Literary history an der University of Delhi

"Old English" suggests cultural continuity and presents a core Englishness; used by nationalists since 19th cent

while "Anglo-Saxon" is a reminder of the non-native origin of the language; the Angles and Saxons migrated to GB; this is the older term

Labels cause a strong bias, theyre never neutral, either inclusive or exclusive

The Angles, Jutes, Saxons came from todays Denmark and Northern Germany

The re-christianisation was carried out by monks sent from Rome by pope Gregory the Great

• The monks introduced the Roman alphabet which then served as a medium of conservation of texts that had only existed in oral form; 
• this standardized the English language; unlike with dialects in spoken English, the written English cannot be connected to a specific region

Originally, AS literature was orally performed at public gatherings

They were written down in the 10th century by scribes

canon = books that are thought to be culturally notable

canonization = key process of how we perceive lit from a certain period, selection by cultural institutions that chose most important works;

an inclusive and exclusive process; gives us insight into values and hierarchal structure of the period

A long narrative poem usually about the exploits of warriors and heroes

Alliterative Verse

70m long tapestry commissioned by the Normans after they conquered England and made by English craftsmen; embroidery of wool yarn on woven linen made in the 11th century

It shows events leading up to the Battle of Hastings 1066/ the Norman Conquest using multiple views > balanced depiction, not just propaganda

It turned England trilingual:

Latin for education in monastries

French for the aristocracy 

English spoken by most of the population