History of English Literature chapter 1

1. 1
ANGLO SAXON Period/ Old English Period 450?AD-1066AD
Etymology
 The word Angle, old word angul or ongul which means a hook, and the
angle is used invariably by older writers in the sense of fishing.
 The word Saxon from seax or sax, meaning a short sword, or the sword-
man By gradual changes this became first Anglelond, Engleland and then
now a days England
Historical Background
 Celts (Britons) tribe was the natives, who came to England. They were the
first who lived in England.
 The Romans were came there with Julius Caesar in 43Ad. Julius Caesar
attacked many time on England and ruled here and they introduced
Christianity in England.
 When Romans were ruling there, the wild people (Picts and Scots) were
attacking there. They belonged to a Scottish tribes.
 Romans constructed a wall (Hadrian’s Wall) in 122 AD. For stopping these
attacks.
 Latin was the language of Romans.
 When Rome was under attack Honorius the king of romans said to Celts
(Britons) that defend yourself on your own. We are leaving England,
because Rome was in danger.
 After that The Celts (Britons) asked three tribes to help and save them from
the Barbarian Scottish tribes.

2. 2
These three tribes are:
(1) Angles.
(2) Saxons.
(3) Jutes.
 After defeating the Scottish tribe, they also had deported the Celts
(Britons) from England.
 The Jutes did not stay here for a long time, but Angles and Saxons had
ruled here for 600 years, they were very powerful and brave.
 They spoke old English and old English is very similar to German language.
 They followed a pagan ( ‫کافر‬ (belief system based on Germanic mythology.
Old English Dialects
There were great differences among four major dialects spoken in Anglo Saxon
England:
I) Northumbrain
II) Mercian
III) Kentish
IV) West Saxon,
 The Monk St.Augustine Arrived in Kent in 597 AD. He converted King
Ethelbert.

3. 3
 Within two generations Christianity had spread throughout Britain.
 King Alfred was crowned in 871. He ordered to translate important
classics into West Saxon..
 Three social classes were there,
I. Ruling Class Earls
II. Lower Class Churls
III. Slaves
Contribution in Literature
 In olden days, there was an oral tradition. They start literature orally. They
sang and listened literature. They did not like to write literature.
 They start writing the literature in Roman Alphabets when converted to
Christianity.
 They wrote Religious Poems, Love Poems, Personal Poems, Heroic Poems,
Chronicles, Epic poetry, Hagiography (writing of the lives of saints) ,
Sermons, and Riddles (‫)پہیلیاں‬
 They also translated Bible and wrote chronicles and historical works. Most
of the writers and poets of this age are unknown.
 There are 400 surviving manuscripts containing old English text, 189 of
them considered major.
 Four most important manuscripts are:
1. Junius (Caedmon manuscript, poems on biblical narrative).
2. Exeter (Wisdom poetry).
3. Vercelli (Mix of prose and poetry).
4. Nowell Codex (Beowulf manuscript, mix of prose and poetry).

4. 4