Publishing the History of the Kings of Britain

This article examines the timeline and probable historical contexts of the three different dedications of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain. It combines evidence from manuscripts, textual history, narratives, and charters to present a revised chronology for their making. Most importantly, it argues that Geoffrey first made his History available in France, by presenting it to Robert of Gloucester, probably in 1138. More tentatively, it suggests that the Prophecies of Merlin, published prior to December 1135, may also have been first put into circulation on the continent.