Pre Chaucerian Period / Anglo Norman Period – Social History of England

Social History/Literary/Linguistic Background

1. Settlement of Jutes, Saxons and Angles in Britain 449 – 547
2. Christianity introduced into Kent by St. Augustine 597, into Northumbria, 627-32
3. Cawdmon’s Paraphrases, 670 -80
4. Cynewulf between  720 -730
5. Alfred’s Translations, 9th Century

1. 1066-1204 when the Duchy of Normandy & Kingdom of Britain were united in the Anglo-Norman realm
2. All literature composed in: Anglo Norman language
3. Norman/French language was introduced in England  during the rule of William the Conqueror, after Norman Conquest Norman language became the language of nobility until 14th Century when Henry IV, English became the native tongue.
4. Henry II

5. Historical Events of Importance

   • Norman Conquest – 1066
   • Hundred Year’s War – 1337 to 1453 between House of Plantagenet, rulars of England and French,House of Valois. House of Valois won.
   • Edwardian Era
   • Caroline War
   • Lancastrian War
   • The Black Death – 1348-50
   • The Peasant’ Revolt – 1381

Facts and Mindmap

• Transition from O.E
• Latin was the official language of this time.
• Features of Middle English Poetry: Translation, Anonymous, Domination of poetry. Development of literary forms: Metre, Lyric, The Romances
• Chanson De Geste: Old French for ‘Songs of heroic deeds, actions accomplished’, A medieval narrative, earliest works of this genre is from 11th and 12th C. 
• Layamon’s Brut, about 1205
• Orom’s Ormulum, about 1215
• The Owl and the Nightingale, about 1220
• Mannying’s Handling Synne, 1303
• Cursor Mundi, 1320 – 25