Table of Contents

Introduction Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Translation of Female Kingship Re-reading Empress Matilda as a Female King Geoffrey's History as Preparation for a Female King Undermining and Degrading Female Kingship in the First Variant and the Roman de Brut Delegitimizing and Erasing Female Kingship in the 'Epistola Warino Britoni,' the Chronica majora, and Layamon's Brut

About the Author

Fiona Tolhurst is Maître Assistante in Medieval and Early Modern English at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Reviews

"This volume presents a nuanced consideration of the events which surrounded the composition of Geoffrey's seminal work, along with an illuminating exploration of the historiographical conversation it started among his fellow writers. This book is a pleasure to read, and will become an essential part of chronicle, narratological, and feminist scholarship." - The Medieval Review "Tolhurst, author of Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Feminist Origins of the Arthurian Legend, promptly follows her work on the Arthurian portions of Geoffrey of Monmouth's History with this feminist reading of the parts of the text that precede and follow Arthur's reign . . . Even those who do not support feminist interpretations will value her assessment of Matilda's female kingship. Tolhurst's study will appeal specifically to medievalists, literary critics, and serious readers of early texts . . . Highly recommended." - CHOICE