Sir Bevis of Hamtown
Preserved but no longer current.
A mediaeval chivalric romance, slightly connected with the Charlemagne cycle, which (in the English version) tells how the father of Bevis was slam by the mother, and how, on Bevis trying to avenge the murder, she sold him into slavery to Eastern merchants. After many adven- tures he converts and carries off Josian, daughter of the Soldan, returns to England, gets his revenge, and all ends happily.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Sir Bevis of Hamtown” mean?
A mediaeval chivalric romance, slightly connected with the Charlemagne cycle, which (in the English version) tells how the father of Bevis was slam by the mother, and how, on Bevis trying to avenge the murder, she sold him into slavery to Eastern merchants. After many adven- tures he converts and carries off Josian, daughter of the Soldan, returns to England, gets his revenge, and all ends happily.
Is “Sir Bevis of Hamtown” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.