novel philosophy

Believe it or not, the English lit we love today started way back in history with the arrival of the Romans. Yes, this “modern” history of England starts in the days of the Roman Empire. These same people would go on to produce the likes of Chaucer, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and J.R.R. Tolkien. While we love reading English lit, we often overlook its long and complicated history.

English lit begins in the Middle Ages, starting with Rome’s occupation of the territory. This early period runs through to the Renaissance and Reformation of the 1400s. When Rome departed in 420 AD, a series of rivaling groups ruled the people. These groups left a mark on English literature and language for centuries to follow.

Early literature falls into three time periods: Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman, and Middle English Lit.  With each progressive period, the English identity solidifies and a strong voice develops.

Periods of Early English Literature

• Anglo-Saxon
• Anglo-Norman
• Middle English Lit

The Middle Ages

The Middle Ages have often receive a bad rap. For years, historians referred to this period as the “Dark Ages.” They labeled it a period of intellectual darkness consumed by violence. This label, though, came from the generations that followed. They were quick to highlight the depravity of the Middle Ages to better show their own brilliance. Honestly, not all that shocking. It’s not the last time modern history demonized the past to justify its actions.

We’ve since learned the inaccuracy of that title, Dark Ages. Medieval authors did express thoughts and feelings about living in a dying age. But, literature and science continued to flourish during their time. They worked to preserve and even transform classical tradition.

Key Historic Events

43-420: Roman Occupation

Romans brought Christianity to the area. Christians were the first to put pen to paper; up until this point, all traditions were passed down orally. The pagan tribes ignored Christianity until Pope Gregory arrived in 597.

450: Anglo-Saxon Conquest

Rome departed leaving the isles open to invaders. Germanic raiders arrive: the Angels, the Saxons, and the Jutes. Fun fact, the name Angels is where we get the term English from.

With the arrival of the Saxons, the Old English language developed. Old English literature follows its Germanic roots in form and content. The story of Beowulf is our best example of this early style.

During this period, wealthy nobles purchased and even funded the production of books. This group eventually widened to include wealthy patrons.

597: St. Augustine Arrives, Bringing Christianity

Pope Gregory sent St. Augustine as a missionary to King Ethelbert of Kent. King Ethelbert ruled the much-divided kingdom of southern England. At the same time, Irish missionaries began preaching Christianity to the northern regions. Within 75 years, England was predominantly Christian.

As Christianity expanded within the area, monasteries developed. It’s in these monasteries that book production begins. Monks made early books by hand from parchment or vellum, carefully prepared animal skin. These handwritten books were costly and time-intensive to produce.

1066 Norman Conquest

The Normans arrived removing the Saxons bringing in a French-speaking ruling class. This results in a mixing of French and English vocabulary that’s still evident in modern English. King Arthur became the main subject in French, English, and German literature.

1200: Middle English Lit Begins

The English identity, as we recognize it today, developed in the late 14th century. Edward III’s attempt at claiming the French throne resulted in a 100-year conflict. The ensuing loss pushed the English from almost all French territories. Embittered, the ruling elite develop a stronger sense of English identity and heritage.

Chaucer led the way in establishing English literature. He used French and Italian poetry as inspiration. His works brought prestige to the English language, and he is dubbed the English Homer.

1485: First Books Printed including Le Morte d’ Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory

In the early 14th century, commercial book production developed. Booksellers would often act as a middleman. They represented the various artisans involved in the book-making process. Most medieval books were lost or destroyed with the dissolution of the monasteries in the 1530s.

Conclusion

In these early years, a strong national identity formed for the English. English Literature moved from an oral tradition to hand-crafted books. With continued research, we’re able to understand these early years as more than the Dark Ages label.

Through their own ingenuity and creativity, they produced heroes. Heroes like King Arthur that still exist prominently within English culture today. The people of the Middle Ages longed for a better life. They desired upward movement beyond their current circumstances. This is a sentiment we can still very much relate to and continue to see in the literature that follows.

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Source

For this post, I used the 8th Edition of the Norton Anthology of English Literature, Major Authors. I believe more recent editions are broken up into smaller volumes, and you can view them here.