ABSTRACT
Largely except for Arthurian romance and Boudicca, much of what early modern Englishmen read and understood as explanations for their national origins has long since faded from popular knowledge. Moreover, even royal women, those at the top of the social–political hierarchy, have been forgotten, even though they had exciting stories and long-term cultural impact. Indeed, Albine and her thirty-two sisters, the daughters of King Dioclesian, and Gwendolyn, the Cornish wife of King Locrine, while mythological foreign invaders of England, have had substantial impacts in British culture and history. This chapter examines their medieval roots and cultural significance, particularly through the lens of early modern reader response and historical context, showing why audiences turned away in the seventeenth century, forgetting this complex past.
