Introduction. The literature of middle ages

OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE (500-1100)
THE POWERFUL STATE OF ROME CONQUERED BRITAIN

• practical men
• making hard roads, building bridges, fine tall houses
• 4th century they had to leave Britain
• barbaric people.

THEMES OF FIRST LITERARY WORKS

• professional singers called “bards”
• wonderful battles and exploits of brave warriors
• “scribes” wrote songs down(The word “scribe” comes from the Latin “scribere”-“to write”)
• a real or imaginary hero
• to teach the values of bravery and generosity.
• Poets used alliteration and kennings
• The first major work of English literature is the epic poem “Beowulf”.

• King Alfred was a Latin scholar
• built the first navy
• He drew up a code of laws and translated the Church-history of Bede
• from Latin into Anglo-Saxon
• created the first history of England,
• the first prose in English literature,
• the famous “Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”.

• Invaders could not speak a word of English
• Norman dialect of the French languag
• communication went on in three languages: 1) Latin 2)Norman-French

3) mother tongue

• the first universities in were founded
• During the Anglo-Norman period feudal culture was at its height.
• English had again become the chief national language
• Middle English included elements of French, Latin, Old English, and local dialects.

• internal feuds among the Anglo-Saxon earls weakened the country.
• in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy,
• defeated the English troops
• William the Conqueror became complete master of the whole England.

• Tales in verse and lyrical poems appeared
• they were all in Norman-French
• works were called “romances”
• medieval poets called “trouveres”(finders)
• Later in England such poets were called minstrels
• romances were based on Celtic legends, especially those about King Arthur and
• the knights.