Brutus, also called Brute of Troy, is a legendary descendant of the
Trojan hero
Aeneas
In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...
, known in medieval British history as the
eponymous founder and first king of
Britain. This legend first appears in the ''
Historia Brittonum'', an anonymous 9th-century historical compilation to which commentary was added by
Nennius
Nennius – or Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk of the 9th century. He has traditionally been attributed with the authorship of the '' Historia Brittonum'', based on the prologue affixed to that work. This attribution is widely considere ...
, but is best known from the account given by the 12th-century chronicler
Geoffrey of Monmouth in his ''
Historia Regum Britanniae
''Historia regum Britanniae'' (''The History of the Kings of Britain''), originally called ''De gestis Britonum'' (''On the Deeds of the Britons''), is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written around 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. ...
''.
''Historia Brittonum''
Some have suggested that attributing the origin of 'Britain' to the Latin 'Brutus' may be ultimately derived from
Isidore of Seville's popular 7th-century work ''
Etymologiae'', in which it was speculated that the name of Britain comes from ''bruti'', on the basis that the Britons were, in the eyes of that author, brutes, or savages. A more detailed story, set before the foundation of Rome, follows, in which Brutus is the grandson or great grandson of Aeneas – a legend that was perhaps inspired by Isidore's spurious etymology and blends it with the Christian, pseudo-historical, "
Frankish Table of Nations" tradition that emerged in the early medieval European scholarly world (actually of 6th century AD Byzantine origin, and not Frankish, according to historian
Walter Goffart) and attempted to trace the peoples of the known world (as well as legendary figures, such as the Trojan house of Aeneas) back to biblical ancestors.
Supposedly following Roman sources such as
Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...
and
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...
, the ''Historia'' tells how Aeneas settled in Italy after the
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans ( Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...
, and how his son
Ascanius
Ascanius (; Ancient Greek: Ἀσκάνιος) (said to have reigned 1176-1138 BC) was a legendary king of Alba Longa and is the son of the Trojan hero Aeneas and Creusa, daughter of Priam. He is a character in Roman mythology, and has a divine ...
founded
Alba Longa
Alba Longa (occasionally written Albalonga in Italian sources) was an ancient Latin city in Central Italy, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Rome, in the vicinity of Lake Albano in the Alban Hills. Founder and head of the Latin League, it wa ...
, one of the precursors of Rome. Ascanius married, and his wife became pregnant. In a variant version, the father is Silvius, who is identified as either the second son of Aeneas, previously mentioned in the ''Historia'', or as the son of Ascanius. A magician, asked to predict the child's future, said it would be a boy and that he would be the bravest and most beloved in Italy. Enraged, Ascanius had the magician put to death. The mother died in childbirth.
The boy, named Brutus, later accidentally killed his father with an arrow and was banished from Italy. After wandering among the islands of the
Tyrrhenian Sea and through
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
, where he founded the city of
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
, Brutus eventually came to Britain, named it after himself, and filled it with his descendants. His reign is synchronised to the time the High Priest
Eli was
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, and when the
Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an ...
was taken by the
Philistines
The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek ( LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, whe ...
.
A variant version of the ''Historia Brittonum'' makes Brutus the son of Ascanius's son
Silvius, and traces his
genealogy
Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
back to
Ham, son of
Noah. Another chapter traces Brutus's genealogy differently, making him the great-grandson of the legendary Roman king
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius (; 753–672 BC; reigned 715–672 BC) was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus after a one-year interregnum. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome's most important religious and political institutions ar ...
, who was himself a son of Ascanius, and tracing his descent from Noah's son
Japheth
Japheth ( he, יֶפֶת ''Yép̄eṯ'', in pausa ''Yā́p̄eṯ''; el, Ἰάφεθ '; la, Iafeth, Iapheth, Iaphethus, Iapetus) is one of the three sons of Noah in the Book of Genesis, in which he plays a role in the story of Noah's drunken ...
. These Christianising traditions conflict with the classical Trojan genealogies, relating the Trojan royal family to
Greek gods.
Yet another Brutus, son of Hisicion, son of Alanus the first European, also traced back across many generations to Japheth, is referred to in the ''Historia Brittonum''. This Brutus's brothers were Francus, Alamanus and Romanus, also ancestors of significant European nations.
''Historia Regum Britanniae''
Geoffrey of Monmouth's account tells much the same story, but in greater detail. In this version, Brutus is explicitly the grandson, rather than son, of Ascanius; his father is Ascanius' son Silvius. The magician who predicts great things for the unborn Brutus also foretells he will kill both his parents. He does so, in the same manner described in the ''Historia Brittonum'', and is banished. Travelling to Greece, he discovers a group of Trojans enslaved there. He becomes their leader, and after a series of battles they defeat the Greek king
Pandrasus
Pandrasus is the fictional king of Greece and father of Innogen in Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudo-history ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' ().
Story
In the ''Historia Regum Britanniae'', Pandrasus is king of the Greeks, and holds the Trojan desc ...
by attacking his camp at night after capturing the guards. He takes him hostage and forces him to let his people go. He is given Pandrasus's daughter Ignoge or
Innogen
Innogen is a character in the ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' and subsequent medieval British pseudo-history. She was said to have been a Greek princess, the daughter of King Pandrasus, and to have become Britain's first Queen consort as the wife ...
in marriage, and ships and provisions for the voyage, and sets sail.
The Trojans land on
a deserted island and discover an abandoned temple to
Diana. After performing the appropriate ritual, Brutus falls asleep in front of the goddess's statue and is given a vision of the land where he is destined to settle, an island in the western ocean inhabited only by a few giants.
