SOURCE: “The Historia Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth: Parody and Its Purpose—A Suggestion,”Speculum, Vol. LIV, No. 3, July, 1979, pp. 447-68.

In the following essay, Flint presents evidence that The History of the Kings of Britain was intended to make fun of other histories and ultimately to advance the cause of worldly society over monastic society.

The Historia Regum Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth has enjoyed an enormous amount of attention. In the first place, the work itself was extraordinarily popular. The most recent edition of the text, by Acton Griscom, lists almost 200 surviving Latin manuscripts, 48 of the twelfth century,¹ and more have been added and will be added.² In the second, it was and is a puzzle. It was found difficult to interpret as soon as it appeared. Henry of Huntingdon was frankly surprised by the work, which he found at Bec in 1139. Gerald of Wales claimed...