Part 1, Vwo 5
English Literary History
Literature is: Books, plays, poem that people think have value.
Middle Ages:
The Old English Period:
450 – 1066
In the Early Middle Ages
Was also called the Anglo-Saxon period.
Invaders GB: Angles, Saxons and Jutes. (The Anglo/Saxon Period) 5 th century
793: The monastery from Lindisfarne was destroyed by the Scandinavian pirates. This was the
beginning of a period of domination by the Vikings.
871: Alfred de Grote prevented a disaster by beating the Danish army.
1042: The crown fell into the hands of an Englishman, Edward de biechter, who had spent his life in
Normandy.
By the end of the 4th century, however, The Roman Empire was threatened on all sides. In Britain,
The Romans were under attack by the Celts, and their position on the European mainland was
difficult as well.
Without Imperial protection The Romano-British found themselves beset by enemies. They were
attacked by the Celts of Scotland and Ireland, while from across the North Sea came the Angles,
Saxons and Jutes.
The wars between the Anglo-Saxon Kings were frequent and the pattern of controls
constantly shifting.
At the end of the 6th century the Pope had sent missionaries to Britain to convert the heathen from
Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
In the course of the 7th century almost all the Kings (and consequently their subjects) adopted
Christianity and countless monasteries were established.
With Christianity came Latin literature
One of the key figures if this era was Bede (673-735), a monk who wrote a history of the
Anglo-Saxons, the Historia Ecclestia Gentis Anglorum, (‘The Ecclesialical History of the Anglo-
Saxon People’).
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a key source of information about the history of the various
kingdoms and Viking invasions.
The first recorded attack made on Britain by Scandinavian Vikings took place in 793, when the
monastery on the island of Lindisfarne was sacked. The Vikings were heathens who came in search
of plunder, which they took away to their Scandinavian homelands. Vikings Raiders were able to
English Literary History
Literature is: Books, plays, poem that people think have value.
Middle Ages:
The Old English Period:
450 – 1066
In the Early Middle Ages
Was also called the Anglo-Saxon period.
Invaders GB: Angles, Saxons and Jutes. (The Anglo/Saxon Period) 5 th century
793: The monastery from Lindisfarne was destroyed by the Scandinavian pirates. This was the
beginning of a period of domination by the Vikings.
871: Alfred de Grote prevented a disaster by beating the Danish army.
1042: The crown fell into the hands of an Englishman, Edward de biechter, who had spent his life in
Normandy.
By the end of the 4th century, however, The Roman Empire was threatened on all sides. In Britain,
The Romans were under attack by the Celts, and their position on the European mainland was
difficult as well.
Without Imperial protection The Romano-British found themselves beset by enemies. They were
attacked by the Celts of Scotland and Ireland, while from across the North Sea came the Angles,
Saxons and Jutes.
The wars between the Anglo-Saxon Kings were frequent and the pattern of controls
constantly shifting.
At the end of the 6th century the Pope had sent missionaries to Britain to convert the heathen from
Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
In the course of the 7th century almost all the Kings (and consequently their subjects) adopted
Christianity and countless monasteries were established.
With Christianity came Latin literature
One of the key figures if this era was Bede (673-735), a monk who wrote a history of the
Anglo-Saxons, the Historia Ecclestia Gentis Anglorum, (‘The Ecclesialical History of the Anglo-
Saxon People’).
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a key source of information about the history of the various
kingdoms and Viking invasions.
The first recorded attack made on Britain by Scandinavian Vikings took place in 793, when the
monastery on the island of Lindisfarne was sacked. The Vikings were heathens who came in search
of plunder, which they took away to their Scandinavian homelands. Vikings Raiders were able to
