History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum)

In this ancient chronicle, a modest monk named Nennius sets out to rescue the scattered memories of the Britons. Writing in the late ninth century, he weaves together Roman records, sacred fathers, and oral traditions, acknowledging his own limited learning while striving for honesty. His opening plea to readers is both a humble apology and a call to preserve a fading heritage.

Nennius describes the grand sweep of time, counting years from Adam through the flood, Abraham, Moses, and the building of Solomon’s temple, before turning his gaze toward the early British kings. He admits the difficulty of his task, noting lost manuscripts, wars, and the unreliability of some sources, yet he persists in gathering whatever fragments remain. Listeners will hear a voice that blends earnest devotion, modest self‑critique, and vivid glimpses of a world where myth and history intertwine, offering a rare window into how early medieval scholars understood their own past.