History of the Britons

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Here BE Dragons - Rated
By some extraordinary oversight a previous reviewer has forgotten the (unforgettable and very significant) dragons in Nennius! Vide the section De Ambrosio (the tale of Emrys). These are of course the Red and White Dragons of the ominous mystery discovered and interpreted by the wonderchild 'Ambrosius/Emrys' under the foundations of Vortigern's unbuildable fortress. It's true Nennius calls them 'duo vermes', but dragons were often called thus (cf. Old English wyrm); in any case, 'Ambrosius' then goes on to state plainly that 'duo vermes duo dracones sunt'. Not only then are there dragons in Nennius, but they are two extremely important ones, especially for Nennius' many Arthurian readers: these are the dragons of Geoffrey of Monmmouth's Prophecies of Merlin ('Merlin'=[somehow]'Ambrosius'], and are ultimately derived (somehow) from those in Cyfranc Lludd & Lleuelys (normally included in the so-called 'Mabinogion'). The relationships of dependence and transmission between these three texts (four if you count the Welsh Triads) remains obscure and controversial; what this business with the two dragons means and where it comes from, is, as Merlin-Ambrosius says, a 'mysterium'...

A fascinating historical artifact - Rated
There is considerable controversy about this work. Drawing on earlier sources (some of which are no longer available), it appears to have been compiled around the end of the Eighth Century by a Welsh monk named Nennius. The book contains (not in this order) a history of Britain, complete with genealogies back to Adam, a list of extant British cities, and a short history of Saint Patrick. Most significantly, the book contains numerous references to Vortigern, Ambrosius and Arthur.

This short book is (compared to modern books) poorly organized, and of dubious reliability. However, as a historical artifact it is quite fascinating. If you have ever read references to Nennius' work in another book, then it would be worth your wile to get ahold of the book, and read see the references in context. I enjoyed it, and think that you will too.