Castleford’s Chronicle or the Boke of Brut: Books I to VI

Castleford’s Chronicle is a long verse chronicle, written in a Northern English dialect, which recounts the traditional history of Britain from its foundation year to 1327. It is one of the earliest compendia in English of the events and legends of British history as then understood, and includes, for example, one of the earliest English language versions of the story of King Lear. Although the great majority of its historical episodes are conventional, the chronicle also offers some surprises, such as a version of the Norman Conquest in which Harold is said to marry William’s sister, Elaine. The title Castleford’s Chronicle , is conventional: although the name Thomas Castelford appears in the sole surviving manuscript, there is no conclusive evidence that a person of this name was the author. The work refers to itself at one point as The Boke of Brut . The text survives in a single 15th-century manuscript. Volume I contains a short introduction and half of the text; Volume II contains the remainder of the text. A third volume will be forthcoming at some future date containing a full introduction, notes, and glossary.