History of ancient English literature

Danes. The greatest work of this time is "Beowulf", as well as various elegies and short stories of this period. The peak of the revival of English literature was the reign of King Alfred (871-899) . During this period, ancient Latin texts were translated, new prose was written.
The heyday of Anglo-Saxon prose falls on the period from the end of the IX to the beginning of the XI century, the period of political hegemony of Wessex and the dominance of its dialect, which then rose to the degree of "common English" written language. The ancient poetic tradition at this time, if not completely interrupted, then fades; the creative period of Anglo-Saxon poetry remains behind; the current Wessex literature from the end of the IX century is already mostly prose literature.

Introduction

the earliest European vernacular epic. The work deals with events of the early 6th century, and, while the date of its composition is uncertain, some scholars believe that it was written in the 8th century. Although originally untitled, the poem was later named after the Scandinavian hero Beowulf, whose exploits and character provide its connecting theme. There is no evidence of a historical Beowulf, but some characters, sites, and events in the poem can be historically verified. The poem did not appear in print until 1815.

manuscript of the early tenth century, written by two different scribes. This manuscripts currently kept in the British Museum in London. In 1731, it was badly damaged by a fire. It was first published by the Dane Thorkelin in 1815, and the first English edition dates back to 1833.The poem splits into two parts, connected only by the personality of the main character, Beowulf. Each of these parts mainly tells about the exploits of Beowulf; in the first (verses1-1887) tells how Beowulf savedthe neighboring country from two terrible monsters, inthe second (from verse 2220 to the end) is how he reignedin his homeland and happily ruled for fiftyyears since he defeated the fire-breathing dragon, and he himselfdied from the poisonous wounds inflicted on him by the dragon andwas buried with honor by his squad.

POEM ABOUT BEOWULF

tribes,
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes.
This terror of the hall-troops had come far.
A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on
As his powers waxed and his worth was proved.
In the end each clan on the outlying coasts
Beyond the whale-road had to yield to him
And begin to pay tribute. That was one good king...»

The text was written on Old English Language, so it was translated by Seamus Heaney

title "Beowulf: Translation and Commentary". It was this poem that prompted Tolkien to create The Lord of the Rings.
The only extant manuscript of Beowulf, dating from the end of the X century, is included in the so-called Cotton Collection and is now kept in the British Museum.

Interesting facts about “Beowulf”