The medieval time period encompassed a vast amount of fascinating literary works. It was a period of new beginnings that was reflected by a great deal of change. Some of the most notable changes that impacted the society at that time include the evolution of language, culture, and religion. Each of those three aspects were strongly influenced by a gradient of factors. These changes were necessary in order to adapt to societies needs in that time period.
In the early period of the Middle Ages, Old English was noted to be a form of language that was spoken by the Anglo-Saxons. It embraced a variety of germanic based languages. Some of the germanic-sounding vocabulary can be easily discerned in the Anglo-Saxon poem The Lord 's Prayer, including …show more content…
The "literary intercourse" that followed from the intertwining of these different languages evolved through out the middle ages. It is apparent when you read something from the Anglo-Saxon period, such as The Lord 's Prayer or even Beowulf, and compare it to the more difficult late Middle English Literature such as Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The two literary works are tremendously different in composition, yet the comparison reveals that Old English is the truly the foundation of Middle and Modern English.
Several factors influenced a change in the culture of the medieval era. Different nationalities were united by war and …show more content…
The Anglo-Saxon paganism, or pre-Chrisitanity, can be seen in the Ruthwell Cross that contains ancient pagan symbols known as runes. Later on, missionaries introduced Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. The Dream of the Rood documents this era 's conversion to Christianity where a supernatural, personified cross speaks of the crucification of Christ. Also seen in that period 's heavily criticized poem Beowulf, which shows conflict between Paganism and Christianity. The poem is Paganistic, however, it is written by a Christian poet. It depicts supernatural forces, such as the monster known as Grendel and the inhuman heroic strength of Beowulf, yet it has Christian themes and biblical references. For example, Grendel is mentioned as being part of "Cain 's clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts" (Line 106-107, pg 43), noting when Cain killed Abel in the Book of
In the early period of the Middle Ages, Old English was noted to be a form of language that was spoken by the Anglo-Saxons. It embraced a variety of germanic based languages. Some of the germanic-sounding vocabulary can be easily discerned in the Anglo-Saxon poem The Lord 's Prayer, including …show more content…
The "literary intercourse" that followed from the intertwining of these different languages evolved through out the middle ages. It is apparent when you read something from the Anglo-Saxon period, such as The Lord 's Prayer or even Beowulf, and compare it to the more difficult late Middle English Literature such as Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The two literary works are tremendously different in composition, yet the comparison reveals that Old English is the truly the foundation of Middle and Modern English.
Several factors influenced a change in the culture of the medieval era. Different nationalities were united by war and …show more content…
The Anglo-Saxon paganism, or pre-Chrisitanity, can be seen in the Ruthwell Cross that contains ancient pagan symbols known as runes. Later on, missionaries introduced Christianity to the Anglo-Saxons. The Dream of the Rood documents this era 's conversion to Christianity where a supernatural, personified cross speaks of the crucification of Christ. Also seen in that period 's heavily criticized poem Beowulf, which shows conflict between Paganism and Christianity. The poem is Paganistic, however, it is written by a Christian poet. It depicts supernatural forces, such as the monster known as Grendel and the inhuman heroic strength of Beowulf, yet it has Christian themes and biblical references. For example, Grendel is mentioned as being part of "Cain 's clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts" (Line 106-107, pg 43), noting when Cain killed Abel in the Book of