The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle proves significant to study of the era, preserving a chronology of early English history. These works include genres such as epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible translations, legal works, chronicles, riddles, and others.Īmong the most important works of this period is the poem Beowulf, which has achieved national epic status in Britain. The first works in English, written in Old English, appeared in the early Middle Ages (the oldest surviving text is Cædmon’s Hymn).Įpic poems were thus very popular and many, including Beowulf.Īnglo-Saxon literature (or Old English literature) written in during the 600-year Anglo-Saxon period of England, from the mid-5th century to the Norman Conquest of 1066. HISTORY THE ANGLO-SAXON OR OLD-ENGLISH PERIOD (450-1050) Old English Heroic deeds, love of sea adventure, intense love of glory and savagery are the main features of the literature of this period. Though Christianity is traceable, paganism dominates the literary spirit of the time. Most of the writers of this -age are unknown except Caedmon who is held to be the first known poet of English and Bede, the first historian. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle written in this age is the earliest prose of English literature. “ The Wanderer“, Message“, “ The Wife’s Lament” are among the remarkable poems of the age. Alfred the Great who reigned over England from 871 to 901 encouraged education and supervised the compilation of The Anglo Saxon Chronicle.īeowulf, the earliest epic of English literature, was written in this period “The Seafarer”, “The Husband’s Earlier to this whatever existed as literature was oral. In the 7 th century monasteries were established where a written literature began. Christianity reached England and Christianization of the pagan English tribes began. The historical events which influenced the literature of this period were:ġ. It ended in 1066 with the Norman Conquest. This Age started in the fifth century when the Jutes, Angles and Saxons came to England from Germany, defeated the English tribes and started their reign. The English language has changed quite a bit in the past 1000 years, but Beowulf is an example that a great story never gets old.The Old English Period or The Anglo-Saxon Period- (450-1066) It's amazing to think that these two poems are saying the same thing, let alone that they are versions of the same language. Until to him each of the bordering tribesĪnd yield tribute: that was a good king!" He waxed under the clouds, throve in honours, Often Scyld, Scef's son, from enemy hostsĪnd terrorized the fearsome Heruli after first he wasįound helpless and destitute, he then knew recompense for that: How those nobles performed courageous deeds, Of those clan-kings - heard of their glory, It was first translated into modern English in 1805, eventually becoming a version that reads this way: "Listen! We - of the Spear-Danes in the days of yore, We Gardena in geardagum,īeowulf has been translated over 600 times in the last millennium. The first 11 lines of the original Old English version read as follows: "Hwæt. The poem is nearly incomprehensible by modern English standards but has been closely translated by Old English scholars. A literary canon of the Old English period is the epic poem Beowulf, which was written between 9.
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