ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE Prof.ssa Cynthia Tenaglia

WHEN DID IT START ?  its origin is traced back to the 7th c. and till the 11th c before the Norman conquest.

How can it be divided ? Anglo- Saxon poetry can be roughly divided into two categories:  PAGAN  CHRISTIAN

CHRISTIAN POETRY  It derived its subjects from the Bible and the lives of the Saints

PAGAN POETRY  it didn’t survive.  WHY?  It mirrored the spirit of the age, of the culture ( not truly national ) brought to Britain with the Germanic invasions of the 5th and 6th century: Sagas, Tales and Legends known to all the Germanic tribes.

The Anglo-Saxon Pagan Poetry can be divided into :  the lyric – often in the form of elegy  the epic

Anonymity  Generally these compositions were anonymous  Anglo-Saxon poetry passed from mouth to mouth, from one period to the next  HOW?  They were sung by the Scop  The Scop’s social function : to provide a common cultural identity

Anglo-Saxon poetry passed from mouth to mouth until…..  it reached the pen of the amanuensis who fixed its form.  it was mostly the work of monks who wrote down ( long after its composition) what belonged to an oral tradition eliminating all that seemed to contrast with religion.

the Riddle  It was typical of Anglo-Saxon literature, more than 90 were found without solution in the EXETER BOOK ( 4th century).  They described familiar things in an unfamiliar way.

Mec gesette soð sigora waldend The culminant lord of victories, Christ, Crist to compe. Oft ic cwice bærne, Created me for battle. Often I burn unrimu cyn eorþan getenge, Countless living creatures on middle-earth, næte mid niþe, swa ic him no hrine, Treat them to terror though I touch them not, þonne mec min frea feohtan hateþ. When my lord rouses me to wage war

Hwilum ic monigra mod arete, Sometimes I lighten the minds of many, hwilum ic frefre þa ic ær winne on Sometimes I comfort those I fought fiercely feorran swiþe-- hi þæs felað þeah, Before. They feel this high blessing swylce þæs oþres, þonne ic eft hyra As they felt that burning, when over the surge ofer deop gedreag drohtað bete. And sorrow, I again grace their going.

THE SUN

THE EPIC 1.It was written in Old English 2.It was mainly oral and extremely musical ( It was sung by the Scop who was an important member of a noble household, on any feast he would accompany himself on the harp, singing partly improvised verses.)

What is it ?  It is a long narrative poem  It tells the deeds of the great warrior kings of the pre-Christian England  It displays qualities and virtues superior to those of the common man., fighting monsters or other supernatural forces  The main theme is the war-like ideal in which the main character has the leadership in an heroic society

OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES  The Language is elevated, the vocabulary used is rich and various  The narration is objective, the poet’s point of view coincides with that of the characters, they don’t criticize the ideals and customs of the country they belong to.  The time and the setting is the primitive heroic age of the country. The society described is aristocratic and military. The scenes are banquets, battles, voyages, funeral  The aim is Didactic as example to follow the heroic ethic

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah, oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra

Metrically the lines are characterized by  Lines divided in two halves by a break : a caesura/ enjambment  Alliterations often used to link the two halves.  4 stresses each line  Kennings = a metaphorical circumlocution used to describe a person or a thing  No rhyme except occasional internal ones

THE ANGLO-SAXON PAGAN ELEGY  It is a lyrical poem, generally in the form of a dramatic monologue  The reasons behind such a dramatic situation are implied not described  Themes: one of the favourite is the Exile, with the constant fear of a possible dissolution of the clan due to internal conflicts or external attacks. Outside the clan life was difficult and hostile..  So The main character was the lonely wanderer exiled or pilgrim), outside his natural context is much more vulnerable and more likely to admit the truth of his condition  The Language is vivid and descriptive to render the melancholic mood of the poem.