Building upon scholarly discussions of royal rule and power, this session seeks papers that examine how prose and verse Brut chronicles engage with the mechanisms of rule, including law, institutional politics, warfare, diplomacy, and peacemaking. We particularly welcome studies that ground these representations in historical contexts: Layamon's portrayal of rulers against the backdrop of the deteriorating Angevin dynasty or the prose Brut’s kings read through the lens of the Wars of the Roses and the loss of English territories in France. We also welcome codicological approaches examining visual representations of kings in manuscript miniatures, historiated letters, rubrication, and marginalia. Rooted in Geoffrey of Monmouth, the nature of kingship is central to the Brut tradition, balancing ideal rulers like Arthur with negative exemplars like Vortigern. Anchoring depictions of rulership—including manuscript illustrations, rubrications, and marginalia—within precise historical contexts (such as the Angevin crisis or the Wars of the Roses), this session deepens our understanding of how Brut historical texts actively shaped and responded to changing political landscapes. Bridging literary analysis, codicology, and political theory, the session engages medieval studies’ recent embrace of material culture and reception history.

Please use the ICMS convex portal for abstract submissions: https://icms.confex.com/icms/2027/prelim.cgi/Session/8708

If you have any questions, contact

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Kenneth Tiller

Professor of English

Co-director, Center for Medieval-Renaissance Studies

University of Virginia’s College at Wise

Wise, VA 24293

(O) 276-376-4587