- •Lecture 2 Early Britain.
- •1. Germanic Settlement of Britain.
- •2. Conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
- •Glossary
- •Literature
- •Chronological Divisions of the History of English. Historical Outline of the oe Period. Oe Dialects. First Anglo-Saxon Written Records. Oe Alphabet.
- •1. Chronological Divisions in the History of English.
- •3. Oe Dialects.
- •4. First Anglo-Saxon Written Records.
- •5. Oe Alphabet.
- •Glossary
- •Literature
Glossary
Alfred The Great (about 848-899) – was an English king, the youngest son of Ethelwulf, King of the West Saxons, Egbert’s grandson. He got a few brilliant victories over the Danes in 871, 878 and succeeded his brother Ethelfred. After a series of defeats peaceful treaty was signed with the Danes and Alfred continued with his reforms in the country.
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle – is a document complied by monks working at different centres, notably Winchester, Canterbury, and Petersborough. It is, in the main, a dry chronological record, in vernacular, of events in England from the beginning of the Christian era to the middle of the 12th century. It contains, however, some vivid and more detailed passages, notably the account of the struggle with the Danes during the period 893-897, and of the misery of the common people during the civil wars of the reign of Stephen. The earliest part of the Chronicle, down to 892, may represent the work or inspiration of King Alfred. It is associated with Winchester, the old capital of Wessex. This fact is so important that R.W. Chambers declared: "The living tradition of Alfred, recorded by chroniclers and poets, is one of the things which kept the English spirit alive in the three centuries after the defeat at Hastings".
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms – appeared around 600 AD. The form and nature of these kingdoms is often obscure - since some of them had ceased to exist by the time the country was Christianized and there are few written records about them.
There were 13 independent states at the beginning of the seventh century: Wessex (the kingdom of the West Saxons), Sussex (the kingdom of the South Saxons), Middlesex (the country of the middle Saxons), Kent, Essex (the kingdom of the East Saxons), Magonsaete, Hwicce, Middle Anglia (the country of the Middle Angles), Mercia, East Anglia (the country of the East Angles), Lindsey, Deira and Bernicia. By the middle of the 7th century the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were organized into independent states: Wessex, Sussex, Kent, East Anglia, Essex, Mercia and Northumbria. These states were formed by the absorption of smaller entities: Mercia absorbed Magonsaete, Hwicce and Middle Anglia; Bernicia, Deira and Lindsey had become the new state of Northumbria, by 688 Wessex included Kent and Sussex.
Every Anglo-Saxon kingdom had its own ruler.
Beowulf – an epic poem of the VII or VIII c., composed in the Northumbrian or Mercian dialect, written in alliterative verse, is known in a X c. West Saxon copy.
Literature
A) Principal:
1. Історія англійської мови / Навчальний посібник для самостійної роботи студентів-філологів, що вивчають англійську мову як фах. – Полтава, 2002. – C. 27-29.
2. Rastorgueva T.A. A History of English. M., 1983. – Chapter IV (p.p.49-55), Chapter V (p.p. 58-63), Chapter VI (p.p. 63-71), Chapter VII (p.p. 71-74).
3. Zaitseva S.D. Early Britain. – M., 1981. – Chapter 6 (p.p.82-93).
B) Supplementary:
1. Аракин В.Д. История английского языка: Учеб.пособие для студентов пед. ин-тов. – М.,1985. – С.24-30.
2. Голицынский Ю.Б. Великобритания. (На англ. яз.) – СПб., 2001. – С.63-65.
3. Иванова И.П., Чахоян Л.П., Беляева Т.М. История английского языкa. – CПб., 1999. – С.7, 11,14-15, 18.
4. Ильиш Б.А. История английского языка. (На англ. яз.). Учебник для студентов фак. иностр. яз. пед. ин-тов. – Л.,1972. – С.36-37, 42-43.