been passed around. Now, the difficulty with an oral history is obviously tracing its origins. And of course, it's the possibility that every generation is slightly modifying it or changing it. And therefore, the story becomes distorted. Names become garbled and it becomes increasingly difficult

We see Geoffrey of Monmouth. They're starting to write down stories which seem to have been passed around. Now, the difficulty with an oral history is obviously tracing its origins. And of course, it's the possibility that every generation is slightly modifying it or changing it. And therefore, the story becomes distorted. Names become garbled and it becomes increasingly difficult

to look back and think, well, what is the actual kernel of truth there? What is the actual origins of this? But Geoffrey's writing this down, and he presents a history that he describes of the Britons. He's putting this as an attempt to counter the overtly English stories, like Bede, who writes the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

to look back and think, well, what is the actual kernel of truth there? What is the actual origins of this? But Geoffrey's writing this down, and he presents a history that he describes of the Britons. He's putting this as an attempt to counter the overtly English stories, like Bede, who writes the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

to look back and think, well, what is the actual kernel of truth there? What is the actual origins of this? But Geoffrey's writing this down, and he presents a history that he describes of the Britons. He's putting this as an attempt to counter the overtly English stories, like Bede, who writes the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

He's got William of Malmesbury, Henry of Huntingdon, and their stories are very Anglo-Saxon-centric. You know, they're based on the first English migrants setting up kingdoms. He's presenting a story that counters that and said, actually, before they arrived, there is this great heritage going back, all the kings and queens and monarchs.