Nennius

Home > ... > Literature and the Arts > Literature in English > English Literature to 1499: Biographies > ...

Essential reading Compare
side-by-side A Dictionary of World History A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology The Columbia Encyclopedia, ...

Nennius

Nennius , fl. 796, Welsh writer, to whom is ascribed the Historia Britonum. He lived on the borders of Mercia and probably was a pupil of Elbod, bishop of Bangor. The Historia is a compilation containing much on the early history of Britain and the Anglo-Saxon invasions. Although some scholars think that it was compiled by Nennius from various works, most now agree that the history is a revision by Nennius of an older work. It is important chiefly for the study of early British legends, especially the Arthurian legend . There are several manuscripts in Latin and Irish. Among the many translations of the Historia is an excellent one by A. W. Wade-Evans (1938) of a Latin text.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-Nennius" title="Facts and information about Nennius">Nennius</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Nennius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Nennius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (December 25, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Nennius.html

"Nennius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Nennius.html

Learn more about citation styles

Nennius

A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology | 2004 | | Â© A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Nennius. See HISTORIA BRITTONUM.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O70-Nennius" title="Facts and information about Nennius">Nennius</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JAMES MacKILLOP. "Nennius." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JAMES MacKILLOP. "Nennius." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (December 25, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Nennius.html

JAMES MacKILLOP. "Nennius." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved December 25, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Nennius.html

Learn more about citation styles

Nennius

A Dictionary of World History | 2000 | Â© A Dictionary of World History 2000, originally published by Oxford University Press 2000. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Nennius (fl. c.800) Welsh chronicler. He is traditionally credited with the compilation or revision of the Historia Britonum, a collection of historical and geographical information about Britain, including one of the earliest known accounts of King Arthur.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O48-Nennius" title="Facts and information about Nennius">Nennius</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Nennius." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 25 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Nennius." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (December 25, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Nennius.html

"Nennius." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved December 25, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-Nennius.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses

Rate these entries|See all related entries

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Geoffrey of Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain: An edition and translation of the De gestis Britonum [Historia Regum Brittannie], ed Michael D Reeve, trans Neil Wright.(Book review) Magazine article from: Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association; 1/1/2009
	Coumert, Magali, Origines des Peuples Les recits du Haut Moyen Age occidental (550-850).(Book review) Magazine article from: Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association; 1/1/2009

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	King Arthur still fills our need for a noble hero.(Knight Ridder Newspapers) Newspaper article from: Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service; 7/16/2004; ; 700+ words ; ...Guinn In the ninth century, a monk named Nennius wrote about a British war leader named...England, never mentioned any Arthur. Nennius wanted the right kind of protagonist for...through the centuries? Because between Nennius and Bruckheimer came 12 centuries of mythological...
	King Arthur: History and Legend Magazine article from: Arthuriana; 10/1/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...the border in twelve battles recorded in Nennius's Historia Britonnum. Nothing in this...events that comes nearest to that status is Nennius's final battle, which is dated to about...year re-dating would certainly put Nennius's battles before it. In the next two...
	Arthur the wrong.(Features) Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 11/6/2006; 644 words ; ...bears no resemblance to the real Arthur. Nennius, the 12th century Bangor monk records...Wales, other battles not recorded by Nennius took place along the borderlands today...without any Roman or Sarmathian help. Nennius wrote the modem name Badon in Latin as...
	Faulkner's "fabulous immeasurable Camelots": Absalom, Absalom! and Le Morte Darthur.(Critical Essay) Magazine article from: The Southern Literary Journal; 3/22/2002; ; 700+ words ; ...ecclesiastica gentis anglorum. The name Arthur first appeared around 800, in Nennius's Historia brittonum: apparently, Nennius changed "Ambrosius" to "Arthur." Nennius also recorded the much developed and altered myths of Arthur's death and...
	About the Saxon Rebellion and the Massacre at Amesbury Magazine article from: Arthuriana; 4/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...massacre at Amesbury, and already in considerable detail, is Nennius (ca. AD 820). In doing so, he goes back to the relations...Sussex, Middlesex and others.10 Geoffrey of Monmouth uses Nennius's basic storyline, but elaborates on it, as is his wont...
	Arthurian experts return to the home of the legend; BANGOR: Literary critics gather for conference.(News) Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 7/24/2002; 556 words ; ...was probably written in North Wales. A History of Britain by Nennius around the year 800 is an early attempt at a recorded history. Chapter 56 lists Arthur's 12 battles. Nennius is said to have been a disciple of the Archbishop of Gwynedd...
	Paracetamol for osteoarthritis.(Clinical report) Magazine article from: Bandolier; 9/1/2004; 700+ words ; I have made a heap of all that I could find. So said Nennius when writing his Historia Brittanorum in the ninth century...it makes a useful exemplar for applying some rules that Nennius might have applied--those of quality, validity, and...
	Limits of fantasy.(News) Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 11/15/2004; 558 words ; ...to identify the twelve Arthurian battlefields referred to by Nennius, I must take issue with his proposition that they were all...in the south-west and north-west. In the ninth century Nennius named Arthur as the victor at Mons Badonicus which most objective...
	Battling for Arthur.(Features) Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 11/5/2004; 492 words ; ...longstanding but erroneous so-called historical accounts. Nennius, in the early 9th century provided a list of Arthur's Twelve...way forward (it took me seven years) are cited alongside Nennius' List: 1. At the Mouth of the River Glein; ( on Gower...
	Arthurians probe old legends of super-hero.(News) Newspaper article from: Daily Post (Liverpool, England); 7/24/2002; 585 words ; ...microscope will be A History of Britain, believed to have been written in, or near, Bangor around the year 800 by a monk called Nennius. The document lists Arthur's 12 battles. Professor Peter Field, a distinguished Arthurian literature specialist at the...