Periods of English

1
Periods of English

• Old English (ca. 450-1100) Beowulf
• 1066 Norman Conquest of England
• Middle English (ca. 1100-1500) Chaucer
• 1476 First book printed in England
• 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field (beginning of
  Tudor monarchy)
• Early Modern English (ca. 1500-1700)
  Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton
• Modern English (ca. 1700-present)

2
The Anglo-Saxon Migrations
3
Anglo-Saxon England
4
Bayeux Tapestry Viking Ship
5
Bayeux Tapestry harold dux reversvs est (Chief
Harold is driven back)
6
Bayeux Tapestry harold rex interfectus est (King
Harold gets killed)
7
Bayeux Tapestry Isti mirant stella (they wonder
at the star)
8
Pre-Christian Germanic Vocabulary

• OE geol Yule ? Christmas
• OE eostor Easter (Lat. Pascha, Fr. Paques)
• Tuesday (Tiw Mars) Fr. Mardi
• Wednesday (Woden Mercury) Fr. Mercredi
• Thursday (Thor Jove) Fr. Jeudi
• Friday (Frigg Venus) Fr. Vendredi

9
Ruthwell Cross
10
Sutton Hoo Ship Burial
11
Sutton Hoo Shield Mount
12
Sutton Hoo Helmet
13
Sutton Hoo Belt Buckle
14
Anglo-Saxon Brooch
15
Anglo-Saxon Coin with King Edwin
16
Anglo-Saxon Coin with King Æthelræd
17
The Alfred Jewel ælfred mec heht gewyrhtan
(Alfred had me made)
18
The Anglo-Saxon Futhark (Runic Alphabet)
19
Scandinavian Sinker with Runes
20
10th-century glossary fish and insects
(Latin/English)
21
Anglo-Saxon glossed manuscript (Latin script, Old
English gloss (fuisse, werun, were euangelia,
godspellas, gospels)
22
Lindisfarne Gospels - Carpet Page
23
Lindisfarne Gospels Gospel of St. Matthew
(Liber Generationis)
24
Hwæt, we Gardena in geardagum, eodcyninga,
rym gefrunon, hu ?a æelingas ellen
gefremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaena
reatum, monegum mægum, meodosetla
ofteah, egsode eorlas. Sy??an ærest
wear? feasceaft funden, he æs frofre
gebad, weox under wolcnum weor?myndum
ah, o?æt him æghwylc ara ymbsittendra ofer
hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan. ?æt
wæs god cyning!
So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings
who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have
heard of those princes heroic campaigns. There
was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many 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.
25
The Utrecht Psalter (9th century)
26
Utrecht Psalter again
27
Widsith (Far Traveller) from theExeter Book
(10th century)
28
The Old English Genesis Adam and Eve get the boot