HISTORY

It is important to understand past literary accomplishments in order to appreciate current trends in literature. It enables us to comprehend what life was like in long-ago eras. The oral tradition has also given us a glimpses of long-dead societies. One example that had a strong oral story-telling culture was the Anglo-Saxons. Fortunately, there are also some surviving written works from that era.

The Anglo-Saxons were prominent in the early Middle Ages, stretching from the first century up to the Renaissance, which began around the 14th century. The Anglo-Saxons invaded what is current-day England around the year 450, and were the dominant group until the Norman invasion in 1066. The group consisted of three Germanic tribes: the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. The Anglo-Saxon people pushed the native Britons to the region now known as Wales.

Over the next few centuries, the Anglo-Saxons were the dominant culture. However, there were many changes in society, which affected the literature. For example, the Anglo-Saxon people spoke in what is now called Old English, which is a combination of the native Briton's language and the Germanic tribal tongue they brought with them. Christianity was the religion of the Britons, and at the start of the Anglo-Saxon invasion it was suppressed. But, over the following years, these Germanic tribes converted to it. Thus, Christian ideals become popular in Anglo-Saxon literature.

The Anglo-Saxon society continued to grow over the following centuries, absorbing other cultures and rebuffing other Germanic invaders. The history of these people is reflected in the rich literature of that era.