early english lit midterm

periodization

when certain periods of history are characterized as good or bad (such as the “dark ages”'/middle ages or the renaissance

english renaissance

fall of the roman empire in the 5th century, but ideals and art were brought back in the 16th century

43-420

time england was part of the Roman empire

britons

natives to the English island who lived well in colonial rome

angles, Saxons, and jutes

viking warriors who invaded the English island after the Roman empire fell

king alfred

united the angles, saxons, and jutes

886-899

reign of king alfred

king ethelred

danish invaded England under his reign

979-1016

reign of king ethelred

king cnut

a danish king who made england a Scandinavian colony

1016-35

reign of king cnut

battle of hastings

English king defeated by Norman William the conquerer

1066

year William the conquerer became king

doomsday book

list of Land King William owned/everyone else owned for taxation purposes

magna carta

english nobility put limits on Norman King so he couldn’t take/tax land (English rights)

pope gregory

tried to convert England to Christianity in 597

597

the year pope Gregory tried to convert England to christianity

book learning

brought by Pope Gregory, replaced oral storytelling and learning

kenning

popular in early English lit (beowulf), compound of two words like “whale-road”

nowell codex

manuscript that houses beowulf and judith