56 pages • 1 hour read
Geoffrey of MonmouthThe History of the Kings of Britain
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1136A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
DedicationChapter Summaries & Analyses
Dedication Summary
Geoffrey of Monmouth expresses surprise at how difficult it was to gather information on the kings of Britain, both before and after the birth of Christ, especially because “the deeds of these men were such that they deserve to be praised for all time” (37). Their deeds were orally transferred via memory, until Walter, Archdeacon of Oxford, gave Geoffrey “a certain very ancient book” that narrated the deeds of kings from Brutus to Cadwallader, the first and last kings respectively that Geoffrey discusses (37). Geoffrey professes to be translating the book into Latin and keeping it in his “own homely style” to ensure readers are not distracted by “high-flown rhetorical figures” (38).
Geoffrey describes the stellar qualities of his two patrons. He dedicates the book to Robert, Earl of Gloucester—whom Geoffrey asks to help elevate the book in importance—and Waleran, Count of Mellent. Geoffrey asks the latter to be the book’s patron, guiding it towards popularity among the public, and protecting Geoffrey from envy so that “I may be able in peaceful harmony to make music on the reed-pipe of a muse who really belongs to you” (39).
Dedication Analysis
Geoffrey’s dedication serves multiple purposes. First, it introduces the ostensible function of the text: to present a chronicle of Britain’s kings. Geoffrey expressly states that the kings’ deeds “deserve to be praised for all time,” suggesting the patriotic purpose of his history (37). Second, as with invocations of the Muses in ancient epics, the dedication draws attention to higher forces that inspired the text. In Geoffrey’s case, these are his patrons, whom he asks to guide the book’s reception. Finally, the dedication reflects a convention of medieval literature called excusatio propter infirmitatem, which is Latin for an apology from the author for his deficiencies. Though somewhat affected, it is a gesture of humility—and shifting of responsibility—intended to disarm the audience.
Geoffrey mentions that he attempts to write in a “homely style” so as to avoid distracting from the greatness of the kings’ accomplishments. The translator of the edition discussed in this guide, Lewis Thorpe, sought to replicate the common language of the Latin original. That aside, Geoffrey both narratively and thematically makes use of literary devices, as discussed below.
Of the “certain very ancient book” Geoffrey mentions, if it existed, no extant copies have survived. Though definitive answers remain elusive, one theory scholars have suggested is that Geoffrey refers to oral stories told to him by Walter.
