Writing the Future: Lazamon's Prophetic History

Lazamon's Brut , written in the Welsh Marches in the 12th century, introduced the world of King Arthur to English literature. A Celtic history of Britain, it includes a prophecy by Merlin in which he foresees a kingdom united both politically and religiously. This interesting study, which originated as a thesis, moves the emphasis away from philology and linguistics to focus on the poem as a unique product of its time and place. The author examines the cultural reasons for Lazamon's historical perspective, the influence of oral cultures and Welsh literature and Lazamon's intermingling of history with the supernatural. Throughout, the study considers the work of other critics, particularly Mikhail Bakhtin. Extracts are accompanied by modern English translations.