THE ANGLO-SAXON

Anglo-Saxon: Angles and Saxon, ancestors of the English race.

Characteristic: Their customs were different from each other as in savagery, sentiment, rough living and deep feeling, splendid courage and deep melancholy resulting from unanswered riddle of death.

Life: external and internal rich life, brave and fearless fighters, love of pure glory, happy domestic life and virtues were their magnetic attractions.

Principles: they had five principles. Love of personal freedom; nature lover; love of womanhood; struggle for glory. Their literature was full of vivacity due to all these traits.


Most poets of their literature have over-shadowed yet some are left.

1) Waldhere (693-705):
The Fight at Finnesburg: Deals with battle against fearful odds.
Complaint of Deor: Disappointment of a lover.
Beowulf: Epic, distinctively refers to the historical background.

2) Caedmon (657-681): Religious poet, first English poet known by name; sang in series about the fate of man; from the creation to fall of man and the last Judgment.

3) Cynewulf (757-786): Religious poet
Christ: Metrical narration of leading events of Christ’s ministry upon earth.


1. Unlike poetry, no break in prose of Anglo-Saxon period and Middle English period.
2. Through the transcription of Latin Chronicles into English by the King Alfred the great probably, English prose was established.
3. Two great pioneers: Alfred the Great, the glorious king of Wessex and Aelfric, a priest who wrote sermons in a sort of poetic prose.
4. Great success is religious instructions.


449, traditional date (from Gildas and Bede) for Germanic invasion by Hengist and Horsa

450-700, composition of Old English poems: Beowulf (epic), Finnsburg (fragmentary, related to Beowulf), Widsith (lyric, account of poet), Deor's Lament (lyric, account of poet), The Wanderer (reflective poem on fate), The Seafarer (reflective, descriptive lyric on sailor's life), The Wife's Complaint, The Husband's Message (love poems), Charms

500-700, Christian culture flourishes in Ireland, activity of Irish missionaries in Scotland, Iceland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy

509, closing of Athenian philosophical schools

524, influential medieval Latin work by Boethius, "Consolation of Philosophy"--would be translated into English by King Alfred, Chaucer, Queen Elizabeth

570-632, Mohammed

590-604, Pope Gregory the Great (Gregorian Calendar, Gregorian music)

597, the missionary Saint Augustine establishes Christianity in southern England

600-700, establishment of powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdoms

633, The Koran

670, Caedmon, Hymns (first English poet known by name)

700, School of Caedmon"; Beowulf composed in present form

731, Ecclesiastical History (Latin) by The Venerable Bede

750- 800, flourishing Christian poetry in Northumbria (preserved in West Saxon); Cynewulf and his school: Crist (narrative), Elene (saint's legend), Juliana (Saint's legend in dialogue form), Fates of the Apostles (saints' legends), Andreus (saint's legend--voyage tale), The Phoenix (myth interpreted as Christian allegory)

787, first Danish invasion

800, Latin "History of the Britons" by Nennius (Welsh)--first mention of Arthur

800-814, Charlemagne's reign in France

850, Danish conquest

871-901, Alfred the Great; translations of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care, Boethius, Orosius, Bede; Anglo-Saxon Chronicle revised and continued to 892; West Saxon Martyrology; sermons; saints' lives

875-900, probable beginnings of medieval dram in dramatization of liturgy

893, Life of Alfred the Great by Asser

901-1066, Chronicle continued; poetry, sermons, Biblical translations and paraphrases, saints' lives, lyrics

937, Battle of Brunanburh (heroic poem)

950-1000, monastic revival under Dunstan, Aethelwold, and Aelfric

950, Junius MS written, containing Caedmon poems

971, Blickling Homilies

975, St. Ethelwold's Concordia Regularis, directions for acting a trope at Winchester--earliest evidence of dramatic activity in England

979-1016, second period of Danish invasions

991, Battle of Maldon (heroic poem)

1000-1200, transition from English to Norman French. Decline of Anglo-Saxon heroic verse and reduced literary activity in English, with some development of medieval English lyrics, germs of English romances

1000, Anglo-Saxon Gospels; Aelfric's Sermons; Beowulf MS written

1000-1025, The Exeter Book (MS containing Cynewulf poems)

1000-1100, Vercelli Book (Anglo-Saxon MS); probable period of full development of Christmas and Easter cycles of plays in Western Europe

1017-1042, Danish kings

1042-1066, Saxon kings restored

1066, Battle of Hastings, Norman conquest

1066-1154, Norman kings

1079-1142, Abelard (French), ecclesiastical philosopher, lover of Heloise

1086, Domesday Book (English census)

1087-1100, William II--centralization of kingdom

1098-1099, First Crusade

Most of the content of these notes reminded me of 'Critical History of English Literature' by Dr. B.R. Mullik. Many phrases, sentences and errors are exactly the same as done by Mullik in his book.

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"So my birth was the first of all my misfortunes". (Jean Jacques Rosseou)