literature: Old English period

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 5

Literature and the history of the
English Language

Literature

- During the literature lessons, we will look at the development of the English language combined with the English literature from that period

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS LITERATURE?

What is the present definition of literature?

Literature broadly is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry.

Literature

Today you will learn about:

- the origins of the English language, known as old English.

- Old English language use and vocabulary

- The Canterbury Tales

the Old English Period 

450-1100 AD 

Old English 

- Up until 450: a mix of languages, mostly Celtic, some Latin
- Part of Roman empire 43 - 410 AD
- Angles, Saxons & Jutes invade England 
- Add lots of new words:
   eald (old), brodor (brother), hus (house)

- Old English had three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter)

-Old English had a greater proportion of strong verbs (called irregular verbs in contemporary grammars) 

- Old English words were spelt as they were pronounced; the "silent" letters in many Modern English words, such as the "k" in "knight", were in fact pronounced in Old English. For example, the 'hard-c' sound in cniht, the Old English equivalent of 'knight', was pronounced.Germanic Roots: Old English (5th-11th centuries) came from the Germanic languages brought by Anglo-Saxon settlers from areas that are now Germany and Denmark.

Different Alphabet: Old English used some letters that are unfamiliar today, like "þ" (thorn) for "th" sounds, and "æ" (ash), which made a sound similar to the "a" in "cat."

Viking Influence: Old English absorbed many words from Old Norse due to Viking invasions. Words like “sky,” “egg,” and “they” are examples.

Beowulf: The epic poem Beowulf is one of the most famous Old English texts and gives a glimpse into the heroic culture of the time.

Sound and Structure: Old English sounded very different from Modern English. Many words were short, harsh-sounding, and sentences often had different structures, making it hard for us to understand.

 Up until 450: a mix of languages, mostly Celtic, some Latin

- Part of Roman empire 43 - 410 AD

 Germanic Roots: Old English (5th-11th centuries) came from the Germanic languages brought by Anglo-Saxon settlers from areas that are now Germany and Denmark.

Different Alphabet: Old English used some letters that are unfamiliar today, like "þ" (thorn) for "th" sounds, and "æ" (ash), which made a sound similar to the "a" in "cat."

Viking Influence: Old English absorbed many words from Old Norse due to Viking invasions. Words like “sky,” “egg,” and “they” are examples as well as  eald (old), brodor (brother), hus (house)

- Old English words were spelt as they were pronounced; the "silent" letters in many Modern English words, such as the "k" in "knight", were in fact pronounced in Old English. For example, the 'hard-c' sound in cniht, the Old English

- Old English had three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter).

• Beowulf: The epic poem Beowulf is one of the most famous Old English texts and gives a glimpse into the heroic culture of the time.

• Sound and Structure: Old English sounded very different from Modern English. Many words were short, harsh-sounding, and sentences often had different structures, making it hard for us to understand.

fæder

bearn

lufu

lyft

sweoster

wif

man

casere

neorxnawang

father

son

love

sky

Sister

crime

wife

emperor

paradise

Geoffrey Chaucer (Londen?, ca. 1343 – mogelijk 25 oktober 1400) wordt beschouwd als de belangrijkste schrijver uit de Middelengelse literatuur. Hij was de schepper van enkele van de meest geprezen dichtwerken uit de wereldliteratuur. Chaucer was niet alleen een uitzonderlijk begaafd auteur en dichter, maar leidde ook een druk openbaar leven als soldaat, hoveling, diplomaat en ambtenaar en vervulde een verscheidenheid aan openbare functies. Tijdens die carrière was hij de vertrouweling en protegé van drie opeenvolgende koningen, namelijk Eduard III (1312-1377), Richard II (1367-1400) en Hendrik IV (1367-1413). Toch vond Chaucer de tijd om duizenden versregels te schrijven die nu nog steeds door literatuurliefhebbers hooglijk gewaardeerd en bewonderd worden. Daarmee toonde hij aan dat het Engels uit zijn tijd (thans Middelengels genoemd) net zo goed gebruikt kon worden in de poëzie als het Frans of het Latijn, wat hem die titel van 'vader van de Engelse literatuur' bezorgde. Hoewel hij vele werken schreef, wordt hij he

