Problem people in the Petit Bruit by Rauf de Boun

Abstract

The Petit Bruit, a short Old French prose history of the kings of England from Brutus to Edward I, was written in 1309. It differs from other short Bruts in that it survives in a single sixteenth-century manuscript, with many puzzling readings and a text which often departs significantly from that of the other versions. It cites a source, le grant Bruit, which has not so far been identified. Among its baffling aspects are many traditional historical and legendary characters in non-traditional guises, a large number of very plausible fictitious personages, and a chronology which, particularly in the section from the Heptarchy to the Conquest, is so confused as to almost defy analysis. This paper looks at these problems, attempts some difficult identifications, and compares aspects of the text to some of the more major other Brut versions. Many questions remain unresolved; it is hoped that the discussion may spark off ideas in other scholars' minds.