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    L1 The Beginnings of English Literature

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    Makakua Ale Bai
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    L1 The Beginnings of English Literature

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    Makakua Ale Bai
    7 views12 pages
    The-Beginnings-of-English-Literature (1)

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    L1-The-Beginnings-of-English-Literature (1)

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    The-Beginnings-of-English-Literature (1)

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    7 views12 pages

    L1 The Beginnings of English Literature

    Uploaded by

    Makakua Ale Bai
    The-Beginnings-of-English-Literature (1)

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    You are on page 1of 12

    THE BEGINNINGS OF

    ENGLISH LITERATURE
    THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD

    • The anglo-saxon period in britain spans approximately the


    six centuries from 410-1066AD.
    • The period used to be known as the dark ages, mainly
    because written sources for the early years of saxon
    invasion are scarce. However, most historians now prefer
    the terms 'early middle ages' or 'early medieval period'.
    • It was a time of war, of the breaking up of
    roman britannia into several separate
    kingdoms, of religious conversion and,
    after the 790s, of continual battles against
    a new set of invaders: the vikings.
    • Climate change had an influence on the movement of the
    anglo-saxon invaders to britain: in the centuries after 400
    AD europe's average temperature was 1°C warmer than
    we have today, and in britain grapes could be grown as
    far north as tyneside. Warmer summers meant better
    crops and a rise in population in the countries of northern
    europe.
    • At the same time melting polar ice caused more flooding
    in low areas, particularly in what is now denmark,
    holland and belgium. These people eventually began
    looking for lands to settle in that were not so likely to
    flood. After the departure of the roman legions, britain
    was a defenceless and inviting prospect.
    A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ANGLO-
    SAXONS IN BRITAIN

    • Anglo-saxon mercenaries had for many years fought in


    the roman army in britain, so they were not total
    strangers to the island. Their invasions were slow and
    piecemeal, and began even before the roman legions
    departed. There is even some evidence to suggest
    that, initially, some saxons were invited to help protect
    the country from invasion.
    • When the roman legions left britain, the germanic-speaking angles,
    saxons, jutes and frisians began to arrive – at first in small invading
    parties, but soon in increasing numbers. Initially they met little firm
    resistance from the relatively defenceless inhabitants of britannia.
    • Around 500 AD, however, the invaders were resisted fiercely by the
    romano-british, who might have been led by king arthur, if he existed
    – and there is no hard evidence that he did. However, the monk gildas,
    writing in the mid-6th century, talks about a british christian leader
    called ambrosius who rallied the romano-british against the invaders
    and won twelve battles. Later accounts call this leader arthur.
    • The various anglo-saxon groups settled in different areas of
    the country. They formed several kingdoms, often changing,
    and constantly at war with one another. These kingdoms
    sometimes acknowledged one of their rulers as a ‘high
    king', the bretwalda.
    • By 650 AD there were seven separate kingdoms, as follows:
    • 1. Kent, settled by the jutes. Ethelbert of kent was the first
    anglo-saxon king to be converted to christianity, by st augustine
    around 595 AD.
    • 2. Mercia, whose best-known ruler, offa, built offa's dyke along
    the border between wales and england. This large kingdom
    stretched over the midlands.
    • 3. Northumbria, where the monk bede (c. 670-735) lived and
    wrote his ecclesiastical history of britain.
    • 4. East anglia, made up of angles: the north folk (living in modern norfolk) and
    the south folk (living in suffolk). The sutton hoo ship burial was found in east
    anglia (see below).
    • 5. Essex (east saxons). Here the famous battle of maldon was fought against
    the vikings in 991.
    • 6. Sussex: the south saxons settled here.
    • 7. Wessex (west saxons), later the kingdom of king alfred, the only english king
    ever to have been called ‘the great', and his equally impressive grandson,
    athelstan, the first who could truly call himself ‘king of the english'.
    • By 850 ad the seven kingdoms had
    been consolidated into three large
    anglo-saxon kingdoms: northumbria,
    mercia, and wessex. The anglo-saxons
    had become a christian people.

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