The Old English or Anglo-Saxon Era (450-1066) |Literary Foundation|

During the middle of the 5th century, Britain was conquered by Germanic tribes known as the Anglo-Saxons. These tribes originated from the North Sea and Baltic regions. The Angles were the dominant group and their new territory became known as Anglalond, which eventually evolved into Englelond and then England. The term Anglo-Saxon was coined by scholar William Camden- an esteemed antiquarian, regarded as one of the earliest and most influential, in his work History of Britain.

The Background of the Past:-

The era of Old English, occurring between 450 and 1066, was marked by significant events. After the Romans departed in 410, the British people were vulnerable to attacks from the North. There is archaeological proof of established settlements in the last twenty-five per cent of the fifth or fourth century. The initial influx of English individuals from the continent was in the form of hired soldiers, brought in to aid in the protection against the Picts and Scots.

Following the Christianization by Irish missionaries, the Pagan English tribes were converted. This was succeeded by the arrival of the Danes in the ninth century, the emergence of Wessex as a prominent English kingdom thanks to the significant contributions of Alfred the Great, the establishment of Danewlaw in England due to the permanent settlement of Danes, the ascension of a Danish King in 1017, and the influence of the Normans on the English court before their conquest in 1066. These occurrences had a significant impact on the literature of that era.

Literature of the Era:-

Though, it was a long period spanning from the arrival of Germanic tribes in Celtic England to the Norman French conquest led by William the Conqueror in 1066. However, the literature emerged in the seventh century after the conversion to Christianity in which monasteries played a significant role in the development of a sophisticated level of culture and education. There were two notable scholars, Bede and Alcuin, who wrote in Latin during the eighth century. While poetry was composed in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular, also referred to as Old English. And the poetry includes the collection containing the renowned Germanic saga Beowulf and emotional songs like The Wandere, The Seafarer, and Deor. These pieces offer a glimpse into the lifestyle of the pagan era and were penned by Christian authors. 

There were other two highly esteemed poets named, Caedmon and Cynewulf who are known for their works on biblical and spiritual topics.

Characteristics of Literature

• poems seem to exhibit characteristics commonly linked to the pre-Christian era.
• a significant portion of the prose and a portion of the poetry were translated or taken from Latin.

There are Four manuscripts which survived, and these are-

• The manuscript known as "Beowulf" consists of two poems, Beowulf and Judith, and is believed to have been written around the year 1000.
• The collection known as " Jinius ", includes the poems attributed to Caedmon.
• The "Exeter Book", which was given to the cathedral by Bishop Leofric around 1050, includes two poems that were signed by Cynew.
• The " Vercelli Book " also includes two of Cynewulf's signed poems, namely Andreas and The Dream of the Road.

This period has four primary dialects which include Northumbrian, the first to produce literary works, Mercian, used in the Midlands, Kentish, dominant in the south-east, and West Saxon, the language of Alfred. Due to the political dominance of Wessex, West Saxon became the "standard" in which most texts were preserved.