The History of the Kings of Britain

Ignoge and Brutus have three sons: Locrinus, Kamber and Albanactus. After Brutus’ death, the brothers divide the kingdom and rule in peace until Humber, King of the Huns, lands in Albanactus’ region—called Albany—and kills him, causing his people “to flee to Locrinus” (61). Locrinus and Kamber create an alliance to chase off Humber, who drowns in the river that bears his name. In addition to treasure, Locrinus reserves “for himself three young women of striking beauty,” one of whom is called Estrildis (61). Locrinus wants to marry her but has already promised to marry Corineus’ daughter, Gwendolen, so he instead hides Estrildis in a cave. There, she bears Locrinus a daughter called Habren while Gwendolen bears his son called Madden. After Corineus’ death, Locrinus abandons Gwendolen and makes Estrildis his queen. Being “most indignant at this,” Gwendolyn assembles an army that battles Locrinus’ forces (62). He is killed in the battle “and so departed from the joys of this life” (62). Gwendolyn rules for 15 years then passes “the sceptre [sic] of the realm” to Maddan, who rules in peace for 40 years.

After Maddan’s death, his sons Malin and Mempricius, quarrel over the kingdom. Mempricius murders his brother and assumes tyrannical reign over the whole island until he is killed during a hunting expedition. Next to rule is Mempricius’ son Ebraucus, who holds the crown for 39 years and is the first since Brutus to sail to Gaul and make war there. By his 20 wives, Ebraucus fathers 20 sons and 30 daughters. His daughters he sends to Italy to marry Trojan nobles; his sons sail to Germany, where they “subdued the people and seized the kingdom” (64). One son, Brutus Greenshield, stays behind to assume the crown after Ebraucus and after 12 years, his son Leil succeeds him. Leil rules for 25 years, but civil war breaks out towards the end of his reign. Leil’s son Rud Hud Hudibras, who rules for 39 years, builds Canterbury and founds Winchester and the fortress of Shaftesbury. Hudibras’ son Bladud succeeds him, reigning for 20 years during which time he builds Bath. His son Leir succeeds him, ruling for 60 years.

Leir has three daughters—Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia—of which Cordelia (the youngest) is his favorite. Leir tests his daughters and Goneril and Regan deceive him. Cordelia, who is honest with Leir, falls out of favor. Leir marries Goneril and Regan to the Dukes of Cornwall and Albany with the promise that they will inherit the British kingdom after his death. Frankish king Aganippus marries Cordelia without a dowry because he loves her. When Leir grows older, his Dukes stage a rebellion and take his kingdom. Leir moves in with Goneril until she forces him to reduce his retinue. He flees to Regan, who shows him no more respect than Goneril did. Leir decides to go to Cordelia, realizing she is the only daughter who purely loves him. Cordelia helps restore Leir’s pride, and Aganippus raises an army, defeats the Dukes, and returns Leir to the British throne. Three years later, Leir and Aganippus both die, and Cordelia inherits the kingdom. She peacefully rules for five years until her nephews, Marganus and Cunedagius, raise a rebellion, imprison the queen (who commits suicide), and divide the kingdom between themselves. Marganus and Cunedagius eventually battle for sole control of the kingdom, and Cunedagius succeeds, ruling for 33 years.

After Cunedagius’ death, his son Rivallo assumes the throne. His descendants succeed him uneventfully: first Gurgustius, then Jago, Kimarcus, and Gorboduc in turn. After Gorboduc becomes senile, his sons, Ferrex and Porrex, battle over the throne, and Ferrex is killed. The brothers’ mother, Judon, avenges his death by killing Porrex, as she loves him less than she loved his brother. Britain descends into civil war. Eventually, a courageous king of Cornwall, Dunvallo Molmutius, challenges and defeats several local kings and assumes control of the whole island. Dunvallo is also responsible for establishing a number of laws that promoted safety and that continue to be observed in Geoffrey’s day.

