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Breeze is one of the most prolific and varied contributors to Mabinogi Studies, and ''[[The Mabinogion]]'' research, especially addressing historical and political parallels. In 1997 he published the controversial 'Did a woman write the Four Branches of the Mabinogi?'<ref>
Breeze is one of the most prolific and varied contributors to Mabinogi Studies, and ''[[The Mabinogion]]'' research, especially addressing historical and political parallels. In 1997 he published the controversial 'Did a woman write the Four Branches of the Mabinogi?'<ref>
Breeze, Andrew Charles, ''Studi Medievali'', Vol. 38, 2, pp. 679-705.</ref>,<ref>Roger Dobson, ''Is this Welsh princess the first British woman author?', ''The Independent'', 11 Jan. 1997. [http://=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/is-this-welsh-princess-the-first-british-woman-author-1282555.html The Independent]{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> proposing a woman composer for this leading literature of British/ Welsh heritage. Breeze's theory rests on the unusual lack of warlike or fighting heroics compared to preceding literature; the high quantity of material on mothering, besides complex, in depth portraits of Mabinogi women.<ref>There is an interesting study of ''Mabinogi'' women, with conclusions very different from those reached by Breeze, in Roberta Valente's ''‘"Merched y Mabinogi": Women and the Thematic Structure of the Four Branches’'' (unpub. PhD thesis, Cornell University, 1986)</ref> This much has been supported or tolerated by some scholars, but there has been much less approval of Breeze's preferred candidate [[Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd]]. Since the 1997 article Breeze has been persistent in further publications on the idea.<ref>[http://www.mabinogistudy.com The Mabinogi Bibliography] holds 24 Breeze entries, where most scholars have 5 or less.</ref>
Breeze, Andrew Charles, ''Studi Medievali'', Vol. 38, 2, pp. 679-705.</ref>,<ref>Roger Dobson, ''Is this Welsh princess the first British woman author?', ''The Independent'', 11 Jan. 1997. [http://=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/is-this-welsh-princess-the-first-british-woman-author-1282555.html The Independent]{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> proposing a woman composer for this leading literature of British/ Welsh heritage. Breeze's theory rests on the unusual lack of warlike or fighting heroics compared to preceding literature; the high quantity of material on mothering, besides complex, in depth portraits of Mabinogi women.<ref>There is an interesting study of ''Mabinogi'' women, with conclusions very different from those reached by Breeze, in Roberta Valente's ''‘"Merched y Mabinogi": Women and the Thematic Structure of the Four Branches’'' (unpub. PhD thesis, Cornell University, 1986)</ref> This much has been supported or tolerated by some scholars, but there has been discussion regarding Breeze's preferred candidate [[Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd]]. Since the 1997 article Breeze has provided further publications on the idea.<ref>[http://www.mabinogistudy.com The Mabinogi Bibliography] holds 24 Breeze entries, where most scholars have 5 or less.</ref>


