Foundation myths, whether of nations,
dynasties or cities, have been at the heart of western culture since classical
times. Europe’s archetypal national foundation myth was the subject of Virgil’s
Aeneid. Present in Virgil’s poem are three key elements which appear
repeatedly in western foundation myths: the wanderer/outsider making good; the
foundation prompted by divine prophecy or visions, and the planting, by the ‘chosen
people’ of their new (and often superior) culture in a foreign land. Most medieval
states, cities and dynasties were comparative newcomers, and many sought to
obscure their uncomfortably recent origins in a cloud of myth.
Troy provided the ideal means to do
this. In medieval England, the Trojan myth received perhaps its most elaborate
and fantastical development. The original source for the English tradition was probably
the 9th century Historia Brittonum, (Pseudo-Nennius). This
original story was greatly expanded by Geoffrey of Monmouth who begins his own work
with an account of Brutus, or Brute, Aeneas’s grandson, who is expelled from
Italy with his followers, and wanders the Mediterranean. In a vision, the
goddess Diana tells Brutus that his destiny is to lead the Trojans to an island
in the west, where he shall found a race of kings. Brutus eventually realises
the prophecy, founding Britain, and supplanting its primitive native giants.
Thus, Brutus’s tale exhibits the ‘Virgilian’ topoi of the outsider,
divine intervention and colonisation.
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| Brutus of Troy, represented here as founder of London |
Three main elements of the story that make it a perfect foundation myht for Britain are: firstly, the use of divine right to britain. This is established as in the story Brutus is tolkd that Albian (Britain) will be the chosen land for the survivng Trojans. This helps to instill a sense of right in the people of Britain. The use of the already well known legend of Troy offering credibility to the myth. Finally the use of biblical imagery of the promised land inhabited by giants further adding to the concept of the divine right the Britons had to Albian.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Brutus and the founding of Britain (by humans) is one of the most typical stories for a foundation of a nation. It incorporates a divine mission, a powerful leader, a persecuted people and the ousting of the supernatural (and maybe evil). This founding story sets up the British people as both divine and powerful 9beyond their French rivals). Brutus is shown praising the Goddes Diane, going to massive extents (skinning a white deer) and moving an entire people) to please her. His ritualistic praise of Diane is rewarded when she gives them ‘both good winds and current’ when sailing around the Mediterranean. Furthermore Brutus shows an abundance of preparation when dealing with the Sirens who had killed many men before him. This preparation and religious value culminated with his love for his family (such as Turnus) and loyal friends (such as Corineus) makes Brutus almost a perfect character. The followers of Brutus like Corineus show similar virtues like strength and perseverance which allows Virgil to hint that the people of Britain are naturally superior to other people of the time. This story successfully depicts Brutus and the British as resilient, religious and powerful to such an extent that their dominion over Britain seemed inevitable.
ReplyDeleteEleanor Jackson
ReplyDeleteThis foundation myth of Britain would have been widely accepted due to its format and references to Virgil's Aeneid, a similar epic poem on the foundation of Rome. Both Aeneas and Brutus hail from Troy, and receive direction and guidance from a goddess (Brutus from Diana, Aeneas from Venus). This legitimizes their role as a leader, as they have a divine right to rule over the newly founded country. Brutus is also presented as a great leader due to his piety towards the gods, his men and his nephew, as he swears to avenge his death. The story has further fantastical elements in the use of mythical creatures such as giants and Sirens (could also be linked to Homer's Odyssey?). The figure of Corineus is given Herculean strength; even though his ribs have been broken, he is still able to carry a giant and throw him off a cliff. The myth then ends with Wace stating the etymology of the names of the British people and cities, which further validates the story.
The elements of the story of Brutus in Wace’s Brut that mark it as the perfect foundation myth include: the lineage of Brutus; the vision of Albion given to Brutus by a goddess; the presence, and later removal of giants in the land that Brutus was to inherit; and the eventual renaming of Albion into ‘Britain’. Indeed, Brutus of Troy is a descendant of Aeneas – who is depicted in mythology as having founded what is now seen as Ancient Rome – which thus highlights a distinct relation to a legendary Trojan hero. Moreover, the vision of Albion given to Brutus by a goddess grants Brutus, as the founding father and first king of that land, a divine authority to inherit and rule that land. Furthermore, Davenport notes that the giants inhabiting Albion as ‘a chthonic, earthbound, violent race who express the powers of chaos and death’ and as Brutus and his loyal men defeat them, they ‘overcome chaos and establish a new realm’. In addition, Brutus changes the name of the land he conquers with the ‘power of naming’. The land of Britain is now his own and to be inherited by his own descendants thereafter.
