ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE.

THE NORMAN CONQUEST.

THE PRE-RENAISSANCE PERIOD
IN ENGLAND
Lecture 3
Трякина Светлана Анатольевна,
ГОУ СОШ №1232, Москва
The development of written literary tradition in
European literature is closely connected with the
spread of Christian religion.
It became the official
religion of Rome in 306
and was brought to all
Roman colonies,
including Britain.
Together with their
religion early Christians
brought the Latin
language, the official
language of the Church
all over Europe.
In the 4th century the Germanic tribes of the
Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes came to the
British Isles.
They were pagans,
and most of British
Christians were either
put to death or driven
away to Wales and
Ireland. That is why
the stories of
Christian martyrs and
saints were typical of
the literature of that
time.
 At the end of the 6th century Roman monks came to
Britain again in order to convert people to Christianity.

They landed in Kent and built

their first church in
Canterbury.
Latin words entered the
language of the Anglo-Saxons
because the religious books
were all in Latin.
The monasteries became
centres of education and
learning. Poets and writers
imitated Latin books about the
early Christians and saints.
The names of old English poets
were Caedmon ( the 7th
century) and Cynewulf ( the 8th
century).
 The earlier prose writers and chronicles were

the Venerable Bede ( 673 – 735)who wrote

“The Ecclesiastical History of the English the English king Alfred the Great (871 – 901)
People) who wrote “The Anglo- Saxon Chronicle”.
After the death of Alfred the Great fighting with the Danes began again.
Some of them settled in Scotland and Ireland, others sailed across the
English Channel and settled in France,in Normandy.
That’s why they are called the Normans.
In 1066 William, Duke of
Normandy ( William
the Conqueror)
defeated the English at
Hastings, and the
English became an
oppressed nation. The
Norman- French
language was spoken by
the ruling class and at
court. But common
people spoke the Anglo-
Saxon dialects.
So, over 2 centuries communication in
Britain went on in three languages –

Latin ( was used in monasteries and churches),

French ( was the official language of the state),
Anglo- Saxon ( was spoken by common people).
About a century after the Norman Conquest
the first English universities were founded.
A fully developed university had 4 faculties:
Theology ( the study of religious
books),Canon Law ( church laws),
Medicine, Art.
At the faculty of Arts the students studied
Latin Grammar, Rhetoric ( expressive
speaking), Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry,
Astronomy and Music.
 The most famous universities of Great
Britain were established at that time.
Oxford University was Cambridge University was
founded in 1168 founded in 1209
During the Norman period feudal culture
was at its height.
The medieval poets
came from France with
the conquerors and
brought tales in verse
and lyrical poems about
brave and gallant
knights and beautiful
ladies. They were sung
to the accompaniment
of musical instruments,
such as a lute. The
name of this genre is
romance.
 A number of romances were based on Celtic
legends, especially those about King Arthur and
the Knights of the Round Table.
They were collected
and arranged in a
series of stories in
prose by Sir Thomas
Malory in the 15th
century.
There are 21 books in
this epic.
In the literature of townsfolk we
find the fable and the fabliau.
Fables were short
stories with
animals for
characters and
having a moral.
Fabliaux were funny
metrical poems, full
of indecent jokes,
about cunning
humbugs, silly old
merchants and their
unfaithful wives.
The literature of the
town did not idealize
characters as
romances did.
 In the first part of the 14th century the Normans made
London their residence and the capital of the country. The
London dialect gradually became the foundation of the
national language.
In 1337 the Hundred Years’ War began with
France began.
At that time there appeared poor priests who wandered from village to
village and talked to the people. They protested against rich bishops
and churchmen who were ignorant and could not teach people
anything.
Such poor priests were the poet William
Langland (1332 – 1400) and John Wycliff (1320 – 1384) who
translated part of the Bible into English.
 Источники:
• Кукурян И.Л., “An Outline of English Literature”М., изд-во МГУ,
1997г.
Иллюстрации:
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