UVa-Wise professor’s new book explores the use of Old English in Layamon’s ‘Brut’

At a time when England’s ruling class spoke another language and literary works shunned the use of English, Layamon’s “Brut” emerged as a tool of the language’s revitalization and a re-examination of history, according to a new book by UVa-Wise Associate Professor of English Kenneth J. Tiller.

Tiller’s book “Layamon’s ‘Brut’ and the Anglo-Norman Vision of History” examines the significance of the poem’s use of English and its view on the way history was recorded in 12th century England.

“Brut” was the first significant work written in Old English following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Included in its 16,000 lines are narratives of the fall of Troy, the Christianization of the British Celts and the stories of King Lear and King Arthur.

Tiller argues that by choosing to write the poem in English, which was not a popular language for literature of the time, Layamon seeks to revitalize the tradition of English writing that was lost with the arrival of the Normans.

“As a history of translation, ‘Brut’ ultimately dramatizes the English language’s suppression and lays the foundations for its re-emergence,” Tiller said. “It calls for a reassessment of the English language and English ethnic identity in the face of Anglo-Norman and Angevin literary traditions that threaten to eclipse both.”

Beyond the use of a “de-privileged” language, Tiller holds that Layamon challenges the way historians of the time presented history itself. During this period, the recording of history was dominated by a “providential” model, which holds that God rewards righteousness and punishes sin on a national level. According to this view, if a people (such as the Britons or Anglo-Saxons) suffer defeat, it is divine punishment for their past sins.

Tiller argues that Layamon continually questions this view of history by preparing his readers for a providential outcome before ultimately undermining that assumption. He argues that Layamon sees the providential model as a way of “translating” historical events into narrative, guided by ideological and artistic concerns.

Tiller has been a member of the UVa-Wise faculty since 1996. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central State University, a Master of Arts degree from Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. He has published work on Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” and on the relationship between the English romance and English history.

“Layamon’s ‘Brut’ and the Anglo-Norman Vision of History” is available at Amazon.com.

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Posted January 29, 2008