CIT COLLEGES OF PANIQUI FOUNDATION, INC.

Paniqui, Tarlac

COURSE CODE : MAJOR 15

DESCRPTIVE TITLE : SURVEY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE

TOPIC : OLD ENGLISH PERIOD

INTRODUCTION:

DISCUSSION:

What is OLD ENGLISH PERIOD ?

 Old English which is also called Anglo-Saxon is the also variant of the english language. It was
brought to England by Germanic tribes who originally lived along the western coast of the North
Sea.
 The four main dialectal forms of old english were Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish, and West
Saxon.
 Mercian and Northumbrian are together referred to as Anglian. The Kentish region, settled by
Jutes from Jutland, has the scantest literary remains. The term West Saxon actually is
represented by two different dialects; Early West Saxon and Late West Saxon.

1. Ecclesiastical History of the English People

* Is a historical work written by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century. It covers the history of England,
including the spread of christianity in the region.
Bede (born 672 - died 26 May 735) also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, was an English
monk and an author and scholar. He was one of the greatest teachers and writers during the Early
Middle Ages, and his most famous work, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, gained him the
title “The Father of English History”

 The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (Latin; Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum),
written by Bede in about AD 731, is a history of the Christian Churches in England, and of England
generally; its main focus is on the conflict between the pre-Schism Roman Rite and Celtic
Christianity.
It traces the history of England from the time of Julius Caesar’s invasion in the 1 st century BC up
to Bede’s own time in the 8th Century AD.
It features historical figures who played significant roles in the spread of Christianity in England,
such as missionaries, kings, and church leaders.
Some key events in Ecclesiastical History of the English People:
1. The arrival of Christianity in England:
- Bede describe the mission of Augustine of Canterbury, who was sent by Pope Gregory the Great
to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
2. The conversation of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms:
- Bede recounts how various Anglo-Saxon kings and kingdoms embraced Christianity, often
through the influence of missionaries and the example of other rules.
3. The establishment of monasticism;
- Bede discusses the rise of monasticism in England and the founding of monasteries, which played
crucial role in the spread of Christianity and the preservation of knowledge and culture.
4. The conflict between Roman Christianity and Celtic Christianity;
- Bede describes the differences between these two traditions and the efforts to reconcile their
practices, such as dating of Easter and the style of ther monastic tonsure.
5. The lives of saints and church leaders;
- Bede includes numerous biographies of saints and church leaders, highlighting their piety,
miracles, and contributions to the church.

2. Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important sources for the
history of England in the Middle Ages. It was originally compiled on the orders of King Alfred the Great
of Wessex in approximately 890 AD and continued by various scribes and authors until the mid-12
century. The Chronicle is a collection of annals, each year typically containing a brief entry significant
events such as battles, deaths of kings, and natural disasters.
Alfred The Great - (born 848 AD, Wantage, United Kingdom- died Oct. 26, 899 AD age 51 yrs old)
Alfred the Great was king of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, and King of the Anglo-Saxons from 886
until his death in 899. He was the youngest son of King AEthelwulf and his first wife Osburh, who both
died when Alfred was young. Three of Alfred’s brothers, AEthelbald, AEthelred, reigned in turn before
him.

3. Caedmon Hymn- The Caedmon Hymn is one of the oldest extant Old English poems, dating to the
7th century. It is attributed to Caedmon, a cowhered who, according to the Venerable Bede, was given
the gift of poetic composition by God. The Hymn is a short piece praising the creator and is notable for
its simple beauty and religious devotion.

4. Fates of the Apostles, Juliana, Elene, and Christ II or The Ascension

 The Fates of the Apostles- is the shortest of Cynewulf’s known as canon at 122 lines long. It is a
brief martyrology of the twelve apostles written in the standard alliterative verse. The fates recites
the key events that subsequently befell each apostle after the Ascension of Jesus. It is possible that
The Fates was composed as a learning aid to the monasteries.
 Juliana - is one of the four signed Old English poems ascribed to the mysterious poet, Cynewulf,
and is an account of the martrying of St. Juliana of Nicomedia. The one surviving manuscript, dated
between 970 to 990, is preserved in the Exeter Book between the poems The Pheonix and The
Wanderer. Juliana is Cynewulf’s second longest work (731 lines)
 Elene - is a poem in Old English, that is sometimes known as Saint Helena Finds the True Cross. It
was translated from latin text and is the longest (1,321 lines) of Cynewulf’s four signed poems. The
poem was written by Cynewulf some time between 750 and the 10 th centur, and it is written in a West
Saxon dialect
 Christ II / The Ascension - is one of the Cynewulf’s four signed poems that exist in the Old English
vernacular. It is a five-section piece that spans lines 440-866 of the Christ triad in the Exeter
book .Christ II draws upon number of ecclesiastical sources, but it is primarily framed upon Gregory
the Great’s Homily XXIX on Ascension Day
5. Beowulf - is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182
alliterative lines. It is one of the most often translated works of Old English Literature. Beowulf, a hero
of the geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the King of the Danes, whose mead hall heorot has been
under attack by the monster Grendel for 12 yrs. After Beowulf goes slays him, Grendel’s mother takes
revenge and is turn defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland and becomes king of the
Geats, fifty years later, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is mortally wounded in battle. After his death,
his attendants cremate his body and erect a barrow on headline in his memory.