Layamon

Victoria Shirley (Cardiff University)

Ed. by Natalie Hanna, University of Liverpool
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.02: English Writing and Culture: High and Late Medieval, 1066-1485.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Rory Critten (Université de Lausanne), David Fuller (University of Durham), Natalie Hanna (University of Liverpool), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast), Jamie McKinstry (University of Durham), Sarah Peverley (University of Liverpool), Sebastian Sobecki (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

Dates

Born c. 1150
Died c. 1200
Activity c. 1170-c. 1200

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Historian / Chronicler
Poet

Resources

Layamon's Works

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Layamon (fl. 1190-1220) was a poet and a cleric, and he is best known as the author of 16,095-line Middle English poem the

Brut

(c. 1189-1216), which is extant in two manuscripts: British Library, Cotton MS Caligula A.ix and British Library, Cotton MS Otho C.xiii. He is commonly known as “Laȝamon” (Caligula) or “Laweman” (Otho), which are often modernised as “Layamon” and “Lawman”. In the Caligua

Brut

, Layamon reveals various biographical details in his prologue:

An preost wes on leoden; Laȝamon wes ihoten. he wes Leouenaðes sone; liðe him beo Drihten. He wonede at Ernleȝe; at æðelen are chirechen. vppen Seuarne staþe; sel þar him þuhte. on-fest Radestone; þer he bock radde. (Caligula, ll. 1-5) [There was a priest in the land who was called Laȝamon; he was

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1960 words

Citation: Shirley, Victoria. "Layamon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 July 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2650, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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