Gildas, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, saints' lives, poetry, archaelogical findings and place- name studies. British landlords ruled small, unstable kingdoms and continued some Roman traditions of governance. In the mid-5th cent, Vertigern, a British leader, hired Germanic mercenaries to help defend against peoples of the north (Picts & Scots). In the end they revolted & the process of invasion and settlement began. The first Saxon ,,kings" were Hengist & Horsa in Kent, Aelle in Sussex, Cerdic / Cynric in Wessex. So the first ,,English" became mainly from Northern Germany & Denmark. The resistance of the Celts was long. They were free at the time, not like other Roman provinces on the Continent. Around 500, the Britons seem to have won several victories. One of their leaders was Ambrosius Aurelianus and one of their victories was at the place called Mount Badon. The
another. Many megalithic monuments were built around that time, e.g. Stonehenge, the Avebury ring. The Roman Invasion 55-54 BC, Julius Caesar ruled Rome, Rome built the Hadrian's wall (73 miles long, built in 121 127 AD) against the Picts and Scots, bits have survived till today. The Romans bring along the Christian faith The beginning of Christianization of the Celts. The Romans withdrew their forces together with the fall of the Roman empire. Anglo Saxon Invasion 5th 6th century AD. Germanic tribes from Scandinavia: the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes settle in what today is known as England and force the Celtic tribes to move to Scotland, Ireland, Wales. The Angles settled in Northumberland, East Anglia, Mercia; The Saxons in Essex, Sussex, Wessex and the Jutes in Kent. 569 AD Pope Gregory the great sends missionaries led by St. Augustine to Britain. The Benedictines
The Literary Analyses of "Beowulf" "Beowulf" is a heroic epic that was written down around 1000 AD in Old English. The poem's composition, however, is considered to date back to about 700 AD, meaning that it is from the Anglo-Saxon literary period. The epic was most probably created by scop(s) who composed it for entertainment and in praise of their master. Over the three centuries the epic was being changed and adapted by them, as it was inherited by word of mouth. The events occurring in the poem are set in Southern Scandinavia, Geatland and Denmark, in the fifth and sixth centuries. It should be observed that the narrative is written in the third person point of view and the narrator is omniscient. The subject matters in this poem are restricted to war and death. This was their present and therefore interesting to them as they could identify with the characters. The restricted variety of themes, flat characters and confrontation
chronicle and with the group of translations made or inspired by the king himself. However, the best of Anglo-Saxon prose was produced a century later by the monks Wulfstan and Ælric, who left a large number of writings devoted to the exposition of Christian faith. That includes homilies and Saint's Lives. It is now believed that these monks were responsible for developing the form of written English known as Late West Saxon. Ælric was a grammarian, he wrote the first Latin grammar in English. One of the main characteristics is immediacy. 4. The medieval and eliz. world picture. The Elizabethan age was the age of the renaissance, but the Elizabethans were much closer to a medieval way of thinking. Above all earthly and cosmic laws or orders there is Law in general. The divine reason is beyond our understanding, yet we know it's there. God's law is eternal. St
ENGLISH LITERATURE Ancient Britain Lived on the British Isles in the 1st millenium. They most probably came from Eastern Europe and belonged to the Celtic race and also spoke Celtic. They were primitive hunters- gatherers, farmers. Some Celtic words are still used in modern English, however they are used mostly in place names. For example: · avon river · cumb valley · ford shallow place in the river Ancient Britons had their own religion and priests or druids and temples. In the year 55 BC Britain became a Roman province. Romans were highly developed and had their own language latin, which has also greatly influenced English. The military occupation of the Isles ended in 410 AD. The Romans eventually brought Christianity to Britain. Hadrian's wall on the border of Scotland and England. It began construction in 122 AD. An Anglo-Saxon att
THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD English literature came when the Angles, the Saxons, the Jutes and the Frisians invaded Britain. During this time English was called Anglo- Saxon or Old English. In the chronicles of Roman history (composed in Latin) is said that Britain makes its first appearance in written language when Romans invade the England. BEOWULF most important poem, surviving in a 10th-cent manuscript. The historical period of the poem's events can be dated in the 6th to 8th century. Much of the material of the poem is legendary and paralleled in other Germanic historical-mythological literature in Norse, Old English, and German. GEOFFREY CHAUCER (1340-1400) Politician and writer, fought in France during the 100 years war. He visited Genoa and Florence where he became acquainted with Italian literature and in particular with the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. The French period (up to 1370). early works were based mostly on French models. The Italian perio
History of English literature Periods: 1. Anglo-saxon or early literature (499 - 1066) 2. Second or Norman or late Medieval period (1066 - 13/14 century) 3. Renaissance or Modern period (13-14 century present) Anglo-Saxon period · All of the literature had its roots in folklore · Texts were orally transmitted, the anglosaxons had no written language · Two types of singers: 1) scop (attached to the royal court, wrote poetry and songs, performed them); 2) gleeman (travelled, mostly sang other peoples' songs, not their own songs; performers of scop songs) · The oldest known song Widsith (The Far Traveller/Wonderer); tells of a gleeman who travels in Europe, of his love of noble deeds, speaks of the shortness of life http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widsith · The other known song Deor's Lament. Can be called the first English lyrics, about 40 lines. Talks about a scop who is not happy with his life. · A-S poetry was fatalis
8. Beowulf Beowulf is the most famous heroic poem (written down 8-9cc) Beowulf is a war-leader from Scandinavia.He rescued the land of the Danes from a man-like monster Grendel. The monster kills the hero.The poet describes the funeral and how warriors mourned their king. 9. The Vikings, their way of life. Sutton Hoo In 789 three ships carrying Northmen (Vikings vikingr = pirate, raider in the old Norwegian) landed on the coast of the kingdom of the West Saxon. Many were sailors who sailed looking for plunder, trade and land for new settlements. Their craftworkers made beautiful objects. Most of the written evidence about the Vikings in England comes from ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE (892) Vikings lived in country settlements, grew crops, vegetables, kept animals, hunted animals, birds, fish. Vikings were great traders in town markets. JORVIK typical Viking town 9th c. V. moved to the islands of Shetland, Orkneys, the Hebrides, Ireland
Kõik kommentaarid