After some adventures in north Africa and a close encounter with the
Siren
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wiscon ...
s, Brutus discovers another group of exiled Trojans living on the shores of the
Tyrrhenian Sea, led by the prodigious warrior
Corineus. In
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
, Corineus provokes a war with
Goffarius Pictus
Goffar ( la, Goffarius Pictus) known as Goffar the Pict, was a pseudo-historical king of Aquitaine around the year in Geoffrey of Monmouth's ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' (). In the story, he was defeated by Brutus of Troy and Corineus on their wa ...
, king of
Aquitaine, after hunting in the king's forests without permission. Brutus's nephew Turonus dies in the fighting, and the city of
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
is founded where he is buried. The Trojans win most of their battles but are conscious that the Gauls have the advantage of numbers, so go back to their ships and sail for Britain, then called
Albion
Albion is an alternative name for Great Britain. The oldest attestation of the toponym comes from the Greek language. It is sometimes used poetically and generally to refer to the island, but is less common than 'Britain' today. The name for Scot ...
. They land on ""—"the sea-coast of
Totnes". They meet the giant descendants of
Alebion and defeat them.
Brutus renames the island after himself and becomes its first king. Corineus becomes ruler of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
, which is named after him. They are harassed by the giants during a festival, but kill all of them but their leader, the largest giant
Goemagot, who is saved for a wrestling match against Corineus. Corineus throws him over a cliff to his death. Brutus then founds a city on the banks of the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
, which he calls Troia Nova, or
New Troy. The name is in time corrupted to
Trinovantum, and the city is later called
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. He creates laws for his people and rules for twenty-four years. After his death he is buried in Trinovantum, and the island is divided between his three sons:
Locrinus (
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
),
Albanactus
Albanactus, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, was the founding king of Albania or Albany. He is in effect Geoffrey's eponym for Scotland. His territory was that north of the River Humber. This myth was then taken up by Giraldus Cambrensis.
L ...
(
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
) and
Kamber
Camber, also Kamber, was the legendary first king of Cambria, according to the Geoffrey of Monmouth in the first part of his influential 12th-century pseudohistory ''Historia Regum Britanniae''. According to Geoffrey, Cambria, the classical name ...
(
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
).
Legacy
Early translations and adaptations of Geoffrey's ''Historia'', such as
Wace's
Norman French
Norman or Norman French (, french: Normand, Guernésiais: , Jèrriais: ) is a Romance language which can be classified as one of the Oïl languages along with French, Picard and Walloon. The name "Norman French" is sometimes used to descri ...
''
Roman de Brut'',
Layamon's
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old Englis ...
''
Brut'', were named after Brutus, and the word ''brut'' came to mean a chronicle of British history.
One of several
Middle Welsh adaptations was called the ''
Brut y Brenhinedd'' ("Chronicle of the Kings"). ''
Brut y Tywysogion'' ("Chronicle of the Princes"), a major chronicle for the Welsh rulers from the 7th century to loss of independence, is a purely historical work containing no legendary material but the title reflects the influence of Geoffrey's work and, in one sense, can be seen as a "sequel" to it. Early chroniclers of Britain, such as
Alfred of Beverley,
Nicholas Trivet and
Giraldus Cambrensis began their histories of Britain with Brutus. The foundation myth of Brutus having settled in Britain was still considered as genuine history during the
Early Modern Period, for example ''
Holinshed's Chronicles'' (1577) considers the Brutus myth to be factual.
The 18th-century English poet
Hildebrand Jacob wrote an epic poem, ''Brutus the Trojan, Founder of the British Empire'', about him, following in the tradition of the Roman foundation epic the ''
Aeneid
The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...
''.
Brutus is an important character in the book series ''
The Troy Game
''The Troy Game'' is a quartet by Australian author Sara Douglass consisting of four books: ''Hades' Daughter'', ''God's Concubine'', ''Darkwitch Rising'' and ''Druid's Sword''. It centres on a group of characters who are reincarnated at the e ...
'' by
Sara Douglass.
Geoffrey's ''Historia'' says that Brutus and his followers landed at
Totnes in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...
. A stone on Fore Street in Totnes, known as the "Brutus Stone", commemorates this.
In 2021, the Totnes community radio station
Soundart Radio
Soundart Radio 102.5 fm is an art radio station based in Dartington, Totnes, Devon, UK. Founded as a student radio station in 2006 by two graduates of Dartington College of Arts, Nell Harrison and Lucinda Guy, the station moved onto a full- ...
commissioned a radio drama adaptation of the Brutus myth by the writer Will Kemp.
Notes
References
* Translation of ''Historia Brittonum'' from
J. A. Giles, ''Six Old English Chronicles'', London: Henry G. Bohn 1848
Full text from Fordham University
* John Morris (ed), ''Nennius: Arthurian Period Sources Vol 8'', Phillimore, 1980
* Geoffrey of Monmouth, ''The History of the Kings of Britain'', translated by Lewis Thorpe, Penguin, 1966
* Henry Lewis (ed.), ''Brut Dingestow'' (University of Wales Press, 1942). The best-known Middle Welsh adaptation. Original text with introduction and notes, in Welsh.
* ''The British History of Geoffrey of Monmouth'', translated by Aaron Thompson, revised and corrected by J. A. Giles, 1842
* ''
Bulfinch's Mythology
''Bulfinch's Mythology'' is a collection of general audience works by American Latinist and banker Thomas Bulfinch, named after him and published after his death in 1867. The work was a highly successful popularization of Greek mythology for Eng ...
''
External links
{{Authority control
British folklore
British traditional history
Founding monarchs
Mythological city founders
Japheth
Welsh folklore
Totnes
Legendary British kings
Trojans