Myth – Britain and the World in the Middle Ages: Image and Reality

14 April 2022
6:00 – 7:30 pm
The second in a six-part public lecture course on Britain and the World in the Middle Ages: Image and Reality.
Paul Mellon Centre and Online

The most influential British history book written in the Middle Ages, completed in the 1130s, opens about 1200 BC with the tale of the conquest of Britain by a band of Trojan refugees. Led by Brutus, the great-grandson of Aeneas, the Trojans made their way to an uninhabited island known as Albion, but on arrival they discovered that it was overrun by ferocious giants. Renaming the island ‘Brutayne’ after Brutus, they exterminated the giants and then founded London as the new Troy. The giants appear in just a few lines of Latin prose, yet they have survived in the myth and material culture of Britain in extraordinarily varied ways, from manuscript illumination to monumental landscape art. Using images of these giants as a starting point, this lecture explores the pivotal role played by images in shaping and adapting national myths of origin.

No prior art historical knowledge is necessary.

Registration is required. Please book tickets in the link above.

Please note this event will take place in our Lecture Room, located on the First Floor. Full accessibility information is available here. The event will also be live-streamed via Zoom Webinar.

Guidance for Events

We are delighted to welcome you back to the Paul Mellon Centre in London for in-person events. We would like to make your visit as safe and enjoyable as possible and have put in place several measures to protect you and our staff.

If You’re Feeling Unwell

If you or anyone you live with displays symptoms associated with COVID-19, please stay at home even if you have made a booking for one of our events.

Face Coverings

We ask all event attendees to wear a face mask. If you have forgotten yours, please ask our Reception staff and we will provide you with one. We will not ask speakers to wear a mask and you may take off your mask while asking a question.

Ventilation

We have installed air purifiers in event spaces, to enhance ventilation.

Social Distancing

We will offer a reduced seating capacity to ensure space between seats so that event attendees can feel safe and comfortable. All our events will be hybrid and there will be a live-stream option available for those who cannot be in the building.

Eating and Drinking

Drinks and, in some instances, snacks will be served in a separate space after an event. We will ensure that these spaces are particularly well ventilated by using air purifiers and by keeping doors and windows open if needed.

Hygiene Stations

Motion-sensor hand sanitiser stations have been installed in key areas of the building, as well as motion-sensor soap dispensers in toilets. Please clean your hands regularly and follow our hygiene guidance signs.

Cleaning

We will continue to invest in the extra cleaning services that we have introduced since our reopening, until further notice.

Assisting the Test and Trace Scheme

In order to be able to contact anyone who may have been exposed to someone presenting with Covid-19 symptoms since being at the Centre, we will ask all visitors for their contact details on arrival. This data will be kept for twenty-one days and then permanently deleted.

Facilities

The ground floor toilets will be dedicated for visitor use only. Lockers will be available to store your belongings, but we ask that you do not bring any bulky items with you.

About the speaker

Alixe Bovey is a specialist in the art and culture of the later Middle Ages, with particular interests in illuminated manuscripts, pictorial narrative, and the relationship between myth and material culture across historical periods and geographical boundaries. She is Dean and Deputy Director of The Courtauld, where she is also professor of medieval art history.