Note: My mistake, Chaucer did not write Beowulf. It is anonymous.

1. Old English Period
In British Literature

2. Old English Period
428-1100

3. Historical Context
● Starting with the invasion of England by
Teutonic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes
around 428.
● Ending with the establishment of the Norman
rule around 1100.
● Monarchies were formed, Christianity was
introduced, tribes were in conflict, Alfred the
Great was a notable ruler of the period, who
unified the Teutonic tribes.
● Norman Conquest (1066) ended serious
literature in the period.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQ8A5gRe_Dw

4. Major authors and works
● Geoffery Chaucer: Beowolf (c. 700)
● Epic poems: "The Seafarer", "Widsith", "Deor's Lament",
● Christian works: Caedmon's "Song", Genesis, Exodus,
Daniel, Judith, Christ, Elene, Andreas, Phoenix
● Heroic poems: "Battle of Maldon", "Battle of
Brunanburgh"
● Latin-> English prose: Pope Gregory: Pastoral Care,
Boethius's Consolation of Philosphy, Bede's
Ecclesiastical History
● Homiles of Aelfric and Wulfstan

5. Major Schools
● School of Caedmon--Hymns, Genesis,
Exodus, biblical paraphrases; Judith,
aprocryphal
● School of Cynewulf--Christ, Elene, Juliana,
Fates of the Apostles, Andreas, saint
lengends, Christian allegory Phoenix

6. Description of Old English Period
● It was a period of pagan poetry, with a
burgeoning on Christian elements.
● Latin -> English prose translations
● Homilies emerged in the tenth and eleventh
centuries
● Epic and heroic poetry took center stage.

7. Terms
● Paraphrase: a restatement of an idea in
such a way as to retain the meaning while
changing the diction and form
● Homiliy: A form of oral religious instruction
given by a minister to a church congregation.
It gives practical moral counsel rather than
discussion of doctrine.
● Apocrypha: originally meant as "hidden or
secret things", it now denotes books of the
Bible or of any author not regarded as
inspired and excluded from the sacred
Canon or that author's canon.

8. Overview
● Period: Old English
● Time Period: 428-1100
● Major People: Chaucer, Caedmon,
Cynewulf, Alfred the Great
● Major Works: Beowolf, epic poems, heroic
poems, Christian allegory, homilies
● Major Schools: School of Caedmon, School
of Cynewulf
● Terms to Know: biblical paraphrase,
homily, apocryphal literaure