How English Became English
- 55 B.C.--Julius Caesar briefly invaded Britain as a result of the help that British Celts were giving to Gaul defenses on the continent, first bringing Britain into the orbit of Western civilization.
- 43 A.D-- The Emperor Claudius invades and occupies Britain. Romans in Britain constantly under attack from the north (the Picts) and the east (the Scots). The Romans bring Latin, Greek, and Christianity to Britain.
- 410 A.D. --449 The Visigoths of Gaul attack and occupy Rome. Roman legions in Britain withdraw to defend Rome. Vortigern, ruler of the Britons, asks for help from the Saxons to deal with the Picts and Scots. The Saxons bring Low German to Britain.
- 449 --The Roman Empire falls to problems surrounding invasions, politics, and economy--the society funded by conquest ran out of areas to conquer. Hence, the economy fell.
- 410 - 600 With Britain no longer occupied, it is open to continuous invasions by peoples from all along the coastline of the Northern Sea--from Denmark down to the mouth of the Rhine. The natives of Britain ("Britons") speaking Celtic dialects (Scotts, Gaelic, & Welsh) were forced west.
- 780-800 --Danish Viking Raids on England’s northeast coast from the North Sea. The Vikings drive the Saxons west for a time. Some Danish is added to Anglo-Saxon English.
- Around 900 A. D.--Writing of the earliest extant Beowulf manuscript. Found in Wessex but probably a tradition that had migrated down from the cultural center of Northern England. Beowulf is written in Old English (Anglo-Saxon English).
- 1066—William the Conqueror invades Britain from Northern France. Norman French is brought to the island and mixes with Anglo-Saxon, to form Middle English.
The Anglo-Saxon Folk Epic Poem
An epic poem is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. In the story of Beowulf is show the meaning of an Anglo Saxon folk epic poem, the story of a man named Beowulf who faces challenges throughout his marvelous life.
Here is my poem, written to reflect the style of the folk epic Beowulf.
An epic poem is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. In the story of Beowulf is show the meaning of an Anglo Saxon folk epic poem, the story of a man named Beowulf who faces challenges throughout his marvelous life.
Here is my poem, written to reflect the style of the folk epic Beowulf.
Other Examples of Poems Written in the style of the Anglo-Saxon Epic:
Mando Salas And John Cleary wrote "A Hero from Accident" demonstrating good Caesura in there poem. Emilio Martinez and Richmond Bates wrote " A Night to Remember" demonstrating good foreshadowing in there poem. |