What does the term "Anglo-Saxon period" refer to?
The Anglo-Saxon period refers to the period in British history from about 450 and 1066 i.e after their initial settlement and up until the Norman conquest. The early Anglo-Saxon period covers the history of medieval Britain that starts from the end of Roman rule. It is a period widely known in European history as the Migration Period, also the Völkerwanderung meaning "migration of peoples" in German, the migrants were Germanic tribes.
The old English ethnonym "Angul-Saxon" comes from the Latin Angli-Saxones. The term Anglo-Saxon is popularly used for the language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons in England and eastern Scotland between In scholarly use, it is more commonly called Old English. Anglo-Saxon is a term that was rarely used by Anglo-Saxons themselves; it is not an autonym.
It is important to note that modern writers insist that English is a Teutonic Language, meaning It is the language of the Germans and they believe that the old Anglo-Saxon English grew out to English of the 14th Century by a regular course of evolution in the language and that nothing occurred at any stage to break its continuity, and for this reason the term Anglo-Saxon is now commonly dropped and the term "Old English" is used in its place.
Some important works of the Anglo-Saxon period are:
The Ruined Burg
The lover's Message
The Maiden's Complaint
The Wanderer and the Seafarer
Deor's Lament
The Epic Beowulf
Some Christian Writers of the Anglo-Saxon Period
Pagan Literature of the Anglo-Saxon period was mainly in the form of oral legends which were brought from forgein lands, The Christian literature only cam into existence as a result of teaching from preachers of two schools, the Augustinian School from Rome and the Northumbrian School from Ireland.
Not many lasting works were produced by the Augustinian School, however, the Northumbrian School produced a number of good lasting works such as...
The Venerable Bede (675-735)
Caedmon (seventh century), as told by the Venerable Bede, the power of verse came suddenly to Caedmon, like a divine gift.
Cynewulf (eighth century) was a wandering gleeman and a lover of pleasure, but was changed by the vision of the cross and henceforth dedicated himself to a religious theme. His works include a poem called Christ, treating of the Incarnation, the Descent into Hell, the Ascension, and the Last Judgement, etc.
Alfred, the king of Wessex (848-90) also known as the father of English prose-writers belonged to the period of the Anglo-Saxons. He was a translator and the first to put the vernacular to systematic use. He is known for:
The Annals/ Chronicles of Winchester
His translation of Orosius's Universal History
Latin Ecclesiastical History of the Venerable Bede
AElfric
Another Anglo-Saxon christian prose writer who wrote in the beginning of the 11th century most famous for his work:
Colloquium
Homilies
Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Anglo-Saxon poetry is mainly sacred in subject and feeling, however, it is also full of a love of adventure and fighting and martial spirit and war poetry such as in The Battle of Brunanburh (937)
Sources:
1.The Junius Manuscript
2.British Museum Manuscripts containing:
-Beowulf
-Judith- the biblical fragment
3.Religious poems and lives of saints in metrical verse
-Battle of finnesburh in verse
The battle of Maldon
The death of Byrhtnoth
Anglo-Saxon Versification
Consists of too many consonants; even cluster of consonants
Consonant syllable sounds are harsh in nature
Vowel sounds are almost inaudible
The no. of syllables in each line is not fixed
In each section, there are two rhythmic accents
In place of "end rime" it employs "beginning rime" or alliteration
It can be noted that principles of the versification of the Anglo-Saxon poetry are very different from those used in modern English.
References
An outline history of English Literature by W.H. Hudson
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