The Angels and Saxons conquered England in the 5th century. In the 6th century, Christianity came in England. The chief literary production was heroic poetry of Christian kind. Beowulf and the Elegies became the literary legacy of Anglo-Saxon Literature while Caedmon and Bede became notable literary persons. King Alfred the great wrote prose works. These works became the foundational literary pieces of Old English Literature which spans the Anglo-Saxon period (670-1100). 



        The term Anglo Saxon is a modern term which refers to the settlers from the German regions of Angels and Saxony. They made their own way over to Britain after the fall of Roman Empire in 410. In the 5th century, Roman armies withdrew from Britain in 410 A.D. In the meanwhile, the Jutes and Frisians from Denmark were settling in the British Isles. The invaders came to Britain in 45 A. D. these invaders were the ancestors of the Anglo Saxons.   

  • Angels came from Jutland and neighboring islands. They established their kingdom in the east, north and midlands of the Britain.  
  • Saxons came from south of Denmark, and east of Holland. They established their kingdom in the south and southwest of Britain.   
  • Jutes came from Jutland and country east of the lower Rhine. They established their Anglian kingdom in the south east.
There were little cultural differences among these tribes. Their language was same, with little dialectical differences. They all considered themselves part of Germinia. The Anglo-Saxon settlers proved to be an effectively their own masters in a new land and they made little efforts to keep the legacy of the Romans alive. They stroke and replaced the Roman stone buildings with wooden ones made by themselves. In 597, Saint Augustine was sent to Britain with a bank of monks by the pope “Gregory of the Roman Empire”.


He established first Christian missionary Church at Canterbury. In 793-95, the Viking invasions (Danish and Norwegian) secured the lands of Scotland, northern and eastern England. In 917, England reoccupied Danish held territories until 926. In 1013, the Danish conquest occurred and monarchy was launched from 1016 to 1042. In 1066, English king “Edward (the confessor)” died. Harold, son of Godwin, was elected as the new king. In the same year, he was defeated at the battle of Hastings by William of Normandy.


Anglo-Saxon also spoke their own language (Teutonic Language which is the older version of English language) which gave rise to the English spoken today. The Anglo Saxons brought their own religious believes, social norms, political thoughts, economic principles and cultural values. The arrival of Saint Augustine in 597 converted most of the countrymen to Christianity. 


For 600 years, The Anglo-Saxon period lasted from 410 to 1066. In that time, Britain’s political landscapes underwent many important changes. These early settlers of Angels and Saxons kept themselves grounded in small tribal groups forming kingdoms and sub kingdoms. Thus, Anglo Saxon became a melting pot of Icelanding, Viking, Latin, French, Germanic and Celtic people. 


In the 9th century, the whole region was divided into 4 kingdoms under the king Alfred the great.  

  1. Northumbria
  2. Mercia
  3. East Anglia
  4. Wessex  
Only the Wessex survived its kingdom against the invasions of Vikings. Eric Bloodaxe, the Viking ruler of York, was killed by the Wessex army in 954 England was united under one King Edred. In 1066, Anglo Saxon rule came to an end after the death of Edward the confessor. He had no heir. Harold Godwinson was appointed as his successor but he failed in his attempt to defend his kingship. When William and an invading army crossed the channel from France to claim it from himself, Harold was defeated by the Normans at the battle of Hastings in October 1066. And, thus a new era was ushered in.

English literature started with the literature of Angels and Saxons, the ancestors of English race. Much before the occupied Britain, English was the common name and term of these tribes. Before the occupied Britain, they used to live along the coasts of Sweden and Denmark and the land which they occupied was called Engle-land. These tribes were fearless, adventurous, brave and daring. 
 

Anglo-Saxon Language: 

It was developed from Indo-European language (the great Aryan) and became a modern language. It bears the same root words for father and mother, for God and man, for the common needs and the common relations of life, as we find in other languages like Sanskrit, Iranian, Greek and Latin. And it was this old vigorous Anglo-Saxon language which forms the basis of modern English language.  

Before Christianity, Anglo-Saxon Literature:  

The late years of Roman occupation of Britain, they kept the British coasts in terror. Like other nations, they sang at their feats about battles, gods and their ancestral heroes. English poetry, which began in the ancient Engle-land, was the result of oral songs of religion, wars and agriculture, while Britain was still a Roman province. 

