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The Historia Regum Brittanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Roman Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2013 Translating Arthur : the Historia regum Brittanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Roman de Brut of Wace George Gregory Molchan Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Molchan, George Gregory, "Translating Arthur : the Historia regum Brittanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Roman de Brut of Wace" (2013). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1975. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1975 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. TRANSLATING ARTHUR: THE HISTORIA REGUM BRITANNIAE OF GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH AND ROMAN DE BRUT OF WACE A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English by George Gregory Molchan B.A., Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1995 M.A., Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, 2005 December, 2013 DEDICATION For everyone who made this dissertation possible. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writing this dissertation has been anything but a traditional process for me. I could not have seen this journey I have been on through to the end without the guidance, emotional support, strength, and love of everyone who helped me along the way. First of all I would like to thank my director Professor Lisi Oliver for her patience and encouragement throughout the entire process. Lisi did all the things a dissertation director should do, but more importantly, she was always there for me when I was feeling anxious about my writing and my progress. In many ways, Lisi went above and beyond what I think most dissertation directors would do to help their students through the difficulties that come with completing a doctoral degree. Likewise, I want to thank the other members of my committee, Drs. Greg Stone, Pallavi Rastogi, Malcolm Richardson and Maribel Dietz for their feedback and for their willingness to work with me in the face of setbacks. A big thanks must also go to all of my fellow graduate students--those who have since moved on, those who are nearing the end of their programs, and those who are just beginning-- for sharing their journeys with me and seeing me through mine. I especially want to thank Alison Bertolini, Penelope Dane and Cara Jones for believing in me when I didn't. Thanks also to Brooke Champagne, Colleen Fava, Courtney George, Dawn Graham, Sukanya Gupta, Casey Kayser, Stephanie Nash and Ioanna Panos for cheering me on and for listening to me when things weren't going my way. Though I cannot hope to acknowledge everyone who helped me in such a short amount of space, I would also like to say thanks to Stacey Amo, James Ayers, Julie Berthoud, Dominic Bordelon, Jenny Lentz Brosseau, Wendy Braun, Tiffany Walter Chopin, Christen Cummins, Kristen Deiter, Claire Dixon, Jason Gu, Karin Hamlin DeGravelles, Heather Johnston-Durham, Richmond Eustis, Jennifer Farrell, Brock Guthrie, Gentry Hanks, Jessica McKelvie Kemp, Laura Marks, Kristi Richard Melancon, Monica Miller, Lisa Moody, Jeff iii Pusch, June Pulliam, David Riche, Rachel Spear, Kirsten Squint, Shane Wallace, Jessica Ketcham Weber and Katherine Willis. Some of you were with me every step of the way. Some I have known for only a short time, or I only know you in passing. But all of you have touched my life in some way and helped shape my dissertation whether you knew it or not. Words cannot express how grateful and lucky I feel to have had your aid and support. Friends, and other people I met during my time at LSU have been no less important to me. I am very grateful to Ashley Berthelot for helping me to find funding during for this final year of my program. I also want to thank Drayton Vincent for getting me excited about my dissertation at a time when I was at an emotional low. Many thanks also to Dave Ancker, Barry Arcenaux, Anissa Aumeerally, David Bertolini, Todd Borque, Mark Brosseau, Monica Cuddy, Ronlyn Domingue, Mark Ensley, Danielle Fiore, Jennifer Gilkes, Taylor Gorman, Tara Holden, Irene Lim-Jesuthasan, Kara La Fleur Kearney, Charles Lussier, Keith Moody, Jen and Josh Wanisko and Timur Wilson. I wouldn't be the person I am if not for all of you. Last but not least, I want to thank my parents Elaine and George as well as my brother Geoff and my sisters Jen and Steph. Hugs and kisses to my best friend Jersey. I love you all. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 2. OCCIDENTALLY FOREIGN: LOCATING THE OTHERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES IN THE HISTORIA REGUM BRITANNIAE ..................................................... 11 3. ANNA AND THE KINGS: LOCATING MARRIAGE ALLIANCES IN THE HISTORIA REGUM BRITANNIAE............................................................................... 44 4. LOCATING THE GREEKS IN THE MATTER OF BRITAIN .................................. 75 5. FROM WEST TO EAST: LOCATING THE ORIENT IN THE MATTER OF BRITAIN ...................................................................................................................... 96 6. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 129 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................. 136 VITA ...................................................................................................................................... 141 v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS HrB Historia regum Britanniae Roman Roman de Brut vi ABSTRACT This dissertation primarily focuses on re-presentations of the foreign others in the twelfth- century chronicles Historia regum Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Roman de Brut of Wace of the Isle of Jersey. Geoffrey and Wace, I argue, deploy a number of strategies in their narratives regarding the Matter of Britain that mainly though not wholly work to reinforce hegemonic versions of history through dehumanizing and demonizing the others that inhabit their narratives. The strategies that Geoffrey and Wace deploy towards the inhabitants of their narratives, I contend, operate within a framework that both celebrates and defends the Normans’ pretensions to empire and subjugates the others whom they encounter in their desire to bring their ambitious plans to fruition. I position this framework in the colonial discourses that circulated in the texts being produced by the ecclesiastical communities of the twelfth century. I argue that these discourses point to a specific type of colonialism that flourished during the twelfth century that on the one hand facilitated the Normans’ pretensions to empire on multiple fronts and on the other hand expressed ambivalence towards some of the more brutal methods that the Normans employed to seize power, land and resources. vii 1. INTRODUCTION The primary aim of this dissertation is to explore some of the ways that the twelfth- century chroniclers Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Wace of the Isle of Jersey re-present the other in the Historia regum Britanniae and Roman de Brut. Geoffrey and Wace, I will argue, deploy a number of strategies in their narratives regarding the Matter of Britain that mainly though not wholly work to reinforce hegemonic versions of history through dehumanizing and demonizing the others that inhabit their narratives. The strategies that Geoffrey and Wace deploy towards the inhabitants of their narratives, I contend, operate within a framework that both celebrates and defends the Normans’ pretensions to empire and subjugates the others whom they encounter in their desire to bring their ambitious plans to fruition. In making this argument, I build upon studies by scholars like N.J. Higham, Michelle Warren, R.R. Davies, John Le Patourel, and others who investigate the various colonial discourses that circulated in the texts being produced by the ecclesiastical communities of western Europe going back to the Roman occupation of the British Isles down to the Norman conquests of Britain, parts of Southern Europe, and areas in and around the Mediterranean. In addition, I also draw upon the work of Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak and Tejaswini, each of whom explores the many colonial practices developed during the age of imperialism. In some cases, I borrow some of the useful terminology and theoretical models these scholars have articulated to map out the ways that colonial discourses circulated in the Matter of Britain. On the other hand, these studies also help to delineate the differences between the kinds of colonial discourses that were produced
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