[alert-success] HEL - William J. Long [/alert-success]
[alert-warn] UNIT II : ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD[/alert-warn] [alert-primary] Overall Summary[/alert-primary]
[alert-primary] Overall Summary[/alert-primary]
[btn href="https://www.speedynotes.in/2022/06/chapter-ii-anglo-saxon-or-old-english.html" class="bt" btn]Back >[/btn]
In the past, there were three tribes in northern Europe. They were called the Angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes. They took over Britain in the 5th century and made it their home. After driving the native people into the deep mountains of Wales and Scotland, they divided the whole island between themselves.
Angles settled in the east midland and made the kingdom of East Angles. Saxons took over the south of the island and made small kingdoms like Wessex, Essex, and Sussex. Jutes lived in the southeast corner of the island. Over time, Britain became home to seven kingdoms. In the 700s, these small kingdoms joined together to form a single country called England.
Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who are often called Anglo-Saxons, were the first people to call themselves English. Their language is called "Old English," and it is the basis for all English language and literature today. The history of English literature began when the Anglo-Saxons moved to Britain.
Almost all of the Anglo-Saxon literature, also called Old English literature, was spoken poetry. It could be passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth. Most of the time, no one knew who made it. It was written down long after it was first said.
During the Anglo-Saxon time, there were two kinds of poetry. The first was the poetry of the pagan gods, which was shown by Beowulf. The second was the poetry of the gods, which was shown by Caedmon and Cynewulf.
Anglo-Saxon prose came out in the 8th century. Alfred the Great and Venerable Bede were two well-known prose writers of the time.
OUR FIRST POETRY
Beowulf
Beowulf is the first poem ever written in English. It is the most important piece of Anglo-Saxon writing and the oldest epic still written in English. It has 3,182 lines in it. It is in the damaged Nowell Codex. Before it was written down in the 10th century or at the end of the 9th century, it was told from person to person for hundreds of years. The main stories in the poem are based on the folk tales of the primitive northern tribes.
The poem is about Beowulf, the legendary hero of
the Geats, who is also the name of the main character. The story takes
place in Sweden and Denmark, both in Scandinavia. The story itself comes
from Scandinavia. It is now a national epic, just like the Iliad.
Deor's Lament
In "Deor," we see another side of the Saxon minstrel not as a happy wanderer but as a man with a heavy heart. The minstrel's only way to make a living was to please his chief, and a better poet could come along at any time and take his place. Deor has been through this, and when he wants to feel better, he thinks of other people who have been through worse. The poem is divided into lines called "strophes". Each strophe is about a different hero who is in trouble and ends with the same line.
The Seafarer
"The Seafarer" has two parts. The first shows ocean hardships, but the sea's call is stronger. The second part is an allegory in which the seaman's troubles represent the troubles of life and the ocean's call is the soul's call to return to God. Whether the last part was added by a monk who saw the allegorical possibilities of the first or by a sea-loving Christian scop is unknown.
The Fight at Finnsburgh and Waldere
These two other old poems deserve mention. The "Fight at Finnsburgh" is a fragment of 50 lines found in a book of homilies. It's a magnificent war song that describes Hnaef's defence of a hall against Finn and his army.
ANGLO-SAXON LIFE
It is this great and hidden life of
the Anglo-Saxons that finds expression in all their
literature. Anglo Saxon's life comes down to five great principles: their love of personal freedom, their respect for nature, their religion, their respect for women, and their struggle for glory as the driving force in every noble life. This life is always expressed in early poetry.
Our First Speech
The songs of Widsith and Deor are the first words of our first recorded speech. These songs may have been brought to Britain by the Anglo-Saxons when they first took over the country. At first glance, these songs in their native dress look strange, like they were written in a foreign language. But if we look closely, we can see that many of the words have been around in English language.
Dual Nature of our language
The English we speak today is based on this old, strong Anglo-Saxon language. There are two different groups of words. The first group is made up of simple words that talk about everyday things. The Anglo-Saxon people gave us these words. The second and larger group of words are those that add style, variety, or decoration to what we say. They came to us from the Celts, Romans, Normans, and other people we've met over our long history.
III. CHRISTIAN WRITERS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD
The literature of this period falls naturally into two divisions, pagan and Christian. The former represents the poetry the Anglo-Saxons probably brought with them in the form of oral sagas, the latter represents the writings developed under the teaching of the monks, but while it still held on to the people's life and language.Christianity brought England a new life, leader, and language.
Northumbrian Literature
Two great Christian schools came to England and quickly ended the Anglo-Saxon wars. First, Augustine from Rome. It spread south and central England, especially Essex.
It founded schools and educated the rough, but produced no literature. The other, led by Aidan, came from Ireland, a centre of religion and education for western Europe for centuries.
The Northumbrian monks of this school influenced all of Anglo-Saxon literature.
It's called the Northumbrian School, and its greatest names are Bede, Caedmon, and Cynewulf.
BEDE (673-735)
Most people call him "the Venerable Bede." He was our first great scholar and is known as "the father of English learning." He almost never wrote in any language other than Latin. His last work, a translation of the Gospel of John into Anglo-Saxon, has been lost. "The First History of England" is one of his works. The Ecclesiastical History of the English People is the most important work to us.
CAEDMON (Seventh Century)
Caedmon is the most famous Old English poet, and he is often called the "father" of the style. In the 700s, he was a monk at the abbey of Whitby in Northumbria. The only thing left is a nine-line poem called "Hymn," which is also the oldest English text still around. Caedmon is the first poet whose name and date are known for sure.
The so-called Paraphrase is thought to be Caedmon's best work. It tells the stories of Genesis, Exodus, and part of Daniel in beautiful, poetic language, with a depth of understanding and imagination that often makes it more than just a paraphrase and more like real poetry.
Cynewulf
The Christ, Juliana, The Fates of the Apostles, and Elene are the only poems that Cynewulf signed. Andreas, the Phoenix, the Dream of the Rood, the Descent into Hell, Guthlac, the Wanderer, and some of the Riddles are all poems that aren't signed but are thought to be by him or his school.
ALFRED (848-901)
For the history of Alfred's time, the Northmen gave him a lot of trouble. With the Treaty of Wedmore in 878, Alfred became not only king of Wessex, but also a hero in literature.
King
Alfred was the most famous person who wrote in Old English. He
translated many books from Latin into Old English. Gregory the Great's
The Pastoral Care, which tells priests how to do their jobs, is one of
these translations. Orosius's Universal History and Geography was the best book about history in general for hundreds of years.
Saxon Chronicle
More important than any translation is the English or Saxon Chronicle. Initially, this was probably a dry record of West-Saxon births and deaths. Alfred expanded the record, starting with Caesar's conquest. When it touches his reign, the dry chronicle becomes an interesting and connected story, the oldest modern nation's history in its own language. Alfred's record of his reign, probably written by himself, is a splendid piece of writing that shows his literary and historical merit.
After Alfred's death, the Chronicle became the best example of early English prose. "The Battle of Brunanburh" and "The Battle of Maldon" are included. The last, written in 991, is Anglo-Saxon poetry's swan song. The Chronicle was continued for a century after the Norman Conquest and is a valuable record of events and literary monument showing language development.
[btn href="https://www.speedynotes.in/2022/06/chapter-ii-anglo-saxon-or-old-english.html" class="bt" btn]Back >[/btn]
0 Comments