Walter of Oxford
Encyclopedia
Walter of Oxford also known as Walter Calenius, was a British cleric and writer. He served as archdeacon of Oxford in the 12th century. Walter was a friend of Geoffrey of Monmouth
, who claimed he got his chief source for the Historia Regum Britanniae
from him.
In the dedication to his Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey claims that while writing the book he had struggled to find material on the early Kings of the Britons. This problem had been solved when Walter gave him a "very ancient book" written in britannicus sermo (The "British" tongue, i.e. Old British, Welsh
, or Breton
). Geoffrey claims that his Historia is a faithful translation of that book into Latin
. However, few modern scholars believe this to be true.
Walter's name is attached to the Brut Tysilio, a variant of the Welsh chronicle Brut y Brenhinedd. According to a colophon attached to the chronicle, Walter was responsible for translating the book, which is ascribed to the 7th-century Saint Tysilio
: "I […] translated this book from the Welsh into Latin, and in my old age have again translated it from the Latin into Welsh." Some antiquarians, notably Flinders Petrie in 1917, suggested that Walter's original Welsh source for the Brut Tysilio was in fact the "ancient book" described by Geoffrey. However, modern scholarship has established that all variants of the Brut y Brenhinedd in fact originate with Geoffrey's work, and do not represent some prior chronicle tradition. Indeed, the Brut Tysilio probably antedates even Walter by centuries; Brynley F. Roberts
argues that it is an "amalgam" of previous versions and came together around 1500.
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
, who claimed he got his chief source for the Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
from him.
In the dedication to his Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey claims that while writing the book he had struggled to find material on the early Kings of the Britons. This problem had been solved when Walter gave him a "very ancient book" written in britannicus sermo (The "British" tongue, i.e. Old British, Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, or Breton
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
). Geoffrey claims that his Historia is a faithful translation of that book into Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. However, few modern scholars believe this to be true.
Walter's name is attached to the Brut Tysilio, a variant of the Welsh chronicle Brut y Brenhinedd. According to a colophon attached to the chronicle, Walter was responsible for translating the book, which is ascribed to the 7th-century Saint Tysilio
Tysilio
Saint Tysilio was a Welsh bishop, prince and scholar, son of the reigning King of Powys, Brochwel Ysgithrog, maternal nephew of the great Abbot Dunod of Bangor Iscoed and an ecclesiastic who took a prominent part in the affairs of Wales during the distressful period at the opening of the 7th...
: "I […] translated this book from the Welsh into Latin, and in my old age have again translated it from the Latin into Welsh." Some antiquarians, notably Flinders Petrie in 1917, suggested that Walter's original Welsh source for the Brut Tysilio was in fact the "ancient book" described by Geoffrey. However, modern scholarship has established that all variants of the Brut y Brenhinedd in fact originate with Geoffrey's work, and do not represent some prior chronicle tradition. Indeed, the Brut Tysilio probably antedates even Walter by centuries; Brynley F. Roberts
Brynley F. Roberts
Dr Brynley F. Roberts is a Welsh scholar and literary critic. He has written extensively on the Welsh language and Celtic history. He was a Welsh professor at the University of Wales, Swansea, and later as the librarian at the National Library of Wales from 1985 to 1998...
argues that it is an "amalgam" of previous versions and came together around 1500.