Brutus Stone

Here are more pictures of my holidays to Devon, again this was taken in Totnes. Totnes is a small town, but it has many attractions and makes for some great sightseeing, great pictures and also a very educational holiday. One of them is Brutus Stone, pictured above and on the left. According to the Historia Regum Britanniae by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Totnes is where Brutus of Troy first came ashore to found what is now Britain.

Now, all this might seem anecdotal to most of you, a bit of local folklore that is sometimes mentioned as a passing reference elsewhere. I am sure many tourists and locals pass this stone every day without even noticing it. However, for a medievalist like myself, especially since I am specialized in the Matter of Britain, it means that Totnes is the cradle of the legends King Arthur, Brutus being his first ancestor. I did not remember this bit in the Historia, but remembering it the stone became suddenly very significant. So, falling into the cliché, I had to take a picture of my feet stepping on it.