English Literature

History of English

Britannia

Different Celtic tribes lived in Briton (Britanny).(517 BC) Language was called Brythonic (Celtic)

Britons: Celtic tribes (before Roman invasion)Britains: Mix of Britons, Angles, Saxons and

Norse (after Romans left)

Roman Empire

The Early Middle Ages (450-1066)

Great Britain part of the Roman Empire (55 BC -450 AD)

Roman influenceLatin names: plants, animals, food, drink, household

items: win (wine), candel (candle), catte (cat). Hadrian Wall: to protect Britain from tribes in the northRoman roadsTown Names: Manchester (OE ceaster /Lat castrum/

camp)

Early Middle Ages

Romans left GB to defend the mainland

Britain was attacked by:Angles(Denmark) Saxons (Denmark) Jutes (North Germany)Frisians (the Netherlands)

Celts were driven off to Wales, Ireland and Scotland

Middle Ages

After the Anglo-Saxons had settled, Vikings (from Scandinavia) invaded England

787 AD – +/- 1000 AD

Danish controlled most of eastern England. Danelaw: area of England that was under

Danish law.

Consequences

1)Settlements with Danish names in England- by = farm/town (Derby, Naseby)- thorp = village (Linthorpe, althorp)2)Increase in personal names of Scandinavian origin3)General words entered the language4)Personal pronoun system was affected : they, them,

their5) ON verb to be instead of sindon 6) 3rd person singular –s

1066 Battle of Hastings

1066 Battle of Hastings: William the Conquerer (Normandy) seized the English throne

Consequences:English language heavily influenced by French

language of court, monastries, merchants who crossed the channel.

Origin of English

Germanic invaders called Celts wealas (Welsh)Celts called invaders Saxons (all of them)

End of 6th century term Angli. Aethelbert (601 AD) is called rex Anglorum (King of the Angles).

Name of the language Englisc. (sc = sh)Englaland (Land of the Angles) not until 1000

Germanic

English Language

Anglo-Saxon (Old English) is a Germanic language and closely related to Frisian, German and Dutch

e.g: Vater (G), father (E), vader (D) Haus (G), house (E), huis (D) hus (Fris)

Old English and Dutch

Coloursrēad geolo grēne blǽw brūn blǽchwīt purpu

The Interrogative Pronounshwā – who hwænne - whenhwǽt – what hwelc – whichhwǽr – where hū - howhwý – why

• æcer – akker bān – been• belīfan – blijven binnan – binnen• bītan – bijten blōd – bloed • brecan – breken bremel – braam• brōþor – broer buan – bouwen • bufan – boven ciele – kil• cīepan – kopen cild – kind• cirice – kerk cnapa – knaap• cwic – kwik cyning – koning• cyne-rīce – koningrijk dǽd – daad• dǽlen – delen dēaþ – dood• dēofol – duivel dēor – dier• dohtor – dochter draca – draak• duru – deur ēage – oog• ēare – oor earm – arm• earn – arend ele – olie• ende – eind engel – engel• Engla-land – Engeland eorþe – aarde

English Language

NorseBig influence of (old) Norse on OE language. Vikings brought ON to

England. Usually 2 words for 1 thing, somtimes OE sometimes ON or both survived

ON egg vs OE ey OE path vs ON reikeON sister vs OE sweostor OE sorrow vs ON siteON silver vs OE seolfor

ON sick & OE ill ON skill & OE craftON anger & OE wrath

English Language

CelticLittle influence of Celtic languages driven away

to Scotland, Wales and Ireland

English Language

LatinDuring Roman invasion (but only 200 words)Christian missionaries brought Latin to society.

Latin language of religion and learning from monastries gradually into everyday life.

English Language

FrenchAfter 1066:Norman rule over EnglandWords: law, administration, medicine, art,

fashion. Fr and OE replace words or co-exist, but develop

different meaninghouse (OE) & mansion (F)hearty (OE) & cordial (F)

Christianity

Roman England: Christians persecuted until 313 Emperor Constantine granted freedom of worship to Christians.

