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Early British Literature

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Title: Early British Literature


1
Early British Literature
  • The Celts and the Anglo-Saxons

2
Old Irish Literature
3
Irish Literature
  • Ireland has the oldest vernacular tradition of
    literature in Europe with written texts dating
    from the 6th c.
  • Old Irish before 900
  • Middle Irish 900-1350
  • Late Middle/Early Modern Irish 1350-1650
  • Modern Irish and Scots 1650-present

4
Old Irish Literature
  • The oldest writings are poems written in the
    margins of 6th c. continental manuscripts short
    lyrics on religious or nature themes.
  • The early literature has survived in Middle and
    Late Middle Irish manuscripts miscellaneous
    collections of prose and verse containing legend,
    history, bardic and lyric poetry, and medical,
    legal, and religious texts from several periods

5
Major Irish Medieval MSS.
  • The Book of the Dun Cow (before 1106) contains
    tales of the Ulster Cycle and Fenian legends
  • The Book of Leinster (before 1160) contains
    heroic legends
  • The Yellow Book of Lecan, The Great Book of
    Lecan,The Lebor Brecc, and the Book of Lismore
    (late 14th or early 15th c.)
  • The Royal Irish Academy alone has more than 1300
    mss. mostly religious, historical and legal
    treatises

Leabhar na hUidre Book of the Dun Cow, p.73
6
Tain Bo Cuailinge The Cattle Raid of Cooley from
The Book of the Dun Cow
7
Filí (Old Irish) File (Mod. Irish)
  • The filí (filíd pl.) in the earliest times
    combined the functions of magician, lawgiver,
    judge, counselor to the chief, and poet.
  • Later, but still at a very early time, the
    offices seem to have been divided Brehons
    devoted themselves to the study of law, and the
    giving of legal decisions Druids
    claimed the supernatural functions, and priestly
    offices Filíd were principally poets
    and philosophers
  • The division seems to have already existed in
    Ireland at the time of St Patrick, who was in
    constant opposition with the druids.
  • Filíd underwent years of training to compose in
    verse the laws, genealogies, legends and
    traditions.

8
Bards
  • In Old Irish culture, the bards were the
    performers of the filíds poems
  • They were record keepers and lineage holders, for
    the bards could determine a king's legitimacy.
  • To satirize a king was to declare his access to
    the throne suspect.
  • The role of the bard was historian and social
    commentator. They glorified heroes while
    insulting cowards and villains.
  • They were both the newspaper and the opinion
    page.

9
MACSWEENEY DINES AS BARD RECITES "The work of
the file or poet was recited to the accompaniment
of a stringed instrument,. . . .The reacaire or
reciter bard was a subordinate employee of the
composer, who sat by the chieftain (his patron)
enjoying his own composition." Declan Kiberd,
"Irish Literature and Irish History, " in The
Oxford Illustrated History of Irieland, ed. R. F.
Foster (1989)
10
Welsh Literature
  • Although the earliest Welsh manuscripts date from
    the 12th c., the earliest poetry comes from the
    6th c.
  • Before 1100 Y Cynfeirdd ("The earliest poets")
    or Yr Hengerdd ("The old poetry")
  • The core tradition was praise poetry and the
    reliance on patronage from kings, princes and
    nobles.
  • The other aspect of the tradition was the
    professionalism of the poets sustained by a Guild
    of Poets, or Order of Bards, with a 'rule book'
    emphasizing the making of poetry as a craft.
    Under its rules poets undertook an apprenticeship
    of nine years to become fully qualified.

11
Welsh Poets
  • Nennius Historia Britonum list poets active
    during the reign of King Ida (547-59)"At that
    time, Talhaiarn Tataguen was famed for poetry,
    and Neirin Aneirin, and Taliesin, and
    Bluchbard, and Cian, who is called Guenith Guaut,
    were all famous at the same time in British that
    is Brythonic, or, Welsh poetry."
  • Poems by Taliesin and Aneirin are believed to
    have survived in the Book of Taliesin and Y
    Gododdin, Aneirins epic of a battle between the
    Celts and the Saxons.

12
RomanBritain1st-5th c.
13
5th Century Celtic Disarray
  • 408 Devastating attacks by Picts, Scots and
    Saxons led Britain to declare independence from
    Rome in 410.
  • 440-450 Civil war and famine in Britain.
    Country divided along factional lines
  • 445 Vortigen authorized use of Saxon
    mercenaries against Scots and Picts
  • 450 adventus Saxonum Hengest arrived with 3
    ships of warriors. Saxons increased settlements.

