‘A grete abbicion for the londis name’: Naming England for Igerne in an Abbreviated Middle English Prose Brut

The brief Middle English Brut chronicle in Lambeth Palace MS 306 features a unique addition to the Arthurian tradition, attributing the name of England to Igerne, wife of Uther Pendragon. This derivation is linked to the chronicle’s focus on the struggle between Christians and non-Christians as Britain is invaded and colonized before, during, and after the Arthurian era. Close reading of this theme as it plays out through the chronicle shows the text’s patriotic, nationalistic focus.