Background to Beowulfwith a brief description of

How English Began

Early Inhabitants of Britain

The first humans entered the territory that is now England when the island was still part of the mainland, during the Stone Age. (Note: Be sure to distinguish between “Britain” and “England.”) The “Beaker Folk” came to Britain from the continent ca. 2,500 B.C. (early Bronze Age).

Early Inhabitants of Britain

“Beaker Folk” built Stonehenge (ca. 1,500 B.C.)

Early Inhabitants of Britain

Celts lived in Britain during the Iron Age (after 1,000 B.C.)

Spoke Gaelic and Cymric branches of Celtic

Early Inhabitants of Britain

Romans in Britain: 43 A.D. until 410 A.D.(Julius Caesar visited Britain in 55 B.C.)

Languages: Latin coexisted with Celtic

Early Inhabitants of Britain

Hadrian’s Wall (Romans)122 A.D.

Early Inhabitants of Britain

The Romans withdrew from Britain in 410 A.D.

Invasion of the Teutons, 450 - 550

Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians, Franks

The Setting of Beowulf

The Three English Languages

Old English, or Anglo-Saxon: 450-1150• Beowulf

• Caedmon’s Hymn of Creation

Middle English: 1150-1500• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

• Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

Modern English: 1500 to present• Shakespeare

• Swift and Pope

Important Dates

• Events of the poem: before 450

• St. Augustine introduced Christianity into Britain and baptized King Ethelbert of Kent: 597

• Beowulf written down: ca. 750

• Battle of Hastings: 1066

St. Augustine

• Introduced Chrisitanity to Britain in 597• Baptized King Ethelbert of Kent

Caedmon

• First English poet whose name we know

• Lived as a monk at Whitby

• Died about 680

Caedmon’s Hymn

Nu sculon herigean     heofonrices weard, meotodes meahte        and his modgeþanc, weorc wuldorfæder,  swa he wundra gehwæs, ece drihten,         or onstealde.

He ærest sceop         eorðan bearnum heofon to hrofe,       halig scyppend; þa middangeard       moncynnes weard, ece drihten,         æfter teode firum foldan,        frea ælmihtig.

Caedmon’s Hymn

Now we shall praise the heaven-realm’s Keeper,God’s might and his mood-thoughtThe work of the Glory-Father, as he of each wonder,The eternal Lord, the beginning ordained.He first made to the children of menheaven for roof, the holy Creator.Then the middle-yard mankind’s Keeper,the eternal Lord, afterwards createdFor men, the earth, the Ruler Almighty.