Saxon England: Christianity vanished except in Cornwall and Wales. 5th cent. Christianity spread to Ireland and Scotland = Celtic Church

7th cent. Rome sent missionaries to England. Roman Church started conversion in South, Celtic Church in North

Christianity

7th century: Pope sends priests to convert GB most kings adopt Christianity monks,

priests and bishops play an important role insociety monastries Latin literature

Venerable Bede (673-735)

Bede wrote a history of the Anglo-Saxons in Latin titled Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum

Growth of Christianity in England most valuable source for early English history

Old English literature also survives

HOMEWORK

- Read page 2 3 4 of Alquin booklet- Make a chronological survey of ‘invasions’ of

Britain between 55 BC and 1066.

Old English Literature

OE literature : literature written in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) from mid 5th century – 1066

Literary age began after the arrival of the Romans. In the monastries Latin and OE texts were written.

First texts (700 AD) were glossaries (Latin words translated into English)

Beowulf

Oldest OE manuscript composed orally in the 8th century, written down later by 2 different scribes.

Author is unknown. Story takes place in 6th century

Beowulf: the story

Epic Poem: narrative poem (tells a story) containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation.

Beowulf is a Scandinavian coming to the help of king Hrothgar (Danish) who is under attack by a monstrous troll, Grendel at the hall of Heorot (Hearts). Beowulf travels from Geatland (Sweden) and kills the monster.

Beowulf: the Story

In a second fight he kills the monster’s mother. Beowulf goes home and becomes king of the Geats. As an old man he kills a dragon in a fight that leads to his own death.

•Repetition of the same sound in the beginning of a word.

•Consonance = repeating consonant sounds.

•Assonance = repeating vowel sounds.

•The stressed syllables in the on verse usually alliterates with the first stressed syllable of the off verse. The second stressed syllable of the off verse does not usually alliterate.

Alliteration

•An obvious pause in a line of poetry. There are two half-lines (distichs) separated by the caesura. Each half-line has 2 stressed syllables.

•Example: Now Beowulf bode // in the burg of the Scyldings

Caesura

•Kennings describe things indirectly often in compounds (two nouns). People need to use their own interpretation/imagination to find out what is meant.

•Kennings chosen for alliteration or help rhythm.

•Example: whale-road for sea , life-house for body

Kenning

•Makes Beowulf a more interesting, entertaining and dramatic poem

•"The head of Grendel, with heavy toil / Four of the stoutest, with all their strength, / Could hardly carry on swaying spear / Grendel's head to the gold-decked hall."

Exaggeration

•Presentation in a work of literature of hints and clues that tip the reader off as to what is to come later in the work

•Example: stories that are being told by others foreshadow what is going to happen with Beowulf the story of Sigemund told by the scop, foreshadows Beowulf’s fight with the dragon; the story of King Heremod foreshadows Beowulf’s eventual ascendancy to kingship.

Foreshadowing

BeowulfNot only for entertainment, showed the thanes:

• how to behave: fight for glory and fame with a stoic acceptance of things to come– what to wear (‘dress-code’): mail-shirt, harness,

– what values are important: courage, strength, endurance

• Christian elements changed the original meaning (added by monks in monasteries when writing down

the stories c. 250 years later)– Beowulf would not have succeeded, had the Lord not helped him. The

theme of the eternal battle between Forces of Light (Beowulf) and those of Darkness (Grendel) changed into

– one of Good (God) vs Evil (the Devil)

• gives insight into Anglo-Saxon society: fame, revenge, heroism is important; the bond with the lord

Homework

• Find examples in the texts of the above mentioned points (behaviour/ dress-code/ values/ Christian elements

• answer questions 1, 2, 3, (p. 10)• which of the 2 translations do you prefer and

why?• why has the original story been changed in the

film?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y13cES7MMd8&feature=related

The Late Middle Ages 1066-1500

Anglo-Saxon society under the influence of Norman nobility.

Structure of kings and warriors dissappeared and was succeeded by the feudal system

Nobility

Clergy

Commoners

Influence

- Language- Literature: fables, ballads and romances- Architecture: Gothic style - Religion: Memento Mori, centred on the

mortality of Mankind

Magna Carta: 1215 King was forced to sign contract under which the nobility were granted certain priviliges in return for their loyalty

Hundred Years War: England declares war on France (1337)

Black Death: Plague

Fighting over the English crown by House of York and House of Lancaster = War of the Roses

Richard III defeated and killed by Henry VII.

New dynasty: The Tudors (1483-1603).