Brut

Layamon | fl. c. 1200
Layamon was a Worchestershire poet and priest at Ernley (now Areley Regis) on the Severn near Bewdley, England. He is best known for his significant work, the Brut or Brut d’Angleterre, an alliterative verse chronicle.
The Brut is an important milestone in the history of English versification as it marks the transition from Old English to Middle English. Layamon composed his chronicle in a form of Middle English that retained some characteristics of Old English, but also incorporated new linguistic elements. This makes the Brut a valuable linguistic and literary document, reflecting the evolving nature of the English language during this period.
Layamon’s Brut is a poetic adaptation of Wace’s Roman de Brut, which itself was a verse adaptation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Latin Historia Regum Britanniae. The Brut narrates the legendary history of Britain, including the deeds of King Arthur and other legendary figures. Layamon’s work contributes to the Arthurian tradition, presenting it in a form accessible to the English-speaking audience of his time.