14
Anglo-Saxon Literature
15
The Kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England
16
Anglo-Saxon Royal Genealogy
17
(No Transcript)
18
House of Wessex
Wessex West Saxons
19
England as a Nation
  • Bede may have been the first writer to articulate
    the idea of the English as one people in 732 in
    his History of the English Church and People.
  • Viking Invasions
  • Destroyed kingdoms of Northumbria and East Angles
    in the 860s
  • Wessex emerged as the power that defeated the
    Vikings under Alfred the Great
  • 878 Alfred defeated the Vikings at Edington
  • At his death in 899, Alfred was the most powerful
    regional king in England

20
Wessex Dynasty
  • Edward the Elder (r. 899-924) succeeded his
    father Alfred and conquered the Midlands and East
    Anglia.
  • His son, Athelstan (r. 924-40), brought the
    Scots, the Welsh, the Cumbrians and the Cornish
    under English rule by 928 he became King of all
    England and Emperor of the World of Britain.

21
House of Wessex
E or A Æ
Coin from King Edgars reign
Canute of Denmark 1016-1035
Ælgifu
Harthacanute Harold I 1040-42
1036-40
Alfred1035-36
22
Genres Prose
  • Sermons most popular of prose genres
  • Translations of Latin religious works and
    Biblical works
  • Saints Lives
  • Legal texts wills, records, deeds, laws, etc.
  • Scientific and Medical texts
  • Chronicles historical writing Anglo Saxon
    Chronicle

23
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
  • Collection of annals (yearly history) narrating
    the history of the Anglo-Saxon settlement in
    Britain.
  • First continuous history written by Europeans in
    their own language.
  • Probably begun during the reign of King Alfred in
    the 9th c.
  • After completion of the original chronicle,
    copies were sent to monasteries and updated
    yearly.
  • Nine surviving MSS.

The initial page of the Peterborough Chronicle
24
Known A-S Prose Writers
  • King Alfred (849-99) attributed with translating
    a variety of Latin works such as Gregorys
    Pastoral Care, Augustines Soliloquies and
    Boethiuss Consolation of Philosophy.
  • Aelfric, abbot of Eynsham (955-1020?) known as
    Grammaticus greatest writer of A-S sermons,
    saints lives and Biblical glosses and
    translations.
  • Wulfstan II, archbishop of York (10th c.) author
    of highly stylistic sermons and clerical legal
    texts.

25
Genres Poetry
  • Thula alliterative lists of names or tribes
  • Gnomic verse proverbs, traditional wisdom
  • Spells invoke natural and supernatural powers
  • Riddles what am I?
  • Religious poetry retellings of Old Testament
    stories, saints lives, Dream of the Rood
  • Adaptations of classical philosophical texts
    e.g. Boethius Consolation of Philosophy
  • Wisdom poetry lyrical, meditative, elegiac
    The Wanderer, The Wifes Lament, etc.
  • Heroic court poetry celebration of historical
    events related by scops Beowulf, etc.

26
Manuscripts with Anglo-Saxon Poetry
  • Exeter Book Codex Exoniensis 10th c. ms.
  • Largest existing collection of Old English poetry
  • donated to the library of the Exeter Cathedral by
    Leofric, the first bishop of Exeter
  • Contains The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The
    Wifes Lament, Widsith, The Ruin, Deor,
    etc.
  • Junius MS. begun c. 1000 ce
  • Anthology of religious poetry Genesis, Exodus,
    Daniel, Christ and Satan
  • Illustrated only about one-third of
    illustrations completed
  • Bodleian Library, Oxford University

27
Junius MS Angel Guarding the Gates of Paradise
28
Manuscripts with Anglo-Saxon Poetry
  • Vercelli Book 10th c. ms.
  • Cathedral Library, Vercelli, Italy
  • Contains 23 prose sermons, a life of St. Guthlac
    and six poems including The Dream of the Rood
  • Nowell Codex Cotton Vitellius A xv late
    10th-12th c. mss.
  • British Librarys Cotton Collection
  • Composite of two mss. Bound together in the 17th
    c. damaged in an 18th c. fire in the Cotton
    Library
  • 1st Codex (12th c) Old English prose Alfred's
    translation of Augustine's Soliloquies, the
    Gospel of Nicodemus, Solomon and Saturn, and a
    fragment of a life of Saint Quentin.
  • 2nd Codex (10th c) Beowulf, Judith and 3 prose
    works

29
First page of Beowulf from the Cotton Vitellius
MS.
30
Beowulf Prologue
31
What are those weird-looking letters?
Omniglot
32
Poetry
  • Thula
  • Alliterative lists of names and tribes
  • Oral mnemonic device
  • Found extensively in Widsith
  • Technique also found in Old Testament
  • Gnomic Verse
  • Proverbs, traditional wisdom
  • Hit becwæÞ It is said
  • As the sea is smooth when storms are at rest, So
    people are quiet when peace is proclaimed.
    (Exeter Book)

33
Riddles
The Anchor
  • I war with the wind, with the waves I wrestle I
    must battle with both when the bottom I seek, My
    strange habitation by surges oer-roofed. I am
    strong in the strife, while still I remain As
    soon as I stir, they are stronger than I. They
    wrench and they wrest, till I run from my foes
    What was put in my keeping they carry away. If
    my back be not broken, I baffle them still. The
    rocks are my helpers, when hard I am pressed
    Grimly I grip them. Guess what Im called.

