Middle English Period

Was between 1000-1500. Started with the Normand invasion (France to England).

France gave out Normandy to the vikings, in that way they thought that with that territory, that vikings wont attacked and invaded them anymore and also because that vikings would expulse other vikings that were in France.

William the conqueror was french, he invaded Britain and defeated them in the Hastings battle. He was known as "William duke of Normandy", was the  first  king of England.

3 languages were spoken: Old english (ordinary people)
                                            French (monarchy, aristocracy)
                                            Latin (religious purposes, judicial states)

Impacts:

* The influence of the germanic tribes was displaced by french traditions.
* Big immigrations to Bizantium, Scotland, etc because the lands of the rich britts were taken.
* Christianism was imposed.
* English as language started in the middle ages to the end of it.
* The most representative english autor was Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote "The Canterbury tales".
* Feudal system.
* Crusades.
* Black death.
* Renaissance.
* The most important values were chivalry and knightship.

Topics:

1. Misoginy
2. Ideal of Virginity
3. Courtly love
4. The mysterious pentagle

Genre:

* Courtley love: the relation of the knight with his lord. Was based in obedience and loyalty.
* Religious: the clergymen were the centre of intellectualism in the Midde ages society.
* Arthurian legends: are based on patriotism and myth.

Contributions and changes in grammar structure:

1. Possessives: The dog`s tail.
2. Verbs in 3rd person of the singular: he speaks.
3. Pronunciation: you, thou, thy, thee

Anglo-Saxon Period

It was between 5th and 6th B.C. Also called as "Dark ages period".

Characteristics:

Fame.
Warfare.
Brave, corageous, strong.
Old english.
Runic alphabet.
Written process was introduced by irish monks.
Displacement of paganism by christianism.
Loyalty to the king.
Bards were highly appreciated because they elevated warriors to heroes.

Epic poetry

Characteristics:

So long.
Embodied vales as loyalty, honour, courage.
Included myths, legends and history.
No romance at all.
Use of kennings, alliterative, caesura.
The style was repetitive.
Themes like battles, war, sea, death, destiny, etc.
Tendency to instruct through morals.
The heroe was the principal character.

Important text:

The Exetter book, it includes:  Beowulf
                                                The wifes lament
                                                Riddles
                                                Bede

Old english:

20 % - 30% is pure english
70% is mingle of other languages

Latin influenced english, because of the invasion of the Roman empire to England. Also german, greek and french had influenced it.

History insights

During the Roman Empire the Celts live in Great Bretain, they were warriors, instead of having an own language, they used a dialect. Their religion was Druism; they do their rituals in stonehenge.
For them every person who wasn`t roman, was barbarian.

In the norh of Germany were many tribes:
1. Angles
2. Saxons
3. Jutes
4. Frisians
All of them were in the Scandinavian peninsula in the 5th and 6th AD

England was inhabitant by the Celts, but when the Roman empire conquered them, the Celts asked for help to the Angles and Saxons to fight against the Roman Empire.
The Angles and Saxons not only helped the Celts, they also stayed in Great Bretain.
Then the Jutes and Frisians arrived there.




Angles: were a Germanic tribe. They were the strongest in the world, but they were knocked by the vikings. The Angles were also excellent sailors, pagans (means that had a lot of gods), performed rituals like sacrifices.

Saxons: were a germanic tribe. Their name cames from the word seax (was a knife that they used). Were fishermen. They arrived in a place called "Wes Seax" (west land of the Saxons, now is called "Wessex").

Jutes: were a Germanic tribe who lived in Denmarck. They were debonaire, stablished funerarial burials and were the first people who buried teh body. They were the first to adopt Christianism.
For them tha inheritance was partible, that means tha the inheritances had to be divided into all the family memebers.

Frisians: were a Germanic tribe who lived in Denmarck. When they arrived to Bretain, they settled in what is known as Kent (east part of England) and Linconshire.

The Celts: had a rich and extensive folklor; they played the fiddle and recorder piano for they music.
Physically they were tall, blonde (dye their hair, it wasn`t natural), brave, corageous. They went naked to wars and painted totally in blue, their hair was shaggy. Were the first people who used the "kilt", and with it the don`t used underwear.

In England at that time were 4 languages:
1. Northumbrian
2. Kentish
3. Wessex
4. Mercian