In 2015, he published a paper identifying the locations of [[King Arthur]]'s battles from the 9th-century ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'', placing them all in Scotland and Northern England, with the exception of [[Mount Badon]] in the year 493, located at a hillfort east of [[Braydon Forest]], [[Wiltshire]], but having nothing to do with Arthur. Using these identifications, he suggested that Arthur was a [[Celtic Britons|Briton]] from the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde]] who fought other Britons, rather than [[Anglo-Saxons]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = King Arthur? No, the legendary leader was just a Scottish general|url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3220728/King-Arthur-No-legendary-leader-just-Scottish-general-lived-life-Strathclyde.html|website = Mail Online|publisher = |accessdate = 2015-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = King Arthur 'was real, wasn't a king... and lived in Strathclyde'|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/king-arthur-legendary-figure-was-real-and-lived-most-of-his-life-in-strathclyde-academic-claims-10483364.html|website = The Independent|accessdate = 2015-12-30|language = en-GB}}</ref> Other scholars have questioned his findings, which they believe are based on coincidental resemblances between place-names.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Was king Arthur from Scotland?|url = http://www.lostkingdom.net/was-king-arthur-from-glasgow-scotland/|website = Lost Kingdom Fantasy Writing, Roleplaying and Worldbuilding Resources|accessdate = 2015-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Academia up in arms over King Arthur’s Glasgow roots|url = http://www.thenational.scot/news/academia-up-in-arms-over-king-arthurs-glasgow-roots.826|website = www.thenational.scot|accessdate = 2015-12-30}}</ref>
In 2015, he published a paper identifying the locations of [[King Arthur]]'s battles from the 9th-century ''[[Historia Brittonum]]'', placing them all in Scotland and Northern England, with the exception of [[Mount Badon]] in the year 493, located at a hillfort east of [[Braydon Forest]], [[Wiltshire]], but having nothing to do with Arthur. Using these identifications, he suggested that Arthur was a [[Celtic Britons|Briton]] from the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde]] who fought other Britons, rather than [[Anglo-Saxons]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = King Arthur? No, the legendary leader was just a Scottish general|url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3220728/King-Arthur-No-legendary-leader-just-Scottish-general-lived-life-Strathclyde.html|website = Mail Online|publisher = |accessdate = 2015-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = King Arthur 'was real, wasn't a king... and lived in Strathclyde'|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/king-arthur-legendary-figure-was-real-and-lived-most-of-his-life-in-strathclyde-academic-claims-10483364.html|website = The Independent|accessdate = 2015-12-30|language = en-GB}}</ref> Other scholars have questioned his findings, which they believe are based on coincidental resemblances between place-names.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Was king Arthur from Scotland?|url = http://www.lostkingdom.net/was-king-arthur-from-glasgow-scotland/|website = Lost Kingdom Fantasy Writing, Roleplaying and Worldbuilding Resources|accessdate = 2015-12-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Academia up in arms over King Arthur’s Glasgow roots|url = http://www.thenational.scot/news/academia-up-in-arms-over-king-arthurs-glasgow-roots.826|website = www.thenational.scot|accessdate = 2015-12-30}}</ref>

Andrew Breeze's ''British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh'' was published in 2020 by Anthem Press. It gives new locations for various early conflicts. Amongst them are [[Mount Badon]] in 493 at [[Braydon]], near [[Swindon]], [[Wiltshire]]; those of Arthur in 536-7 in southern Scotland and northern England; [[Degsastan]] in 603 near [[Dawyck]], on the [[River Tweed]], [[Scottish Borders]]; [[Maserfelth]] in 642 at [[Forden]], [[Powys]] (and not [[Oswestry]], [[Shropshire]]); and [[Brunanburh]] in 937 on the [[River Browney]] near [[Lanchester]], [[County Durham]] (and not [[Bromborough]] in [[Cheshire]]/[[Merseyside]]). This work aims to provide a blueprint for locating a range of battles fought during this early period of British history.


==Books==
==Books==
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*2008 ''The Mary of the Celts'', Gracewing ({{ISBN|978 0 85244 682 9}})
*2008 ''The Mary of the Celts'', Gracewing ({{ISBN|978 0 85244 682 9}})
*2009 ''The Origins of the "Four Branches of the Mabinogi"'', Gracewing ({{ISBN|978 0 85244 553 2}})
*2009 ''The Origins of the "Four Branches of the Mabinogi"'', Gracewing ({{ISBN|978 0 85244 553 2}})
*2020 ''British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh'', Anthem ({{ISBN|1 78527 223 3}})


==External links==
==External links==

Revision as of 02:15, 12 March 2020

Andrew Breeze
Born6 July 1954
Flitwick, Bedfordshire
NationalityEnglish
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
Known forHistorical linguistics
Philology of Celtic languages
Onomastics, especially place-names
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge, University of Oxford
Academic work
DisciplineLinguistics[1]
InstitutionsUniversity of Navarra (previously at Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies)

Andrew Breeze (born 6 July 1954), MA, DipCeltStud, PhD, FSA, FRHistS, has been profesor de filología at the University of Navarra[1] since 1987.

Early life

Breeze was educated at Sir Roger Manwood's School, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. He is married with six children.

