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Early Middle Ages Literature
Speaking of the Middle Ages, they mean the period between the two eras: Antiquity and Renaissance. As a definite concept "Medieval" (medieval - from Lat. Medium aevum) or "Middle Ages" (the Middle Ages) emerged and established itself shortly until the 18th century, when Antiquity, the Renaissance, and the centuries preceding it were already in the past, having become the property of the history.
The period of the early Middle Ages covers the 5th-11th centuries AD. Its beginning is associated with the invasion of Britain in the middle of Vth century Anglo-Saxons and Jutes - tribes of Germanic origin; the end of the period dates back to 1066, when the battle of Hastings, culminated in the Norman conquest of the British Isles. During these six centuries, the earliest from the literary monuments that have come down to us were writen. They are written in Anglo-Saxon, on the basis of which the English language developed. Before the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons, the British Isles were subjected to repeated invasions of tribes from the European continent. In the VI century BC the Celts invaded Britain. In the 1st century AD Britain was conquered by the Romans. The domination of the Roman Empire continued up to the 5th century. Then the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons came. They pushed back Celts to the western and northwestern parts of the island and settled in the southern, central and eastern regions of Britain.
Anglo-Saxon tribes brought their language, their way of life and their culture, the further development of which proceeded in the conditions of the disintegration of the tribal system and the formation feudal relations. Angles, Saxons and Jutes formed seven kingdoms (Kent, Sessex, Essex, Wessex, East England, Northumbria and Merthis), each of which sought to dominate the rest. The strengthening of the state unity of the country was facilitated by the process of centralizing power and the adoption of Christianity (VI century). The disintegration of the tribal system and the formation of feudalism were accompanied by class differentiation of society.
The relationship of the Anglo-Saxons with the Celts was of deep national enmity. The subsequent history of England, as the Anglo-Saxons called the country they conquered, determined new and more complex forms of interaction between these peoples and their cultures. Celtic legends formed the basis of medieval knightly novels about King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, they were the source from which the poets of the following centuries drew inspiration and plots of their works. Preserved monuments of runic writing of the Anglo-Saxons (inscriptions on swords and objects household items, inscription on a cross carved out of stone near the village of Ruthwell in Scotland). It is known the existence of songs performed during wedding and funeral rites, in the process of labor, during military campaigns. Legends and songs were passed from one generation to another. They were sung by the singers available in every tribe. The singers-poets (scopes), who were the creators of the songs they performed, and the singer-performers (glymens) who sang songs created by others were distinguished. Both osprey and glymens were honored and respected; they were guardians of folk legends, skillful professional craftsmen.
Pagan priests forbade writing poetry; their recording began to be carried out by learned monks after the introduction of Christianity. Not everything was written down; many records have not been preserved, almost all lists and manuscripts have been repeatedly changed: the legends of pagan times were subjected to Christianization.
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The dating of the surviving monuments presents considerable difficulties. The exact dates of the creation of many works have not been established. The time of the appearance of the monument, its initial recording and the appearance of the edition that has survived to the present day do not always coincide; several centuries can separate the appearance of a work from the edition in which it became known to later generations. The first books began to appear already in the early Middle Ages, but they were written by hand, their text was a manuscript, the authorship was not indicated. Instances of the first manuscripts were then repeatedly rewritten, errors, arbitrary changes and additions appeared in them. Book sheets were made from sheep and calfskin, which was expensive; the hard work of a scribe was also valued, sometimes lasting for many weeks, or even months. The cost of the books was very high. Thus, the production of a copy of the Bible required the skins of two hundred sheep; student to acquire personal property of one book was to spend an amount equal to his annual budget. Books were kept in libraries at monasteries, cathedrals, and universities. It is known that many handwritten books perished during fires, many were stolen. The most valuable library of manuscripts was collected by the famous collector of the 17th century. Robert Cotton, but in 1731 these books were almost completely destroyed in a fire. A unique manuscript of the poem "Beowulf" was accidentally preserved.
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