Bede. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England. Edited and translated by A.M. Sellar. London: George Bell and Sons, 1907. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/38326/38326-h/38326-h.html#toc27.
Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England supplies a compilation of the history of Britain. Bede begins by detailing the various groups that lived in early Britain, including the Scots, Picts, and Britons. He explains the occupation of Britain by the Romans as well as the various trials and tribulations of various kings who wanted to convert to Christianity and the violence that ensued due to religious persecution. Broken into five separate books, Ecclesiastical History recounts various events in British history, ending in 731CE. Bede’s book had many iterations, with the first modern English translation of the book published in 1565. The author, Bede, was an Anglo-Saxon historian and theologian. Bede was a Christian. As a Christian himself, Bede’s account is biased towards a Christian perspective in terms of providing historical information. As a historian who could both read and write, Bede refers to various sources in his book, such as the Roman author, Pliny the Elder. In the introduction to the book, Bede explains how he worked with other religious leaders of Christianity in other locales to put together some of the information in his book. Ecclesiastical History of England is a valuable source that provides background information on the events that occurred in the conversion of England to Christianity. Bede’s perspective is also from that of someone who was heavily entrenched in the religion at the time and provides a point of view in regard to Christian conversion. Bede’s work is critical in understanding the progression of Christian conversions in Britain as well as information on the conversions from a Christian perspective. As few works survive from the period of time in which Bede lived, his book is pivotal in explaining both the history of the time as well as the attitudes of the time towards conversion and Christianity.
Nennius. History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum). Translated by J.A. Giles. Project Gutenberg: February 25, 2006. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1972/1972-h/1972-h.htm.
Historia Brittonum was compiled by the Welsh monk, Nennius. In his book, Nennius begins with the history of the British Isles, much like Bede’s novel. Also, in the beginning of his book, Nennius apologizes for any inaccuracies as he states he has compiled all of the information provided from various sources including from Romans like Eusebius and Prosper. He also asserts that others had previously attempted to chronicle Britain’s history but died or were stopped due to uncontrollable circumstances like war. In his chronicle, Nennius details the entrance of the Romans in Britain as well as the history of the Britons, the first people who arrived in the “third age of the world,” who he said were named after the Roman, Brutus. He also discusses the arrival of Anglo-Saxons from Germany and the process in which the newly arrived Anglo-Saxons accepted Christianity. As Nennius was a Christian, his intended audience for his chronicle was most likely for other Christians to read. As many could not read or write during this time period, in the apology section, Nennius almost infers that it is his duty to create this history. Nennius’ compilation of British history will be useful in providing historical context on the history of Britain. Much like Bede’s book, it is important to note that Nennius was a Christian historian and theologian and his chronicle may have biases that favor Christianity. In answering the research question why converting to Christianity so complex, Nennius’ book provides insight into the time period as well as providing a first-hand account of events that occurred, even if they are implicitly biased with a Christian slant.