The Historia regum Britanniae is a Latin manuscript in written between 1135 and 1138, by the writer Welsh Geoffroy de Monmouth.

It is a legendary history kings of the island of Brittany (“Brittany” indicates here current the Great Britain and not the Armorican Brittany) since Brutus, the myth founder, until Cadwaladr. It is the first appearance of outstanding characters such Merlin, Uther Pendragon or the King Arthur. Near to the chronicle, the text presents the succession of a hundred reigns with passages epic. The author claims that it is a translation of the Britannici sermonis liber vetustissimus , source whose existence is strongly disputed.

Work had a great success with the Moyen-âge, since 215 manuscripts are listed. It marks the literary birth of the Matière of Brittany and will have a determining influence on the Légende arthurienne. An adaptation in French is made by the titrated trouvere Norman Wace in 1155 the Roman of Crude .

The book starts with a dedication with Etienne of Blois, king d' Angleterre and with Robert, count de Gloucester. An idyllic description of Brittany, “located in the Ocean between Gaulle and Ireland”, teaches us that it is populated by the Normands, the Bretons, the Saxons, the Pictes and the Scots.

Principal sovereigns

• Brutus of Brittany: grandson of Énée, wire of Ascagne, he is the founder of the kingdom. With his Innogen wife, it has three wire which, with its death after 23 years of reign, divide its kingdom: Locrinus inherits the center of the island and gives him its name Loegrie, Kamber settles in the west and names its heritage Cambrie (current Wales), Albanactus goes in north and creates Albania (Scotland).

• Locrinus : after the division of the island of Brittany between three wire of Brutus, Albania is attacked by the Huns. Albanactus is killed, Locrinus and Kamber are combined to fight and drive out the invaders. Once the island reunified under the only sovereignty of Locrinus, this one reigns during 10 years. He dies in a battle against his wife Guendoloena, whom he repudiated with the profit of Estrildis.
• Ebrauc : he succeeds his father Mempricius and its reign lasts 39 years. It is contemporary kings David in Judaea. It carries out a military forwarding in Gaulle, of which it brings back important spoils. Of its 20 wives, it has 50 children, of which Brutus with the Green Ecu which succeeds to him.
• Leir : succeed Bladud, its reign lasts 60 years. Dispossessed by two of his sons-in-law, the dukes of Albania and Cornouailles, it must call upon Aganippe, king of the Francs and husband of its last daughter, Cordeilla, to take advantage of its rights. Having recovered its goods and its crown, it reigns still three years. Its character was used as model with Shakespeare for the King Lear .
• Cunedagius : with died of Cordeilla, its Cunedagius nephews, duke of Cornouailles and Marganus, duke of Albania (Scotland) share the kingdom. A war bursts between the two cousins, at the conclusion which Marganus is killed. Cunedagius becomes the only Master. Its reign lasts 33 years, it is contemporary foundation of Rome by Romulus and Rémus.
• Dunvallo Molmutius, king de Cornouailles, he is the first sovereign not to belong to the line of the Brutus founder. After having eliminated To fuck king de Loegrie, Staterius, king d' Albanie and Rudaucus, king de Cambrie, it reunifies the island under only one crown. It promulgates the laws “Molmutines” which prohibit violence during the 40 years of its reign.
• Belin Large the, wire of Dunvallo Molmutius, must face a rebellion of his/her brother Brenne, after 5 years of reign. After reconciliation, the two brothers undertake and make a success of the conquest of Gaulle, Italy and the Germanic one.
• Gurguint Barbtruc succeeds his/her Belin father, known as the Large one. Its reign is marked by the domination of the Denmark and the concession of the Ireland to wandering people, the Partholoniens.
• Morvidus, wire of Darius reigns of 341 av. J. - C. with 336 av. J. - C.. It must face an invasion of the king of Morians, which it overcomes and of which it exterminates the warriors. He dies swallowed by a monster at the time of a singular combat. The animal, arrival of the Irish Sea, terrorized and devoured the inhabitants of the coasts.
• Lud is the oldest son of Heli whose reign had lasted 40 years. It is mainly famous to have restored the walls of the capital Trinovantum and makes build ramparts, to make of it the most beautiful city of the kingdom. It renames the city of the name of Kaerlud , which will evolve/move in Kaerlundein , then Lundene and London.
• Cassibellan, wire of the king Heli, becomes king with dead of its Lud older brother, whose wire Androgeus and Tenvantius are not yet in age to reign. It is during its reign that Jules César undertakes the conquest of the island of Brittany.
• Arvirargus, second wire of king Kimerlin, succeeds his Guider older brother. Its reign is marked by conflict relations with the Roman Emperor Claude, of which he marries the Genvissa girl. According to Geoffroy de Monmouth, it is at that time that “the Pierre apostle founded the Church of Antioche, then came to Rome as bishop”.

Sources

• History of the kings de Bretagne , translated and commented on by Laurence Mathey-Mesh, Edition beautiful letters, coll “the wheel with books”, Paris, 2004,