BSEE36
BSEE36
BSEE36
INTRODUCTION TO OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE many retellings before it was written down.
earliest known owner of the manuscript is the 16th
I. THE BEGINNING OF ENGLISH LITERARY PERIOD century scholar Lawrence Nowell.
The name "England" is derived from the Old
English name ”ENGLALAND”, which means SUMMARY
“LAND OF THE ANGLES" Hrothgar, king of the
II. ENGLAND BEFORE THE ENGLISH Danes, built a mead hall
Romans withdraw, leaving the Britons/Celts called as “Heorot hall.”
behind invasions from the Northern Europe because of the noise made by the
III. ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD Danes, Grendel attacked them,
By 600, Anglo-Saxons conquer the Britons and ruled the hall for 12 years.
- language becomes more Germanic A great warrior from
- still retains some Latin Geatland came help,
Beowulf.
The Anglo-Saxons’ two urgings – war and Beowulf fought with Grendel, and
wandering become part of the oral tradition succeed in defeating Grendel. He
gets Grendel’s severed arm that
The Anglo-Saxons formed the basis of English served as his trophy.
culture, religion, and language and ruled Grendel’s mother cam to
England for 600 years. Heorot to avenge Grendel.
The term Anglo-Saxon refers to a group of Beowulf defeated Grendel and gets her
settlers from the German regions of Angles and head. He, then sailed back to his land and
Saxony who took over England after the fall of became the King for 50 years.
the Roman Empire. A thief woken the dragon for stealing
The Anglo-Saxons first introduced Old English a goblet. The dragon angered the
literature in the fifth century. Geats and destroyed their land.
When the Anglo-Saxons first came to England Beowulf was able to kill the dragon, but he
from northern Germany (Saxony) in the fifth and was totally wounded – Beowulf died.
sixth centuries, they brought their language with
them. It is a Germanic language and has some
fundamental similarities to Modern German.
By 700, Christian missionaries arrive to convert
the pagans.
– Latin (the language of the Church) returns
King Alfred
- the Britons become organized
- first true king of the Britons
- period of prosperity
Despite Latin being the official language used to
produce literature, Old English became popular
due to its use by Anglo-Saxons and other tribes.
Hence, there were many works that were
produced in Old English as well during the Anglo-
Saxon period in literature.
BEOWULF
the earliest literature, the national epic of the
Anglo-Saxon.