Before Christianity, the old English Literature was majorly in the Oral form because the people of these three tribes (Angles, Saxons and Jutes) were illiterate. Oral poetry was considered an Art, an Art of memorable speech. It dealt with the set of heroic and narrative themes in a common metrical form. It had richly varied style and storytelling technique. It accounts the social norms of Saxons and other tribes. Some 30,000 lines of Anglo-Saxon poetry has survived. It tended to have three kinds of subject matter; religion, war and trials of daily life.  

All of these subject matters were used as themes of great deal in singing the songs of the day. These fragments of oral literature are considered as a substantial body of works as literature. Here language was in early stages of development.   

  

Anglo-Saxon Poetry:

It is a fact that much of Anglo-Saxon poetry has lost. Although there are still some fragments left. Much of the Anglo-Saxon poetry was oral. Oral poetry was considered an art, which had evolved over generations, an art of memorable speech. It dealt with a set of heroic and narrative themes in a common metrical form rich in varied style and storytelling techniques. The first English poetry resembles Homeric poetry. Literature in the Anglo Saxon recorded in manuscripts. That’s why our knowledge of Anglo-Saxon poetry depends on four groups of manuscripts. These are given below.  

  • The manuscripts collected by Sir Robert Cotton, now are in placed British Museum  
  • The Exeter Book, given to Exeter cathedral by Bishop Leofric in 1050  
  • The Vercelli Book, found at Vercilli near Milan in 1822
  • The Bodleian Library at oxford, given by Dutch scholar Francis Junios  


Widsith (Battle Poem)  

It describes the continental courts visited in imagination by a far-wandering poet.  

Waldhere (Battle Poem)  

It tells how Walter of Aquintaine withstood a host of foes in the passage of Vosges.  

The Fight at Finnesburg (poem)

This poem deals with the themes of battle against fearful odds. It was set on continent.

Complaint of Doer (poem)  

It describes the disappointment of lover.  

       Andreas (poem)  

             It is an epic poem. Both the pagan and Christian values are in the poem.   

Beowulf (1st English epic poem) 

It is a tale of adventures of Beowulf. It has 3182 verses in it. Its manuscript was found in 10th century. At the same time, it is also a poem of praise for valor and venturous deeds, a tragedy and an elegy because the hero inevitably dies and the heroic deeds are recalled respectively. Its story was brought by Angels. It shows its origin in the oral literature. A Northumbrian poet converted the pagan story of Beowulf of Ballad form into Christian epic form in about 8th century. This poem is full of human speech and serious images. It is the beginning of heroic tradition. Its structure involves a main plot featuring animals and monsters with only the sub-plot involving human beings. This poem is from the manuscript collected by Sir Robert Cotton. It has a historical background. Its authorship is unknown.

In the first part of the poem “Beowulf”, Beowulf appears as the hero, a champion and a slayer of monsters. A monster named Grendel, is disturbing Hrothgar (king of the Danes in Heorot). Heoret is the name of his great hall. Beowulf is recorded as eloquent, courageous, and quick to act, responsible, magnanimous and considerate. He comes with the group of comrades to rescue. He overcomes Grendel. He also fights against Grendel’s mother (a sea monster) in a dwelling at the bottom of a lake. In the second part of the poem, Beowulf becomes king. He is old now. He has to save his country from a fiery dragon. He has a wise brain on his young shoulders. He rules 55 years in the story. The poem closes with an account of his funeral rites. The incidents of the poem may be found in hundreds of other stories. The main interesting thing is that it is full of all sort of references and allusions to great events from the fortunes of Kings to the description of nations. In this poem, the greatest crime is treachery to a lord.   

Note: All the above poems are anonymous

Aldhelm (poet, 640-709)  

The first known English poet, who wrote poetry in native English language. His English works are lost. Only his Latin writings are survived. He was the first learned poet. He was the monastic founder of Malmesbury Frome. His poetry had classical, national, geographical and natural elements. Much of his poetry was religious. 

After Christianity; Anglo Saxon Literature:  

Bede’s “Ecclesiastical History of English People” reports that the Evangelists (Roman Missionaries) were highly literate. They were sent to England in 597 by Pope Gregory (as discussed earlier in the chapter) to bring Gospel to the Angels and to convert Angels to Christians under the leadership of Saint Augustine. Later, Gregory’s influential successor Theodore (a Syrian-Greek Archbishop) organized the Church in England and made it learned church. It was in these Christian missionaries that the England became literate. The writers appeared to write their works rather that singing and passing the literature orally to the next generations.  

Venerable Bede (672-735)

He was famous as clergyman, a learned scholar and historian. The modern way of Dating Years AD (Anno Domini, “the year of our lord”) was introduced by him. He employed this system in his history. His most famous work is “Ecclesiastical History of English People”.     