ReplyDeleteElements of the story of Brutus as relayed in the reading that mark it as a perfect foundation myth from Britain include the imagery of milk being taken from a white deer, being a mythical creature, and reference to the goddess Diane and the vision she presented to Brutus. The aspects of adventure in the story also serve to make it the foundation of a myth, such as the telling of attacks from outlaw pirates and the battle with giants, particularly Gogmagog. Reference to other myths also enable this story to be a perfect foundation myth, with reference to Hercules and sirens. Ultimately, this story is the perfect foundation myth as it provides explanation for the establishment of Britain, as it depicts "the land had been named Albion, but Brutus changed this former name and coined from Brutus a new name and had the land called Britain then, the Trojans, who fought and sailed with him, he named as Britons from his name".
ReplyDeleteThe foundation myth for Britain contains those three key elements from Virgil's Aeneid. Diana fulfils the role of providing a divine sanction and prompting for settling the land of Britain. It is also of interest that Diana in the poem gives a divine sanction to the institution of a monarchy, particularly of the divine right of the descendants of Brutus to be a royal line.
ReplyDeleteThe outsiders of this foundation myth are portrayed as being of great power. They are the heroes of Troy, travel the world, and vanquish pirates and monsters. In particular, it is interesting to note that the ancestors of Britain fight and defeat the French, which gives a mythical foundation and sanctioning to the tensions between the English and the French, and shows that the British ancestors had already defeated the French people.
Finally, the distinction between the 'chosen' Trojan people and their culture could not be in more contrast than against the depiction of the native inhabitants to Britain, the giants led by Gogmagog. Though the giants were much larger than their Trojan counterparts, the Trojan defeated them soundly and "cleansed" the land "of all the giants and their monstrous kin". Then the Trojans set about establishing their superior culture by building towns, villages, ports, fisheries, and instituting agriculture. This shift and institution of a new culture was accompanied by a new name, 'Britain'.
Thus, the foundation myth of Britain can easily be claimed to be perfect because it not only retains the familiar elements of a foundation myth but raises them to great heights.
Wace’s Brut encapsulates an ideal foundation myth for Britain through its adherence to the Virgilian template – the traveller Brutus, along with his band of noble followers, all of whom appeared to be endowed with extensive skills in battle and leadership; the divine vision of Diana both prompting Brutus to go on his quest and validating his CONquest of the new land; and the success of the superior Trojan group’s deposition of the native giant inhabitants. The myth reaches the level of perfection by explaining elements known to the British at that time, such as the section of etymology at the conclusion of Brut, as well as by referencing highly respected civilizations and myths by sourcing the founders of the British nation (who viewed themselves as superior also) from the fabled Trojan empire. This is connected with the revival of the classical tradition characteristic of medieval scholasticism, creating an otherwise geographically unlikely connection with the legendary cultures of early history in a direct founding link. This lofty heritage made for the perfect founding tradition which scholars of the time were more than happy to spread as propaganda to validate their own society.
ReplyDeleteThere are many elements of Wace's "Brut" that mark it as a solid foundation story. I am basing the idea of a foundation story on the foundation stories written by the Ancient Greeks. Similar to the Athenian foundation story "Brut" emphasises the importance of having a right to the land. In "Brut" the founder of Britain, Brutus, receives divine advice on the location of the new country he should find. This suggests that Brutus had divine approval for the foundation of Britain. Brutus has to go through a series of trials to prove he is worthy, he also has a worthy ancestory- he is a descendent of the Trojans and therefore his descendents will have a rich history. As Brutus is royal he has a more legitimate claim to found a nation. Finally, similar to the Ancient Greeks another element of a strong foundation story is the need for legitimacy in claiming the land. In the Athenian foundation story they said they were born from the land, in "Brut", there were giants, "But there weren't any other people" (1064). In both foundation stories there must be a legitimate right to take control of the land. Therefore "Brut" shows elements of a convincing foundation story.
ReplyDeleteThere are various elements within Wace's retelling of Brutus that make it the perfect foundation myth of Britain. Firstly, the references to other well known myths and mythical entities add power to the fable. This can be seen by the mention the goddess Diane, the legendary founder and creator of Europe; along with Sirens, pirates and eluding to the Trojan War. Where by, these established symbols help add strength to the story as they are instantly recognisable and already believed. Secondly, the mention of real life places, such as: ports in Africa, altars of the Philistines and the river Malvan, add validity to the myth through tangible evidence. These elements help give the story validity, whilst also creating something fanciful that grab attention and become legendary, thus making it the perfect myth.