The Exeter Book
34
Spells and Charms
Charm for a Swarm of Bees Take earth with your
right hand and throw it under your right foot,
saying I've got it,     I've found itLo,
earth     masters all creatures, it masters
evil,     it masters deceit, it masters
humanity's     greedy tongue. Throw light soil
over them the bees as they swarm, saying Sit,
wise women,     settle on earth never in fear
    fly to the woods. Please be mindful     of
my welfare as all men are     of food and land.
Trans. Karl Young
35
Known A-S Poets
  • Cædmon herdsman attached to the Whitby monastery
    during the abbacy of St. Hilda (657681). Author
    of Hymn, oldest A-S poem
  • The Venerable Bede (c. 672-735) Benedictine monk
    at Jarrow author of the Historia Ecclesiastica
    The History of the Church of England and Bedes
    Death Song
  • Cynewulf (fl. ca. 750) author of four poems,
    Christian narratives, Elene, Christ II, Juliana
    and The Fates of the Apostles.
  • King Alfred (849-99)

Depiction of Cædmon carved on a stone memorial
cross on the grounds of St Mary's Church in Whitby
36
Bedes Death Song
Fore ðæm nedfere nænig wiorðeðonc snottora ðon
him ðearf siæto ymbhycgenne ær his hiniongehwæt
his gastæ godes oððe yflesæfter deað dæge doemed
wiorðe.
Facing that enforced journey, no man can beMore
prudent than he has good call to be,If he
consider, before his going hence,What for his
spirit of good hap or of evilAfter his day of
death shall be determined.
Beda Venerabilis from an medieval manuscript
37
Anglo-Saxon Poetic Conventions
  • Elegiac mood the transitoriness of life
  • Ubi sunt Where are they???
  • Heroic mode active, loyal to kinship group,
    boastful
  • The inevitability of Wyrd fate
  • Figures of speech
  • Kennings two words as metaphor for one
    hron-rade whale-road sea hord-cofan
    word-hoard mind, thoughts
  • Litotes ironic understatement -- "That sword
    was not useless / to the warrior now." (Beowulf)
  • Variation parallel appositive phrases see
    Cædmons Hymn
  • Alliterative verse alliteration is used as the
    principal device to unify lines of poetry

38
Beowulf Prologue Alliteration
39
Wisdom Poetry
  • Lyrical expressions of feelings, meditations on
    life
  • Emphasis on transitoriness of fame, glory,
    kinship, life itself ubi sunt theme
  • Boethian in exploration of fickle
    fortuneBoethius author of The Consolation of
    Philosophy
  • Most found in Exeter Book The Ruin, The
    Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Wifes Lament,
    The Husbands Message
  • King Alfred author of Lays of Boethius

40
Heroic Court Poetry
  • Narrative oral compositions handed down from
    generation to generation
  • Interactive warriors in the audience were given
    their turns to boast to proclaim their
    self-worth in a stylized solo declamation, which
    all recognized as a beot or gilph (boast).
  • Celebrations or commemorations of cultural heroes
    and historic events
  • Sung at court feasts which also included mead
    drinking, gift giving, harp playing and
    displaying of trophies

41
Anglo-Saxon Heroic Poems
  • Beowulf (c. 700-1000)
  • Fragments The Fight at Finnsburh and Waldere
  • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle contains various heroic
    poems inserted throughout.
  • 937 The Battle of Brunanburh celebrates the
    victory of King Athelstan over the Scots and
    Norse.
  • Five shorter poems capture of the Five Boroughs
    (942) coronation of King Edgar (973) death of
    King Edgar (975) death of Prince Alfred (1036)
    and death of King Edward the Confessor (1065).

42
The Scop
  • Court singer
  • Historian
  • Genealogist
  • Teacher
  • Composer
  • Critic
  • Warrior
  • Reporter
  • The Anglo-Saxon scop was a professional or
    semi-professional tribal poet who celebrated
    cultural values by singing epics on occasions of
    great ceremony and festivity. He was a man of
    repute, the equal of thanes.
  • Anglo-Saxon Scops
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