History and Development of Old English Literature

The Origins of the Old English Language

The language of this whole period is known as Old English. No exact date exists for its beginning, though the first written records of the language date from around 597 AD. Before 597, Old English was scarcely written, but English had certainly been spoken for centuries before that. The West Saxon dialect became the official and literary language from the 890s until the Norman Conquest, thanks to King Alfred. Most Old English words were Germanic, having come from the languages of the Angles, Jutes, and Saxons. Latin, however, also had a strong influence on early English. Later, Vikings contributed many words to Old English. By the end of the Old English period, marked by the Norman Conquest, Old English had been established as a literary language with a remarkable polish and versatility.

Characteristics of Old English Literature

Old English literature consists of various forms, including:

• Poetry and prose
• Charms and riddles
• Maxims and proverbs
• Wisdom sayings

It is a mixture of pagan traditions—thoughts about life, the universe, and nature—as well as Christian thought and moral values. There is often no clear-cut delineation between religious and non-religious poetry, or sometimes even between poetry and prose. Apposition was introduced as a rhetorical device, and compounding was used to express new or complex concepts.

Epic Poetry and Historical Chronicles

Old English poetry included long epic heroic poems, which drew on the Bible and on pagan sources for their content. Some poetry was also based on historical events. Approximately 30,000 lines of Old English poetry have come down to us from Anglo-Saxon times. With a history of invasions and occupations, many writings of this era are chronicles, annals, and historical records. Some are in the form of poetry and describe various battles, for example, "The Battle of Maldon" and "The Battle of Brunanburh". The themes are war, conquest, and bravery. Many eighth-century works depict Anglo-Saxon resistance against the Vikings.

Themes of Melancholy and the Elegiac Tradition

Lament and melancholy are often presented in descriptions of man's struggles against his environment, life's difficulties, and the passage of time. We know that life is fleeting; often, a prologue and epilogue express hope in God's compassion and mercy. Examples of such poems include "The Wanderer" and "The Ruin". Other poems depict the separation of a man and a woman and the accompanying sadness, such as in "The Wife's Lament" and "The Husband's Message". In these poems, the man may have been exiled, and there is sometimes hope or sometimes not. Old English poems that normally lament the loss of worldly goods, glory, or human companionship are called elegies.

Notable Works and Authors

Beowulf is the best-known and best-preserved Old English verse. Caedmon and Cynewulf were well-known Old English religious poets in the 7th and 9th centuries, respectively. Much Old English poetry is difficult to date and even harder to assign to specific authors.