English Literature Notes【DOC精选】.docVIP

English Literature A Chapter 1 The Anglo-Saxon period (450 – 1066) I. Historical Background 1. The earliest settlers of the British Isles____ the Celts. 600 B.C. The Brythons (400-300B.C.) from whom the name Britain came. Civilization: Iron Age Religious ceremonies: May Day the cult of mistletoe__ the national tradition 2. The Roman Empire (55 B.C. – 407 A. D.) Civilization: a slave society London was founded there and then Julius Caesar the general Little influence on the cultural life of the Celts Built walled towns : the name “chester”, “caster” __fort London was founded there and then Built roads No intermarriage, language influence is little 3. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes (450 A.D.)____the ancestors of the present English people Angul___ a hook: fisherman Saxon___ seax: a short sword: fighter Heptarchy ___ 7 kingdoms Essex, Wessex, Sussex, Kent, East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria, legendary figure __King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table King Alfred of the Wessex: Christianized the Anglo-Saxons (heathens___ Christian religion) 597 Pope Gregory sent St. Augustine 4. The Danes or the Vikings. King Alfred fight against the Danes King Edgar___ England was united under one king 5. The Norman Conquered: William I, 1066 The last Saxon king: Harold II. Two highlights of the Anglo-Saxon literature A. Northumbrian school: *Caedom: the first Anglo-Saxon poet work: Paraphrase___ turned the stories of Bible into verse form *Venerable Bede: the father of English history work: The Ecclesiastical History of the English People B. Wessex Literature: *King Alfred: the father of English navy contributions to English literature Latin books were translated into West Saxon dialect responsible for the launching of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle created a style of Anglo-Saxon prose Detail of an engraving of Alfred (artist III. Anglo-Saxon poetry____ Be