The Creation of a King: How Geoffrey of Monmouth Influenced the Story of King Arthur

Geoffrey of Monmouth (c.1095-1155 CE) is one of the most influential writers on King Arthur. Prior to Geoffrey’s History of the Kings of Britain, there was little to no mention of the legendary king in early medieval historical texts. Geoffrey’s development of Arthur paved the way for future authors and storytellers to implement Integrate King Arthur in their work, developing and expanding the legend. This paper will utilize Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain and identify its influences in other Arthurian tales from the medieval period (eleventh century to sixteenth century) including Marie de France’s Lais, Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’arthur, and the Welsh folktale compilation, the Mabinogion. Analysis of these literary and historical sources demonstrates that other medieval authors used Geoffrey’s tale of King Arthur for political and social advancement when writing for nobility and also adapting and adding to the Arthur legend to fit their own cultural norms. Identifying how Geoffrey’s History of the Kings of Britain was adapted and spread is important in identifying what causes myths and legends to catch on and last well beyond the time of their creation