Nennius

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Nennius (c. 769-??) was a Welsh historian and monk in the order of St. Elfodd. It could also be argued that Nennius was an author of historical fiction and a geographer of post-Roman Britain. He is believed to have lived in the area made up by present day Brecknockshire and Radnorshire counties in Powys,Wales.^[1] He is largely credited today for having authored the original manuscript of the Historia Brittonum, which gives a semi-factual account of early British history beginning with Celtic and Roman founders and culminating around the time of Anglo-Saxon invasion. The Historia Brittonium is a major contributor to the Arthurian legend. It also includes the legendary origins of the Picts, Scots, St. Germanus, Vortigern and documents the events associated with the Anglo-Saxon invasion of the 7th century as contributed by a Northumbrian document.^[2]

Nennius was the student of Elvodugus (Elbodug). Elbodug is commonly identified with the bishop Elfoddw of Gwynedd, who convinced the rest of the Welsh portion of Celtic Christianity to celebrate Easter on the same date as the other Catholics in Britain in 768, and is later stated by the Annales Cambriae to have died in 809. Little is known about the monastic life of Nennius other than his association with Elbodug the Bishop of Bangor. Nennius lived outside the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms isolated by mountains in a rural society.^[3] Through the writings and accounts of the Historia Brittonium we know that Nennius did travel throughout present day Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England.^[4] Because of the lack of evidence concerning the life of Nennius, he has become the subject of legend himself. Nennius is often referred to as "Abbott of Bangor Yscoed". In association with Elbodug, this name comes from adopted Welsh traditions that include Nennius with others that escaped the massacre of Welsh monks by Ethelfrid in 613.^[5] by fleeing to Scotland.

Contents 1 Historia Brittonum 2 Nennius' Alphabet 3 Debate Regarding Life and Works 4 Associated Historians and Authors 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Historia Brittonum

Nennius is accredited for writing the Historia Brittonum in c. 830.^[6] Evidence suggests that this medieval literature was a compilation of several sources; some of which are named by Nennius others are not. Some experts say that this was not the first compiled history of the Britons and that it was largely based on Gildas De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae written some two centuries prior.^[7] Most of these sources have not survived and therefore cannot be confirmed. The surviving manuscripts of the Historia Brittonum as we know it today appear to have several editions. One such example of this can be found in the comparison of the information about Nennius contained in the Prologue and in the Apology. The Prologue contains an expanded form of what the Apology says and is only found in editions printed during the 12th century leading experts to believe the document was altered in later editions.^[8] The largest known edition contains seventy-six sections including the Prologue and the Apology. The work was translated into Irish by Giolla Coemgin in c. 1071 and is the earliest example of the original Historia Britonum;^[9] however, the Irish translation still carries the author’s name Nennius.^[10]

Originally written as a history of the Britons in an attempt to document a legitimate past, the Historia Brittonum contains stories of legend and superstition alike.^[11] The historical accuracy of the Historia Brittonum is at best questionable and serves more as historical fiction rather than a legitimate history of the Britons. Although, some historians argue that the Historia Brittonum gives good insight into the way 9th century Britons viewed themselves and their past.^[12] Nennius makes several attempts to trace the history of the Britons back to the Romans and Celts through his empirical observations of what he refers to as "The Marvels" or "Wonders of Britain".^[13] These include ruins, landmarks and other aspects of the British countryside that Nennius deems worthy of documentation. His explanation of the physical landmarks and ruins take on a very mystical interpretation despite Nennius being a Christian monk. Within the writing of Nennius is a sense of pseudo-nationalist pride attempting to legitimize the people of Britain and embellish the past through legend much as the Romans used the story of Romulus and Remus to legitimize the founding of Rome.^[14] One such example of Nennius stressing legend is in his accounts of Arthur and his twelve battles. The Historia Brittonum would come to be the basis on which later medieval authors such as Geoffrey of Monmouth would write the romantic histories of King Arthur.^[15]

[edit] Nennius' Alphabet

In a Welsh manuscript dated 817^[16], a "Nemnivus" or "Nemniuus" responded to the snide accusation of an Saxon scholar that the Britons had no alphabet of their own by spontaneously inventing a Welsh version of the Anglo-Saxon runes, known as futhorc, in order to refute this insult. These “runes were probably bought to Britain in the 5th century by the Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians (collectively known as the Anglo-Saxons), and were used until about the 11th century.”^[17]

In his Runica Manuscripta, René Derolez claims: “There can be no doubt that Nemnivus knew the O.E. futhorc and derived his Welsh alphabet from it.” Nora Chadwick cites this as part of her assertion that Nemnivus was the inventor of this new alphabet and further claims that “Nemnivus” and “Nennius” are only different spellings of “Ninian,” meaning that all three spellings refer to the same person. Chadwick says it is dubious, however, that Nennius wrote the alphabet on spot, since the alphabet is written separately after the brief narration detailing the insult and by someone with obvious knowledge of the Saxon alphabet.^[18] It is more likely then, that Nennius made some boastful embellishments to the story but in truth researched Anglo-Saxon futhorc before creating his alphabet.

