Old English Literature: An Introduction to the Old English Period

Anglo-Saxon Definition

  • Term to describe Germanic peoples inhabiting and ruling territories in England and Wales from the 5th century CE to the Norman Conquest (1066).

Key Germanic Tribes

  • Jutes: Settled in Great Britain after the Roman departure, considered one of the three most powerful Germanic nations.
  • Frisians: Germanic ethnic group from coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany.
  • Flemings: Germanic people inhabiting northern Belgium and part of northern France.
  • Swabians: From Swabia, a cultural region in southwestern Germany, linked to the medieval Duchy of Swabia.
  • Franks: Germanic peoples associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, later expanding to the Loire and Rhine rivers.

Key Figures

  • Offa of Mercia (757-796): King of Mercia, consolidated control over Midland peoples.
  • Ethelred the Unready (978-1016): King of the English, known for "poorly advised" decisions.
  • Eric Haraldsson (died 954): Norwegian ruler, possibly King of Norway and Northumbria.
  • King Eadred (946-955): King of the English, grandson of Alfred the Great.
  • Paul the Deacon (c. 720s – 796/799 CE): Lombard historian, author of Historia Langobardorum.
  • Æthelstan (c. 894 – 939): King of the Anglo-Saxons (924-927) and King of the English (927-939).
  • Sweyn of Denmark (c. 987–1014): Viking warrior, established control in Norway and conquered England.
  • Canute I the Great (d. 1035): King of England, Denmark, and Norway, uniting the three kingdoms into the North Sea Empire.

Key Events

  • Battle of Stamford Bridge (1066): English army defeats Norwegian invaders, marking the symbolic end of the Viking Age.
  • Battle of Hastings (1066): Norman-French army defeats the English, leading to the Norman Conquest of England.

Key Scholars

  • Claudius Ptolemy (c. 100 – c. 170 AD): Mathematician, astronomer, geographer, and music theorist.
  • The Venerable Bede (672/673 – 735): Anglo-Saxon theologian and historian, known for Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum.
  • Aethelbert of Kent (c. 550 – 616): First English king to convert to Christianity.
  • Aethelbald (died 860): King of Wessex from 855 to 860.

Key Terms

  • Heptarchy: Collective name for the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England.
  • Viking Age (793-1066): Period of Norsemen raiding, colonizing, and trading throughout Europe.
  • Jorvik: Viking name for York, meaning "wild boar creek."
  • Danelaw: Part of England where Danish laws prevailed over Anglo-Saxon laws.
  • Norman Conquest: 11th-century invasion and occupation of England led by William the Conqueror.
  • Coptic: Refers to Egypt's indigenous Christian community
  • Hiberno-Saxon art: Decorative vocabulary from Irish and Anglo-Saxon interaction (7th century).
  • Carolingian art: Art from the Frankish Empire (c. 780-900), influenced by Insular and Byzantine art.

Key Texts and Artifacts

  • The Parker Library: Contains medieval and renaissance manuscripts, including Anglo-Saxon manuscripts.
  • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Annals in Old English chronicling Anglo-Saxon history.
  • The Leofric Missal: Illuminated manuscript from the 10th and 11th century.
  • The Harley Psalter: Illuminated manuscript of the 11th century, likely produced at Christ Church, Canterbury.
  • The Bayeux Tapestry: Embroidered cloth depicting events leading up to the Norman Conquest.
  • Runic alphabet: Writing system used by Germanic peoples, derived from Mediterranean alphabets.
  • Vercelli MS: Oldest of the four Old English Poetic Codices.
  • Cotton Vitellius A. xv: Contains the epic poem Beowulf.
  • The Exeter Book: Anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry.
  • MS Junius 11 (Caedmon or Junius MS): Contains Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, and Christ and Satan.
  • The early Church Fathers: Influential theologians and writers in the early Christian Church.