1. OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE (650-1066)

2. Early literary forms: * religious poetry * hagiography / martyrology
* epic poetry
* hagiography / martyrology
* sermons
* Bible translation
* legal works
* chronicles
* riddles

3. Notable authors:
Caedmon
Cynewulf
The Venerable Bede
Alfred the Great

4. Caedmon (7th century) Religious poetry: Hymn of Creation Paraphrase
*Alliteration – the repetition of the vowel sounds at the beginning of words

5. Cynewulf (8th century) Works authored:
*The Fates of Apostles, a short martyrology
*The Ascension, homily
* Juliana
* Elene

6. Martyrolody- a creative work treating the life and sufferings of martyrs
Homily- a written religious speech or section of the poem that gives direct advice

7. The Venerable Bede ( )
Historia ecclesiastica
gentis Anglorum
(Ecclesiastical History of the English People)

8. Alfred the Great (849-901) The Church History by Bede
Translations from Latin into
Anglo-Saxon:
The Church History by Bede
The Consolation of Philosophy
by Boethius
The Soliloquies by Saint Augustine
50 psalms of the Bible
Soliloquy – expression of one’s thoughts in the form of a monologue

9. Beowulf - Old English Epic
Epic - long narrative
poem that records, in
grave and stately
language, the exploits
of a hero who usually embodies national ideals

10. Unknown facts:
who wrote it
when exactly it was written
how much it is based on historical truth

11. Known facts: It is written in Old English (Anglo-Saxon).
Beowulf is 3,182 lines long, approximately 80 or 90 pages in book length, which makes it the longest Old English poem. It is the oldest surviving English epic.
Some of the characters in the epic actually existed.
The only copy of the manuscript was written sometime around the 11th century A.D.

12. The poem probably dates from the 8th century.
The original story may be dated even earlier, about 500 A.D.
There are a lot of Christian references in the poem but the characters and setting are Pagan (non-Christian).

13. Themes and important aspects:
good versus evil
sanctity of home
loyalty
courage
honour
self-sacrifice
wealth and treasure
religion: Christian and Pagan influence
fate
heroism and heroic deeds