[edit] Debate Regarding Life and Works

The Prologue, in which Nennius introduces his purpose and means for writing the British history, first appears in a manuscript from the 12th century. The prologues of all other manuscripts, though only included marginally, so closely resemble this first prologue that William Newell claims they must be copies. "The preface has evidently been prepared by some one who had before him the completed text of the treatise. It appears in the first instance as a marginal gloss contained in a MS. of the twelfth century;' under ordinary conditions, the chapter would unhesitatingly be set aside as a forgery."^[19] He counter's Zimmer's argument by reasoning that the Irishman responsible for the "superior" Irish translations might have added his own touches, further claiming that if a Latin version of the Historia had been available in the 12th century, it would have been replicated in that language, not translated.

Scholar David N. Dumville argues that the manuscript tradition and nature of the Prologue in particular fail to substantiate the claim that Nennius authored Historia Brittonum In his argument against Zimmer, he cites a textual inconsistency in the Irish translation regarding a place called Beulan, concluding that "we must admit to ignorance of the name of [the Historia's] ninth-century author." ^[20]

[edit] Associated Historians and Authors

Gildas - Fifth century historian who lived in South-west Britain. Wrote De Excidio, which focused largely on the history of Christian Britain but fails to give an in depth look of the Pagan period. ^[21]

Bedes- Lived in Northumbrian during the same time period as Nennius. He wrote Ecclestastical history of the English people in 731. It contains geographical description of British Isles and focuses on history of Anglo Saxon Church from St. Augustine's 731 mission.

William of Malmesbury- Late tenth century historian. Recorded history of Britain by compiling both Anglo Saxon and Anglo Norman traditions. He was the first historian of England to make use of topography and ancient monuments as historical sources.

Geoffrey of Gaimar- Eleventh century historian who wrote L'Estoire des Engleis. It was the first known Romance in vernacular verse written in England.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. "Nennius." Dictionary of National Biography. XL. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1894. 218
2. ^ Marsh, Henry. Dark Age Britain: Some Sources of History. Hamden, Connecticut: Archon Books, 1970. 84
3. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 12
4. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. "Nennius." Dictionary of National Biography. XL. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1894. 218
5. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. "Nennius." Dictionary of National Biography. XL. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1894. 221
6. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 6
7. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 7
8. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. "Nennius." Dictionary of National Biography. XL. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1894. 218-19
9. ^ Lee, Sidney, ed. "Nennius." Dictionary of National Biography. XL. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1894. 219
10. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 9
11. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 11
12. ^ Marsh, Henry. Dark Age Britain: Some Sources of History. Hamden, Connecticut: Archon Books, 1970. 8
13. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 11
14. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974. 8
15. ^ Marsh, Henry. Dark Age Britain: Some Sources of History. Hamden, Connecticut: Archon Books, 1970. 65
16. ^ Dumville, D. N. Histories and Pseudo-histories of the Insular Middle Ages. Aldershot: Variorum, 1990.
17. ^ Ager, Simon. “Runic Alphabet.” Omniglot. 2009. 29 March 2009 <http://www.omniglot.com/writing/runic.htm>.
18. ^ Chadwick, Nora, et al. Studies in the Early British Church. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1958.
19. ^ Newell, William Wells. "Doubts Concerning the British History Attributed to Nennius." PMLA. 20.3 (1905): 622-72.
20. ^ Dumville, D. N. Histories and Pseudo-histories of the Insular Middle Ages. Aldershot: Variorum, 1990.
21. ^ Gransden, Antonia. Historical Writing in England. Ithaca, New York: Cornell UP, 1974.

Incorrect spelling - "eccletiastical" should read "ecclesiastical"

[edit] References

• Antonia, Gransden, "Historical Writing in England" Cornell UP, 1974.
• David N. Dumville, "Nennius and the Historia Brittonum", Studia Celtica, 10/11 (1975/6), 78-95
• Nora K. Chadwick, "Early Culture and Learning in North Wales", Studies in the Early British Church (1958).

[edit] External links

• Works by Nennius at Project Gutenberg
• Historia Brittonum at the Avalon Project.
• Nennius and Historia Brittonum commentary from The Cambridge History of English and American Literature, Volume 1, 1907–21.
• The Wonders of Britain: The de mirabilibus britanniae section of the Historia Brittonum, with details
• Nennius (c. 796), Todd, James Henthorn; Algernon, Herbert, eds., Leabhar Breathnach Annso Sis: The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius, Dublin: The Irish Archaeological Society, 1848, http://www.archive.org/details/leabharbreathnac00nennuoft, retrieved on 2008-08-10