ReplyDeleteWace's story of Brutus contains the elements of a foundation myth that Virgil's archetype includes: Brutus - as a leader who would become king, divine prophecy - Brutus receiving instruction from the goddess Diane, settlement in a new land - the Trojans became Britons.
ReplyDeleteIt also explains the origin of place names and makes not of ports like Africa and the Philistines which gives weight to the veracity of the story, contains a mythical element (the defeated giants and evaded Sirens), as well as the extraordinary feats of Corineus (throwing a giant off a cliff while injured).
As a foundation myth, one of the most important aspects of Wace's "Le Roman de Brut" is the idea that the Trojans earned their right to begin a civilisation in Britain. Through the battles, slaying of giants and foundation of place names based on the heroic figures in the story, the Trojans are depicted as heroic warriors willing to risk their lives to found a great nation. These various aspects allow Wace to set up his story as almost a justified mythology, suggesting that the Trojans worked hard and fought bravely to establish the Britain that we know today, and that their strength and resilience have therefore been passed on into the ideologies and characteristics of future Britons. The detail that Wace uses in his descriptions of the battles also creates an entertaining mythology, much like many of the Arthurian-based ones, as it demonstrates the greatness of the Trojans and their leader, Brutus, who is also portrayed as an Arthur-like hero capable of great destruction, but also great leadership. This therefore alludes to other mythologies surrounding the history of Britain, portraying some familiarity to the reader and perhaps giving the story some credibility. The use of the Trojans as the founders themselves also depicts the longevity of this myth, and suggests that Britain is in some way associated with this ancient and admirable race.
ReplyDeleteWace’s “Brut” has key aspects that make it the perfect foundation myth; they are all concerned with enhancing and legitimising the divinity, power and nobility of Britain. Firstly, Britian’s founder, Brut is depicted as a hero, he successfully faces a variety of tasks on his journey (including pirates and sirens), his integrity in avenging Turnus’ death highlights his morality and being chosen by the Goddess emphasises his divinity. This leads to the second aspect making “Brut” the perfect foundation myth: the inclusion of Diana the Goddess signifies the establishment of Britain is favourable by the gods. The hero, the goddess, the epic description of the battles & super human strength, the links with the Trojans – all aim embellish the glory of Britain, making “Brut” an irresistible foundation myth for the British.
ReplyDeleteWace's Brut incorporates several important elements that make it a perfect foundation story. Firstly there is the justification for the current Britons being in charge of such a disputed landscape. The heroic leader, Brutus, is represented as a pious, inspirational figure who is given a divinely sanctioned right to settle Avalon, which he renames Britain. Before he even gets to this point, he devotes hours to worship as well as acquiring milk from a white deer. This shows him as a strong and able leader who is also willing to display humility and devotion to his gods and his pledge to dedicate to her if they arrive safely confirms this. The story of a promised land held by giants that must be fought is reminiscent of the bible and other cultures of the time. When a god granted you something, you didn't argue unless you were the one who was being taken from.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, it has inspirational patriachs. Men like Brutus, Turnus and Corineus are figures many men would love to boast they were descended from, claiming reflected glory and hoping to emulate them in their deeds. Men that are great leaders, loyal and fast friends and that can beat a giant in a wrestle with 3 ribs crushed. The regular Trojans themselves are also stalwart, resilient and able to overcome all odds. They knew of the threat of the Sirens who had killed so many and with wisdom they passed through unharmed. They were also attacked by Pirates, fought off giants and raided and pillaged Mauritania, became rich in the process. Interestingly, the term murder is used during battle descriptions but only for the death of one of the heroes of the story.
Thirdly, it gave a sense of history, stretching back into the mists of time by linking the founders with the Trojans. In this occurrence it gives the Britons a sense of beginning as a new chapter, a definitive place to begin but it also hints at older customs, legends and experience that they draw upon. They are never new, inexperienced men, but veterans seeking a new life.
Finally, the etymology of the names lends a credibility to the source as an end point. It's not simply saying this is a legend, but it's saying that's what happened and these places are named for it. You can see the evidence and visit them yourself. It's a link to the past which makes the foundation story just as tangible to people as relics from the ancient heroes.
The elements making this a perfect foundation myth for britain is the idea of a hero who is sent on a mission by a divine presence, during this mission he must overcome a number of obstacles both human and supernatural (sirens and giants).
ReplyDeleteThe idea of a myth is to explain the unexplainable and so by using this story to describe the founding of Britain, it provided people with a history of how they came to be where they are today.
Also, the ever present hero who knows how to avoid the sirens of the sea and who can kill the giants provides someone whom can be idolized.