Geoffrey Chaucer (Londen?, ca. 1343 – mogelijk 25 oktober 1400) wordt beschouwd als de belangrijkste schrijver uit de Middelengelse literatuur. Hij was de schepper van enkele van de meest geprezen dichtwerken uit de wereldliteratuur. Chaucer was niet alleen een uitzonderlijk begaafd auteur en dichter, maar leidde ook een druk openbaar leven als soldaat, hoveling, diplomaat en ambtenaar en vervulde een verscheidenheid aan openbare functies. Tijdens die carrière was hij de vertrouweling en protegé van drie opeenvolgende koningen, namelijk Eduard III (1312-1377), Richard II (1367-1400) en Hendrik IV (1367-1413). Toch vond Chaucer de tijd om duizenden versregels te schrijven die nu nog steeds door literatuurliefhebbers hooglijk gewaardeerd en bewonderd worden. Daarmee toonde hij aan dat het Engels uit zijn tijd (thans Middelengels genoemd) net zo goed gebruikt kon worden in de poëzie als het Frans of het Latijn, wat hem die titel van 'vader van de Engelse literatuur' bezorgde. Hoewel hij vele werken schreef, wordt hij het meest geroemd voor zijn onafgewerkte raamvertelling The Canterbury Tales.

• The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century.
• The tales are told by a group of 29 pilgrims traveling together to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury, England.
• Each pilgrim has a unique background and personality, representing different social classes and professions.
• Chaucer wrote the stories in Middle English, but they still give insight into English life and society at that time.
• The tales include various genres—romance, comedy, adventure, and even moral lessons—making it a mix of entertainment and wisdom.
• The Canterbury Tales is one of the first major works written in English, helping to shape the English language and literature as we know it.

• The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century.
• The tales are told by a group of 29 pilgrims traveling together to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury, England.
• Each pilgrim has a unique background and personality, representing different social classes and professions.
• Chaucer wrote the stories in Middle English, but they still give insight into English life and society at that time.
• The tales include various genres—romance, comedy, adventure, and even moral lessons—making it a mix of entertainment and wisdom.
• The Canterbury Tales is one of the first major works written in English, helping to shape the English language and literature as we know it.

Have you ever heard of the story 'Beowulf'?

Yes, I do.

No, I don't.

genres poems

• epic poems: narrative poems on great subjects like kings and heroes, fighting, glory and honour
• didactic poems: meant to teach the reader about religious matters or about the way to behave
• historical chronicles: about wars and battles, and kings

BEOWULF

- Epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines.

-  It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. 

-The date of composition is a matter of contention. The only certain dating is for the manuscript, which was produced between 975 and 1025 by an the anonymous authoroften called  the "Beowulf poet"

-The story is set in Scandinavia in the 6th century. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by the monster Grendel.  Beowulf, who is extremely strong (strength of 30 men), wants to help the King.

kenning

a figurative name for a thing, usually expressed in a compound noun.

First lady = wife of the president

Four-eyes = someone who wears

glasses

Beowulf  Old English Kennings

Sea = whale-path

Sun = sky-candle

Death= Sleep of the sword

corpes = Raven-harvest

Honour = mind's-worth

. . . . . = Battle-sweat

. . . . = bone-house

Aanschouw de lof van de dapperheid van mensen-koningen

van de met een speer gewapende Denen, in lang vervlogen dagen, we hebben gehoord, en welke eer de Athelings wonnen!

Vaak won Shield Sheafson van vijanden in squadrons, van menig stam, scheurde de eetzaal en maakte de graven bang. 

Sinds hij vroeger vriendloos, een vondeling was, betaalde het lot hem terug:

Want hij groeide in welvaart en rijkdom.., tot voor hem het volk, zowel ver als dichtbij,die bij de zee woonden, zijn mandaat hoorden, gaven hem geschenken: een goede koning!

wyrþe þanc