Lecture 1 theme: introduction. Literature of middle ages

The invaders brought together with themselves their language, their culture, and their mode of life. During the time between the V and the XI centuries all the earliest written documents were compiled. All these writings came down up to nowadays. These written documents in Anglo-Saxon are the ancestor of Modern English Language. So the literature of the Middle Ages falls under two types: 1) Literature, created in the Celtic language (Novels on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table) served as the source of creation for the poets of the successing years. 2) Literature, done in Anglo-Saxon (Runic inscriptions on the swords, on the house hold subjects, on 15 tall stone cross near the Ruthwell village, Scotland).

• The invaders brought together with themselves their language, their culture, and their mode of life. During the time between the V and the XI centuries all the earliest written documents were compiled. All these writings came down up to nowadays. These written documents in Anglo-Saxon are the ancestor of Modern English Language. So the literature of the Middle Ages falls under two types: 1) Literature, created in the Celtic language (Novels on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round table) served as the source of creation for the poets of the successing years. 2) Literature, done in Anglo-Saxon (Runic inscriptions on the swords, on the house hold subjects, on 15 tall stone cross near the Ruthwell village, Scotland).
• Besides there were a lot of songs that people sang at weddings or funerals. Legends, stories and songs were handed in the course of centuries, from generation to generation. These songs and legends had been performed by minstrels. Later priests forbade copying poetic works. After the acception of Christianity the monarchs carried out this task.

In the course of time, due to various factors many of written monuments were lost or they became so shabby that it is very difficult to point out the exact date of the documents. "Beowulf" One of the old English words you will meet in English literature is folk (fouk), which means "people". Folk - dances, folk-songs are folklore. Dances, songs and tales were made when people were at work or at war, or for amusement. There were also professional singers called "bards". They composed songs about events they wanted to be remembered. They sang of wonderful battles and of the exploits of brave warriors. These songs were handed down to children and grandchildren and finally reached the times when certain people, who had learned to write, decided to put them down. Such people were called "scribes". The word "scribe" comes from the Latin "scribere" "to write".

• In the course of time, due to various factors many of written monuments were lost or they became so shabby that it is very difficult to point out the exact date of the documents. "Beowulf" One of the old English words you will meet in English literature is folk (fouk), which means "people". Folk - dances, folk-songs are folklore. Dances, songs and tales were made when people were at work or at war, or for amusement. There were also professional singers called "bards". They composed songs about events they wanted to be remembered. They sang of wonderful battles and of the exploits of brave warriors. These songs were handed down to children and grandchildren and finally reached the times when certain people, who had learned to write, decided to put them down. Such people were called "scribes". The word "scribe" comes from the Latin "scribere" "to write".
• Many French words came into the language. Under the influence of French the pronunciation changed.