Historia Regum Britanniae

Geoffrey of Monmouth · 1136 · Philosophical Text

Explore this on the mapTrace its ancestors and descendants live in the tree.

It created the foundational narrative and characters for the Arthurian legend, providing the raw material that later authors like Chrétien de Troyes would build upon.

What it is

This pseudo-historical chronicle purports to trace the history of Britain from its Trojan origins to the Anglo-Saxon invasions, notably introducing Arthur as a heroic king. It established many key figures and events of the Arthurian legend, though without Lancelot or courtly love.

↑Inherited from

This work originated its idea. No known prior influences in the dataset.

↓Passed on to(1)

Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart· 1177↓ open

Geoffrey of Monmouth's work is widely recognized as the primary source that popularized the figure of King Arthur and his court in medieval literature, directly preceding and enabling Chrétien de Troyes' romances.