His sons, Belinus and Brennius, battle each other for control of their father’s kingdom. Eventually, their friends intervene to bring peace by diving the kingdom between the brothers with Belinus, as the eldest, taking the highest office. However, Brennius’ advisors convince him not to accept a subservient role to his brother. Brennius marries a Norwegian princess and imports an army to fight for control of Britain. In a fierce battle, Belinus emerges victorious. The Norwegians flee; Belinus’ troops slaughter them mercilessly as they run away. Brennius escapes to France. Belinus takes control of the island and ratifies his father’s laws, establishing justice throughout the kingdom. To clarify boundaries, Belinus orders roads be built throughout the island and establishes “the highway code” (76).

Meanwhile, Brennius laments being expelled from his country. After unsuccessfully petitioning Gallic leaders for help, he establishes a friendship with Segnius, Allobroges’ leader. Segnius gives Brennius his daughter in marriage and makes him heir to his dukedom. After Segnius’ death, Brennius uses his resources to wage war on Belinus. As the brothers’ two armies face each other, their mother, Tonuuenna, rushes to confront Brennius. She throws her arms around him, kisses him, and entreats him to forgive his brother and acknowledge his own role as aggressor in their quarrel. Moved by his mother’s speech, Brennius obeys her and the brothers make peace. They join forces to invade and subsequently capture Gaul, then march to Rome, plundering “cities and farming communities up and down Italy” (79). They fight a ferocious battle against the Romans, eventually emerging victorious. Brennius stays in Italy, “where he treated the local people with unheard-of savagery” (81). Belinus returns to Britain to govern “his homeland in peace” and unprecedented prosperity (81).

Belinus’ son Gurguit Barbtruc succeeds him. He is a wise, modest man who follows in his father's footsteps and loves “peace and justice” (82). When the Danish king refuses to pay tribute to Gurguit as he did to Belinus, Gurguit invades Denmark, kills the king, and returns the country to subservience. Upon his return, he encounters a group of Bascelenses exiled from Spain and offers them uninhabited land in Ireland to settle. After Gurguit’s death, Guithelin assumes the crown, who is succeeded by his wife Marcia and her seven-year-old son Sisillius. After Marcia’s death, Sisillius is crowned, followed by his son Kinarius, then his brother Danius, then his son Morvidus. During his reign, a Moriani king lands forces in Northumbria and lays waste to the countryside. Morvidus’ troops defeat the invaders, and Morvidus personally murders every survivor. When he becomes too exhausted to continue killing, he orders the rest “skinned alive and in this state he had them burnt” (84). These “bestialities and other similar outrages” come to an end when a “monster of unheard-of savageness” begins devouring coastal dwellers (84). Morvidus resolves to fight the monster, but she eats him.

Morvidus' honorable son Gorbonianus succeeds him and justly rules. After Gorbonianus’ death, his brother Archgallo—who is as corrupt as his brother was just—takes the crown. The nobles stage a rebellion and depose Archgallo, installing his brother Elidurus in his place. Eventually, Elidurus returns the crown to Archgallo, who rules for ten years “without reverting to his earlier evil behaviour” (85). After Archgallo’s death, Elidurus becomes king again, but his two brothers, Ingenius and Peredurus, raise an army to fight and subsequently defeat Elidurus. They imprison Elidurus and divide the kingdom between them until Ingenius’ death brings the island under Peredurus’ rule.

After Ingenius’ death, Elidurus once again assumes the throne. He is succeeded by a just, compassionate son of Gorbonianus, who is succeeded by Marganus, a son of Archgallo. His brother Enniaunus succeeds him but is deposed for his tyranny and replaced by his cousin Idvallo, who is “just and righteous in all that he” does (86). Gerennus and his son Catellus succeed the throne in turn, followed by a long line of largely uneventful but often just and fair rulers. One king, Lud, becomes known as a warrior who arranges lavish feasts. The city he loves best and spends the most time in is called Kaerlud in his time, but eventually becomes known as London. His brother Cassivelaunus is crowned but allocates part of the kingdom to Lud’s young sons.