English mythology

English mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of England, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. These narratives consist of folk traditions developed in England after the Norman Conquest, integrated with traditions from Anglo-Saxon mythology, Christian mythology, and Celtic mythology.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

Celtic elements related to England, and are typically regarded as within the corpus of Cornish mythology, Welsh mythology or Medieval Welsh literature form part of the Matter of Britain.

Notable figures

Before the Norman conquest

5th century:

• Hengist and Horsa: Legendary brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their invasion of Britain in the 5th century; Horsa was killed fighting the Britons, but Hengist successfully conquered Kent, becoming the forefather of its Jutish kings. A figure named Hengest appears in the Finnesburg Fragment and in Beowulf.^[1]

6th century:

• Sceafa (date uncertain): Ancient Lombardic king in English legend. The story has Sceafa appearing mysteriously as a child, coming out of the sea in an empty skiff. The name has historically been modernized Shava.^[2]

8th century:

• Wayland the Smith: Legendary master blacksmith who appears in Deor, Waldere, and Beowulf; the legend is depicted on the Franks Casket.^[3]
• Beowulf (between the 8th and the early 11th centuries): Epic poem in Old English. The original manuscript has no title, but the story it tells has become known by the name of its protagonist. Beowulf may be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English and is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.^[4]

9th century:

• Alfred the Great (849–899): In 878, supposedly burnt the cakes in Athelney, Somerset before defeating the Great Heathen Army at the Battle of Edington.^[5]
• Brutus of Troy, or Brute of Troy: Legendary descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas, known in medieval British history as the eponymous founder and first king of Britain. Brutus first appears in the Historia Brittonum, but is best known from Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae.^[6]

After the Norman conquest

12th century:

• King Arthur (Matter of Britain): Legendary leader, according to medieval histories and romances, of the Knights of the Round Table in the defence of Britain against Saxon (English) invaders.^[7] (see also: Welsh, Cornish, and Breton mythologies)
• Waltheof of Melrose (c. 1095 – 1159): 12th century English abbot and saint; born to the English nobility, Waltheof is noted for his severe, self-imposed austerities and kindness to the poor.^[8]

13th century:

• Angul: Legendary founder and king of the Angles.
• Sir Bevis of Hampton (first half of the 13th century): Legendary English hero; the subject of medieval metrical romances which bear his name.^[9]
• Fulk FitzWarin (c. 1160–1258): Subject of the medieval legend Fouke le Fitz Waryn, which relates the story of Fulk's life as an outlaw and his struggle to regain his familial right to Whittington Castle from King John.^[10]
• Guy of Warwick: Legendary English hero of Romance popular in England and France from the 13th to 17th centuries; considered to be part of the Matter of England.^[11]
• Havelok the Dane, or Lay of Havelok the Dane (between 1280 and 1290): Middle English Romance considered to be part of the Matter of England; the story derives from two earlier Anglo-Norman texts.^[12]
• King Horn (middle of the 13th century): Chivalric romance in Middle English; considered part of the Matter of England. Believed to be the oldest extant romance in Middle English.^[13]
• Lady Godiva (13th century, possibly earlier): English noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked – covered only in her long hair – through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants.^[14]

14th century:

• Athelston (mid- or late 14th century): Anonymous Middle English verse romance, often classified as a Matter of England text. Its themes of kingship, justice and the rule of law relate to the politics of Richard II's reign.^[15]
• The Tale of Gamelyn (c. 1350): Romance taking place during the reign of King Edward I, telling the story of Gamelyn and the various obstacles he must overcome in order to retrieve his rightful inheritance from his older brother. Written in a dialect of Middle English and considered part of the Matter of England.^[16]
• Robin Hood (1370s): Heroic outlaw of English folklore who, according to legend, was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln green, he is said to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Alongside his band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest and against the Sheriff of Nottingham, he became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages, and continues to be represented in literature, film and television.^[17]

Legacy of English mythology in English literature

• Arthurian tales: see King Arthur.^[18]
• The Tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men: see Robin Hood.^[19]
• The works of C. S. Lewis (1898–1963).^[20]
• The works of William Shakespeare (1564–1616).^[21]
• The works of J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973), whose legendarium has been called a mythology for England.^[22][23]