English mythology

Notable figures and legends

• Alfred the Great : In 878, burns the cakes in Athelney, Somerset before defeating the Great Heathen Army at the Battle of Edington.
• King Arthur : Legendary leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the Knights of the Round Table in the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders. A central figure in the legends making up the Matter of Britain.
• Athelston : Anonymous Middle English verse romance, often classified as a Matter of England text. Its themes of kingship, justice and the rule of law relate to the politics of Richard II's reign.
• Beowulf : Epic poem in Old English. The original manuscript has no title, but the story it tells has become known by the name of its protagonist. Beowulf may be the oldest surviving long poem in Old English and is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.
• Sir Bevis of Hampton : Legendary English hero; the subject of medieval metrical romances which bear his name.
• Brutus of Troy, or Brute of Troy : Subject of the medieval legend Fouke le Fitz Waryn, which relates the story of Fulk's life as an outlaw and his struggle to regain his familial right to Whittington Castle from King John.
• The Tale of Gamelyn : Romance taking place during the reign of King Edward I, telling the story of Gamelyn and the various obstacles he must overcome in order to retrieve his rightful inheritance from his older brother. Written in a dialect of Middle English and considered part of the Matter of England.
• Guy of Warwick : Legendary English hero of Romance popular in England and France from the 13th to 17th centuries; considered to be part of the Matter of England.
• Havelok the Dane, or Lay of Havelok the Dane : Middle English Romance considered to be part of the Matter of England; the story derives from two earlier Anglo-Norman texts.
• Hengist and Horsa : Legendary brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their invasion of Britain in the 5th century; Horsa was killed fighting the Britons, but Hengist successfully conquered Kent, becoming the forefather of its Jutish kings. A figure named Hengest appears in the Finnesburg Fragment and in Beowulf.
• King Horn : Chivalric romance in Middle English; considered part of the Matter of England. Believed to be the oldest extant romance in Middle English.
• Lady Godiva : English noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked – covered only in her long hair – through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband imposed on his tenants. The term "Peeping Tom" originates from later versions of this legend, in which a man named Thomas watched her ride and was struck blind or dead.
• Robin Hood : Heroic outlaw of English folklore who, according to legend, was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. Traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln green, he is said to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Alongside his band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest and against the Sheriff of Nottingham, he became a popular folk figure in the Late Middle Ages, and continues to be represented in literature, film and television.
• Sceafa : Ancient Lombardic king in English legend. The story has Sceafa appearing mysteriously as a child, coming out of the sea in an empty skiff. The name has historically been modernized Shava.
• Waltheof of Melrose : 12th century English abbot and saint; born to the English nobility, Waltheof is noted for his severe, self-imposed austerities and kindness to the poor.
• Wayland the Smith : Legendary master blacksmith who appears in Deor, Waldere, and Beowulf; the legend is depicted on the Franks Casket.

  Legacy of English mythology in English literature

• Arthurian tales: see King Arthur.
• The Tales of Robin Hood and his Merry Men: see Robin Hood.
• The works of C.S. Lewis.
• The works of William Shakespeare.
• The works of J.R.R. Tolkien.