Dr. Fee's Background on Old English

English 209: Old English Background


“Medieval” England: ca. 400-1500 (ca.400-1000 often called “Dark Age” Britain)
OE literature ca. 700-1100

55 BC (or BCE) Caesar crosses to Britain
43 AD (or CE) Britain under Roman control (Claudius)
312 Conversion of Constantine (Battle of Milvian Bridge)
321 Christianity becomes the official religion of the empire
410 Aloric the Visigoth sacks Rome (first time)
449 Last of the Romans pull out of Britain (A-S start moving in)
476 Last of the puppet emperors deposed
500 (ca.) Battle of Mt Badon (Arthur)
597 Pope Gregory the Great sends Augustine to Canterbury (King Ethelbert of Kent’s wife Frankish and Christian
664 Synod of Whitby
731 Bede’s Ecclesiastical History
787 First recorded Viking raid
793 Sack of monastery at Lindisfarne (beginning of Viking Age, raids, light of British learning nearly extinguished, eventually Danelaw)
800 Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor
849 Alfred born
871 Alfred king of West Saxons
878 Treaty of Wedmore (Alfred/Guthrum-Danes: Danelaw)
899 Alfred dies (united most of the south, rallied back and contained the Danelaw to East Anglia and the north, promoted learning)
1016 Cnut ascends throne
1066 Hastings

Some key names, terms and topics for discussion:

· What were the three main tribes of Germanic invaders of Celtic Britain? Angles, Saxons, Jutes
· What do we mean by “Heptarchy of A-S kingdoms”? Kent, East Anglia, Northumbria, Mercia, Sussex, Essex, Wessex
· What is the most important dialect of OE in the terms of our study? West Saxon most important literary dialect of OE (but no direct descendant in PDE)
· Name the major OE dialects: West Saxon, Kentish, Northumbrian, Mercian (last 2=Anglian)

Waves of invaders (IE, Germanic) moving E to W throughout Northern Europe, into Britain (pre-Celts, Celts, Romans, A-S, Vikings, Normans) and finally out of Europe into Americas, Africa, Asia
Christianity and literacy
Celtic vs. Roman Christianity
Arthur
Alfred
Rise of West Saxon
Bede
ASC
Manuscripts
parchment
Orality
Alliteration vs. rhyme
Apposition
Kenning
Litotes
Normans
French/Anglo-Norman

Questions about the Old English Sound System? Go over the basics.

Introduction to the Concept of Inflections:

· What do we mean by the term “inflection”?
· “Case”?
· “Number”?
· “Gender”?