Work

Besides numerous research papers on the philology of multiple Celtic languages, he is the author of the substantial Medieval Welsh Literature (1997)[2] and The Origins of the "Four Branches of the Mabinogi" (2009). He is also co-author with Professor Richard Coates of Celtic Voices, English Places (2000).

Breeze is one of the most prolific and varied contributors to Mabinogi Studies, and The Mabinogion research, especially addressing historical and political parallels. In 1997 he published the controversial 'Did a woman write the Four Branches of the Mabinogi?'[3],[4] proposing a woman composer for this leading literature of British/ Welsh heritage. Breeze's theory rests on the unusual lack of warlike or fighting heroics compared to preceding literature; the high quantity of material on mothering, besides complex, in depth portraits of Mabinogi women.[5] This much has been supported or tolerated by some scholars, but there has been discussion regarding Breeze's preferred candidate Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd. Since the 1997 article Breeze has provided further publications on the idea.[6]

In 2015, he published a paper identifying the locations of King Arthur's battles from the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, placing them all in Scotland and Northern England, with the exception of Mount Badon in the year 493, located at a hillfort east of Braydon Forest, Wiltshire, but having nothing to do with Arthur. Using these identifications, he suggested that Arthur was a Briton from the Kingdom of Strathclyde who fought other Britons, rather than Anglo-Saxons.[7][8] Other scholars have questioned his findings, which they believe are based on coincidental resemblances between place-names.[9][10]

Andrew Breeze's British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh was published in 2020 by Anthem Press. It gives new locations for various early conflicts. Amongst them are Mount Badon in 493 at Braydon, near Swindon, Wiltshire; those of Arthur in 536-7 in southern Scotland and northern England; Degsastan in 603 near Dawyck, on the River Tweed, Scottish Borders; Maserfelth in 642 at Forden, Powys (and not Oswestry, Shropshire); and Brunanburh in 937 on the River Browney near Lanchester, County Durham (and not Bromborough in Cheshire/Merseyside). This work aims to provide a blueprint for locating a range of battles fought during this early period of British history.

Books

  • 1997 Medieval Welsh Literature, Four Courts Press (ISBN 1-85182-229-1).
  • 2000 (with Richard Coates; including a contribution by David Horovitz) Celtic Voices, English Places: Studies of the Celtic Impact on Place-Names in England, Stamford: Shaun Tyas; (ISBN 1 900289 41 5).
  • 2008 The Mary of the Celts, Gracewing (ISBN 978 0 85244 682 9)
  • 2009 The Origins of the "Four Branches of the Mabinogi", Gracewing (ISBN 978 0 85244 553 2)
  • 2020 British Battles 493-937: Mount Badon to Brunanburh, Anthem (ISBN 1 78527 223 3)
  • [1], University of Navarra: Andrew Breeze, CV listing publications.

References

  1. ^ a b "Andrew Breeze's publications", indexed by Google Scholar
  2. ^ Breeze, Andrew, Medieval Welsh Literature (Dublin: Four Courts Press., 1997)
  3. ^ Breeze, Andrew Charles, Studi Medievali, Vol. 38, 2, pp. 679-705.
  4. ^ Roger Dobson, Is this Welsh princess the first British woman author?', The Independent, 11 Jan. 1997. The Independent[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ There is an interesting study of Mabinogi women, with conclusions very different from those reached by Breeze, in Roberta Valente's ‘"Merched y Mabinogi": Women and the Thematic Structure of the Four Branches’ (unpub. PhD thesis, Cornell University, 1986)
  6. ^ The Mabinogi Bibliography holds 24 Breeze entries, where most scholars have 5 or less.
  7. ^ "King Arthur? No, the legendary leader was just a Scottish general". Mail Online. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  8. ^ "King Arthur 'was real, wasn't a king... and lived in Strathclyde'". The Independent. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Was king Arthur from Scotland?". Lost Kingdom Fantasy Writing, Roleplaying and Worldbuilding Resources. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Academia up in arms over King Arthur's Glasgow roots". www.thenational.scot. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
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