Here is the points list about the Short History of Old English.
- Old English refers to language spoken by Anglo-Saxon (AS). It was used from around 5 AD up to the year 1066.
- AS entered England in 5 AD, conquering -it which was then under the government of Roman Empire.
- Anglo Saxon (Jutes, Angles, Saxon)
- AS belief system involved paganism, faith in God/Goddesses and wyrd (fate).
- AS allowed Christianity which had been adopted by English people from Roman to continue.
- AS preferred to live in their self-built houses rather than Romans.
- AS lived in closed-knit tribal communities.
- Led by a chieftain/lord
- Strong kinship bonds --- death vs exile
- Sense of loyalty to one's lord and kin
- heroism
- allegiance
- gift-giving
- Re-christianization process began once more in the late 6th century.
- By the end of 7 AD, all AS kingdoms in England had fully adopted christian.
- Christianity also brought limited literacy and writing system to England.
- Christian monks and scribes transcribed and compiled England traditions into codices and manuscript.
- Many of these manuscripts were destroyed during the Viking invasion in late 8 AD.
- After Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings in 9 AD, English learning was restored (878)
- Four major manuscripts of Old English verses survived:
- Nowell Codex (Beowulf manuscript)
- Junius Manuscript (contained illustrations not found in other codices)
- Exeter book (largest collection of Old English Literature in existence)
- Vercelli book
p.s. AD = anno Domini (find out more here if you want complete descriptions)
More about Alfred the Great click here
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LAC