Religious Poetry  

After Anglo-Saxon embraced Christianity, the writers took up religious characters, subject matter and themes.  Two important poets are discussed here.  

Caedmon (poet):            

He was a servant attached to the monastery of Whitby in Yorkshire. According to Bede, he was shy and sensitive cowherd. He became poet after a visit by an angel.  He is the first poet to use English oral composition to write sacred story into verse. He wrote many religious Hymns. A Hymn is a song of praise. He praised the English religion and culture. He sang the whole story of human fate from the creation, the fall, the redemption to the last judgment. He also wrote three paraphrases of scripture. 1st scripture deals with the creation, and the fall of man. 2nd scripture is about the exodus from Egypt. 3rd scripture accounts the details of the history of Daniel.

He wrote following poems.  

  • The Dream of the Rood; rood means cross. This book has large number of words, phrases and images used for figure of Christ and his cross. It gives us the themes of suffering and redemption.    
  • Elene; a poem of the martyrdom of St. Juliana.
  • Fates of the Apostles; a story of finding cross by St. Helena. 
  • The Fall of Angels 
  • The Story of Daniel and Judith
  • Genesis and Exodus


Cynewulf (poet): 


He was a Northumbrian. Once, he was a gleeman and a lover of pleasure, but converted by a vision of cross to a Christian. He also dedicated himself to religious themes. His most important poem is Christ. In this poem, he narrates about the leading events of Christ’s ministry upon earth, including his return to judgment. It is written in a grandeur style. He is the only Old English Poet to sign his poems. 

  

Elegies of the Anglo Saxon Age: 

The most striking early English Poems are Elegies of the Exeter Book. These elegies are heroic and romantic in nature, written in dramatic monologue, whose speakers are unnamed. In the Exeter book, there are seven poems of great human interests. These poems are elegies. Life in all these poems is sorrowful. The speakers of these poems are fantastic, courageous and determined.   

  • Complaint of Doer (Heroic Elegy)
  • Wulf and Eadwacer (Love Elegy) 
  • The Wife’s Lament (Love Elegy) 
  • The Husband’s Message (Love Elegy)
  • The Ruin (Heroic Elegy)
  • The Wanderer (Heroic Elegy)
  • The Seafarer (Heroic Elegy)  

  

Anglo-Saxon Prose: 

It is important to know that earlier kind of Prose works were religious in nature, having religious subject matter and character.  

King Alfred (849-899)  

He belonged to Wessex kingdom. He became king at the age of 22. He ruled from 871 to 899. He was a lover of chronicles. He begun to write chronicles. He was also the fond of Latin literature. That’s why, he started his work as a translator of Latin literature. He is the first prose writer in the history of the English Literature. In his childhood, he mastered the art of reading. He also established English as a Literary Language.   

He translated many books from Latin to English, which are given below.  

  • Cura Pastorals
  • Gregory’s Pastoral Rule
  • Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of English People/Race
  • Orosius’ History of the World
  • Augustine’s Soliloquies
  • Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy

Priest Aelfric 

He wrote sermons. His sermons were recorded in the books and appeared as important manuscripts for Prose. These sermons had didactic tone, allusions, references, proverbs, examples from daily life, and so on. For having all these elements, his sermons were termed as Prose. He composed following books.  

  • Homilies (two books, with the same name, each book has fifty sermons)
  • Saint's Life
  • The Grammar

Wulfstan

He was the archbishop of York, who died in 1023.  He wrote “A Sermon of the Wolf”.   

Characteristics of Old English Poetry:  

  • Much of written poetry is religious.
  • There are number of poetic tropes which enable a writer to describe things indirectly.
  • There are figurative descriptions, known as “Kennings”. These kennings are often occurred in compounds; for example, Bronrad (whale road) and Swanrad (swan road) for Sea.
  • There is an extensive use of Alliteration, especially found in the epic poem Beowulf.
  • Old English Poetry also contains wide range of conventional poetic diction.
  • There is a use of figurative language, full of imposing tones and rhythms.

  •   

Themes in the Anglo Saxon Literature  

  • Love for personal freedom
  • Responsiveness to nature and religion
  • Love for womanhood
  • Struggle for glory
  • Chivalry and Heroism

  • To conclude, before the Norman Conquest, three important events took place in England.   

  1. Angels, Saxons and Jutes came to England
  2. Conversion of these tribes to Christianity
  3. A sense of nationalism was spread among these tribes and they became united.  

 For Further Details Read: Old English Literature