Nennius

Nennius – also known as Nemnius or Nemnivus – was a Welsh monk who lived in the 9th century. He is most famous for being the traditional author of a book called the Historia Brittonum, as mentioned in the introduction to that work.

Nennius studied under a teacher named Elvodugus, who is often thought to be Bishop Elfodd of Bangor. This bishop helped Welsh church leaders adopt a new way of calculating the date for Easter that came from places on the continent. According to old records called the Annales Cambriae, Elfodd passed away in the year 809.

It is believed that Nennius lived in the regions now known as Brecknockshire and Radnorshire in what is today Powys, Wales. This placed him far from the large Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, separated by mountains in a quiet, rural area. Because we know so little about Nennius’s life, stories and legends have grown up around him. Some Welsh traditions say he and others, including Elbodug, were part of a group that escaped after Welsh monks were attacked by a leader named Ethelfrid in the year 613, moving north to safety.

Authorship of the Historia Brittonum

Main article: Historia Brittonum

Nennius was often said to have written the Historia Brittonum around the year 830. This book became very important, especially for stories about King Arthur. It talks about many old stories, like the beginnings of groups such as the Picts, Scots, and people like St. Germanus and Vortigern. It also shares information about when groups from Anglo-Saxon areas came to the land.

The Historia Brittonum was put together from many different stories and books. Some parts came from an older book by Gildas called De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. Other parts came from a story about St. Germanus and some family histories of kings. Many of the books Nennius used are lost, so we cannot check them today. The book we have now seems to have been changed over time. The biggest version has seventy-six parts, including a beginning and a defense of the book. It was translated into Irish around 1071, and this is the oldest copy we have that uses the name Nennius.

The Historia Brittonum was written to tell the history of the British people. It includes many legends and old beliefs, and it is not always historically accurate. However, it gives us a look at how people in the 800s thought about their past. Nennius tried to connect the history of the British people to the Romans and Celts. He wrote about old buildings and places in the land, giving them special meanings. He felt proud of his people and wanted to make their past seem important, much like the Romans told stories about their beginnings. For example, he told stories about a leader named Arthur who fought in twelve big battles. Later writers, like Geoffrey of Monmouth, used Nennius' book to create more stories about King Arthur in their work called Historia Regum Britanniae. But Nennius did not call Arthur a king; instead, he called him a leader of battles.

Debate regarding his life and works

The introduction to the book called the British History was first seen in a book from the twelve hundred years ago. Other books have similar introductions, which some experts think are just copies of the first one. One scholar thinks these introductions might have been added later by someone who read the finished book.

Another scholar, David N. Dumville, argues that the way the book was passed down through different copies does not prove that Nennius actually wrote the Historia Brittonum. He points out a mistake in an old Irish version of the book about a place named Beulan, saying we do not really know the real author of the book from nine hundred years ago.

Associated historians and authors

Some important historians and writers from the past are linked to the story of Nennius. Gildas was a historian from the sixth century who lived in South-west Britain. He wrote a book called De excidio et conquestu Britanniae, focusing on Christian Britain.

The Venerable Bede lived in Northumbria and wrote Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People). This book describes the history of the Anglo-Saxon Church. William of Malmesbury was a historian from the twelfth century who wrote about Britain by combining old stories. Geoffrey Gaimar also wrote about the history of England in a book called L'Estoire des Engleis.