Smiljana Narani Kova, PhD

OKT Lectures

1 The development of the English language and literature

Celtic nations
1. 2. 3. Brittany Breizh Cornwall - Kernow Ireland ire The people of Britain : Britons the original settlers Celtic tribes; Celtic languages the Welsh (OE word = foreigner) Ruled by the Romans for a few centuries became Christians Scots and German tribes (the Anglo-Saxons, Jutes etc) drove Romans out of Britain Who was the Britons last king? . Resistance to the Anglo-Saxons A-S pushed by the Goths and Vandals and other tribes from the East 550 (?) - circumstantial evidence the Anglo-Saxon invasion Irish evangelists 6th century A-S became Christians 4. 5. 6. Isle of Man Mannin Scotland Alba Wales - Cymru

The English Language

Old English: Middle English: Modern English: 6th-12th cent. 12th-15th cent. 15th cent.

Old English Literature

Beowulf the A-S brought it: oral 9th cent: written down Steap stanlitho stige nearwe : __________ stone-slopes, paths ___________ Caedmon 7th cent.- a Christian writer

Old English Kingdoms : Heptarchy Northumbria North Some history

Northumbria North the centre of learning and arts; the Celtic church 9th c. the Norse invasion Wessex South 9th c.: the English cultural centre King Alfred the Great (871-899) defended S England against the Vikings established the continuous cultural tradition, learning, translation
1

Wessex South Mercia - Central

Kent; Sussex;

Essex; East Anglia

Dr. sc. Narani Kova : OKT Lectures L1

Invaders 991: the Battle of Maldon : Essex SE : the Vikings invaded 1066 The Battle of Hastings : Norman invasion William the Conqueror The Doomsday Book (1086) He sent men all over England to each shire to find out what or how much each landholder had in land and livestock, and what it was worth" Norman-French: surviving noblemen OE: serfs

Old English Language

Anglo-Saxon + Jutish + Norse influence + OE words Lots of dialects

Which OE words are preserved till the present day? OE words in Modern English : Family : Body parts Time Seasons, periods . Daytimes Weather Agriculture Basic acts

Middle English Language

1204 mainland Normandy taken by France Infusion of French and Latin vocabulary ME dialects: West Midland Piers Plowman by William Langland, 14th c. North dialect Sir Gawayn and the Green Knight, 14th c. East Midland Chaucer

Modern English Language

Based on the East Midland dialect Chaucer wrote in it London spoke it Chief city of England Royal court William Caxton printing press Westminster 1476?, 1483 Printed Chaucers Canterbury Tales

Dr. sc. Narani Kova : OKT Lectures L1

Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?-1400)

Travelled (Italy) : Boccaccio 1313-1375 (!) : Decameron:13491371 Royal service : diplomat Court poet Literary merit Translated from French and Italian Invented vocabulary The Canterbury Tales (?1380s-1400) The Franklins Tale Franklin : freeholder, not noble, prosperous

After Chaucer
Sir Thomas Malory Le Morte Darthur (1450s-70s) Middle English Compiled French and English sources 1485 Caxton printing Model for further retellings about the Knights of the Round Table STORIES: Where A. Sleeps

Theatre and drama

14th-16th c. drama Miracle plays or mystery plays Miracle => of Christ and his followers Mystery= craft, skill or trade Performed in 4 cities: Chester, Coventry, York, Wakefield by guilds on religious and church festivals (Corpus Christi) Bible episodes: The Last Supper by the Bakers Christian origin, pagan elements, humorous Common people 15th-16th c. drama Morality plays Allegories Everyman Interludes Moralities of higher classes Often funny, parodies of MPs Performed at homes An Interlude John Heywood (c. 1497 c. 1580) The grandfather of John Donne! The Four Ps (c. 1545) Pedlar: who would tell the biggest lie? A Pothecary A Pardoner A Palmer (pilgrim) wins

Dr. sc. Narani Kova : OKT Lectures L1