Anglo Saxon Period

Anglo-Saxon period is,you can say the foundation of English literature and English culture.It is said in different books about these people that these came to Britain in later part of 5th century A.D.These people are called invaders or interferer  who established their realms or kingdoms and became the founders of English literature or English culture.These people are who altered the sketch of England.Anglo Saxon period describes that these people destroyed Romans and eventually overcame their world and got the name of Barbarians.These barbarians endanger the Romans,they had primitive vigor and alien type of thought and due to this ability they overcame both the ideological and political structure of the empire and of Grecio-Romans thought.At that time the barbarians and the Christians were living together and the Roman empire had become Christianize.Yet the history of much of Europe in so called Dark Ages is the fusion of barbarians and Christians living together.These Anglo-Saxons peoples of Anglo Saxon period are called Teutonic people having Tacitus' name of Germania.When Bede writes the history of England then he says that they came from three powerful nations of Germans.

Nations in Anglo Saxon Period:

Saxones : Appearing from the low country of south of Denmark and east of Holland.

Angli : Angles lived in Jutland and its neighboring islands before coming to Britain.

Iutae : While the Jute whose origin is uncertain from the three but it is perhaps from the east of lower Rhine or most perhaps not cogent argument from Jutland.

Now after the thoroughly studies of Anglo Saxon Period it is clear that  the direction of the kingdoms of these three nations as i read this history from the book A Critical History of English Literature 1 by David Daiches 

Kingdoms In Anglo Saxon Period:

So he says that the Saxon kingdoms were in the south and southwest.Anglian kingdoms in east,midlands and north and Jutish kingdom in the southeast.

The cultural difference is only minor and they just had a little bit dialectical difference in their language.All of these people due to very minute difference say that all are from "Germania".The Romans were withdrawn from the England when they tried to start mutiny against these invaders and tried to hold their empire but celtic people were left to fend for themselves during these situations.Heroic poetry of Anglo-Saxon is that type of literature who give or shows us the contact with the Germanic origions of the invaders.An Englishman Geoffrey of Monmouth first elaborated the first Arthurian story but due to the removal of the literature of Anglo-French development ,we are just satisfied with the started history of English literature with the Anglo-Saxons.Anglo-Saxon language or old English language is the earlier stage language of its development.Old English is now disappeared but very few words are still found in the vocabulary of old or Anglo-Saxon literature.

Poetry In Anglo Saxon Period:

The poetry of Anglo Saxon period is in old English.Example of their poetry in modern English taken from the book "A Critical History Of English Literature" is below:

We have learned of Eormanric's

wolfish disposition;he held wide dominion

in the realm of the Goths.That was a cruel king.

many a man sat bound in sorrows,

anticipating woe,often wishing

that his kingdom were overcome.

This is the literal translation of the Anglo-Saxon's poetry in the modern English.Some 30 thousands line of Anglo-Saxon's poetry is in four manuscripts.

Beowulf poem is the first poem in the history of English literature and in Anglo Saxon period.