It summarizes the history of English literature. From the Old English period to the Modern English period. These include the Renaissance, Late Renaissance, Restauration period, Enlightenment, Neo-Classicism, Romantic revolution and the Victorian Era. Of each subject, his characteristics are named a...
Iron Age c.800 BC (before Christ) - 43 AD (after death)
- Invention iron (technological innovation). This gave new tools: potter’s wheel, grinding girn,
plough. Increase of Agriculture and population.
- Celts were the only inhabitants in England (sparsely populated). They started trading with
each other.
- 450 BC: Celts built bigger villages (with houses, food storage and churches). They lived
behind hills because it was safer. They got jobs and traded with coins.
- First Roman invasion 43 AD. End Iron age.
- Change in culture and language.
- The emperor ‘Claudius’ (emperor after Ceasar) arrived in England for power. He built
‘Hadian’s Wall’ to Roman against Scotland.
- 499 AD: Roman empire fell apart. Vikings invaded (Angles, Saxons, Frisians and Jutes). They
settled and pushed Celts away.
- 889 AD: king Alfred the Great orders the Angle-Saxon Chronicle: a collection of stories told
form father to son, from period 60 BC – 1154 AD.
- Anglo-Saxon culture = English Culture
Old English Period c.450 BC – 1066 AD
- Basics of the modern-day English were formed by the Jutes, Angles and Saxons. (looked like
Germanic language.
- Literature was mainly oral. (Mondeling)
- 597 AD: St. Augustus came to reform the heathens to Christians:
> Proganism (heidendom) to Christianity.
> Literary: Runes to Roman alphabet
- Origin of religious verse and prose (proza/zonder rijm). First ones were:
> The Lord’s prayer (feader Ure)
> Beowulf
, Beowulf (8th – 10th century)
- It was originally Germanic (orally at first). Concepts:
> Illiterate warrior case stories = over groep vechters.
> Bard = the singer (verteld de verhalen).
> Metrical lines linked by alliteration = eerste letter hetzelfde en rijm.
- Beowulf was an epic poem (war poem). Have 4 characteristics: 1 hero, fights with
supernaturals, Scandinavian society and Christian religion.
- 3182 lines
- Alliteration
- Contains fights with dragons, Christian elements and Scandinavia in 6 th century.
- Themes: reputation (fame), balance between beginning and ending (Hij word koning en
daarna sterft hij) and young vs old.
- Oldest surviving English poem from the Angelo-Saxon period. It gives the reader insight into
the history of England and what eventually became British Literature.
Summery:
Beowulf is the hero who can do anything. He arrives in the land of the Danes (Denemarken).
Denmark is terrorised by Grendel. He is an orge (monster) who eats people. Beowulf goes to help
the king (Hrothgar), because he ones helped his dad. He hides in de mead-hall and rips of arm of
Grendel. Grendel goes to his mom (home) to die. Grendel’s mom is furious and kills people as
revenge. Beowulf follows her home and kills her too. King dies and Beowulf becomes king of the
Geats (Danes). Grendel comes back as a dragon and Beowulf and a friend kill him. But Beowulf
dies of his wounds.
Feader Ure
- Writer is anonymous.
- It’s a religious story.
- ‘Onze vader gedicht.’
- One of the first written prayers.
Middle English c.1066 – 1500
Norman Conquest (1066 AD)
- King Edward the Confessor dies, but didn’t have son.
- Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada & William of Normandy fight over throne.
- Godwinson became the king. He expects trouble form other two.
He gathers his troops on south coast for Williams attack. He
thinks William attacks sooner so they go back. Harald attacks and
they defeat him because Harald expected them to be at the south
coast. Harald got killed.
- In meantime, William attacks and Harold has the race back to the
south coast. Battle of Hastings (14th oct. 1066). William wins
because Harold’s troops were too tired.
- Christmas day 1066 (25th Dec.): William the Conqueror is crowned and reigned for 21 years.
Het brought Feudalism (feodale stelsel) and military atmosphere (castles and soldiers).
- End of Angelo-Saxon time.
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