THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD LITERATURE

THE OLD ENGLISH PERIOD LITERATURE 

CONTRIBUTION OF OLD ENGLISH

1. THE ANGLO - SAXON PERIOD 

2. THE ANGLO - NORMAN PERIOD

 

1. THE ANGLO - SAXON PERIOD

ANGLO SAXON PERIOD MAP

Britain's  first experience  of literature  can be traced back in the 1st century  B.C. but , literature  in English can be seen in the Anglo - Saxon period  which was named after angles and Saxons , the two races , who ruled britain from the late 5th century  A.D. to 1066 Anglo - Saxon period literature was in the old English language . but most of it was in the oral tradition though  some writings are available  , their  authors  are known  , their writings are not available 

2. THE ANGLO -NORMAN PERIOD

Norman conquest map

The old English literature continued  until the Norman conquest  England and ruled it from 1066 to the mid 14th century - literature of this period  is called as the Anglo -Norman literature . since the French language was the mother tongue  of the Normans , it became dominant  and English was marginalized . but a little amount  of literature was produced during this period . But in the late 14th century , English slowly replaced French and became the "lingua franca" of the masses .

      Especially , through the works of Geoffrey Chaucer  and other writers , English become the dominant language  literature from this period (from the late 14th century ) is called as the Medieval English literature .

English literature