Brut

In medieval British legend, chronicle, and romance, the founder of Britain, to which he gave his name, and the great-grandson of the Trojan hero Aeneas (legendary ancestral father of the Romans).

Brut was said to have been banished from Italy and, after many adventures, reached Britain where he founded the New Troy (Trinovantum) on the site of London, and established a British dynasty.

Literature Brut's story is the British version of a widespread pre-medieval legend which traced the founders of modern European nations to the fleeing heroes of Troy; the ancient Romans were among the first to seek such an association. The British form originally appeared in Welsh historian Nennius' 9th-century Historia Britonum/History of the Britons, but was developed more completely by Welsh writer and chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae/History of the Kings of Britain in 1136.

The rhymed chronicle Estorie des Bretons (now lost) by Anglo-Norman poet Geoffrey Gaimar and Roman de Brut written by Anglo-Norman poet Robert Wace in 1155 were both based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's version of British history, although Wace also mentioned the Round Table of the legendary English king Arthur.

In the early 13th century, the English poet Layamon created a colourful embellishment of Wace's history, or romance of chivalry, in his chronicle Brut.