The Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-SaxonsThe Anglo-Saxons were the people of British descendants of the Germanic tribes who migrated from continental Europe and settled in the south and east of the island in the early fifth century . The Anglo-Saxon period indicates the period of English history after their initial settlement through its creation of the English nation, until the Norman conquest, between about 550 and 1066

The term Anglo-Saxon is also used for the language , now more properly Old English was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons in England from at least half of the V century and the middle of the 12th century , after which it was known as Middle English .The Benedictine monk Bede , writing in the eighth century, the English identified as the descendants of three Germanic tribes :Anglo , which probably came from Anglia : Bede wrote that the whole nation came to Britain , leaving their former land empty . The name comes from England this tribe ;Saxons , Lower Saxony and the Netherlands;Possibly the Jutland Peninsula Jutes . Their language, Anglo-Saxon or Old English, derived from West Germanic dialects, transformed in the 11th century Middle English language is divided into four main dialects: West Saxon Mercia , Northumbria and Kent.

Viking Age and the Norman ConquestIn the ninth century , the Viking challenge grew to serious proportions . Alfred the Great victory in Edington , Wiltshire, in 878 brought intermittent peace, but with the possession of Jorvik , the Danes took hold strong in England.Some early arrivals invaders arrived in small groups or companies Danish heritage.They became hostile towards each other in the summer of 990. Their relationship became so great that Pope John XV had to send an emissary to a treaty in order to resolve your dispute.In the ninth century , the Kingdom of Wessex emerges at the end of his reign , Alfred was recognized as sovereign by various southern kingdoms . thelstan was the first king to achieve direct about what is considered " England " control.

Near the end of the 10th century, there is a renewed interest in Scandinavian England, with the conquests of Sweyn of Denmark and his son Canute the Great . In 1066 there were three gentlemen with claims to the English throne , leading to two invasions and battles Stamford Bridge and Hastings. The latter, announcing the Norman conquest of England, resulted in the overthrow of the Anglo-Saxon political system and its replacement by the Normans

After the Norman ConquestAfter the conquest , the Anglo-Saxon nobility or were in exile or joined the ranks of the peasants. It has been estimated that only 8 percent of the land was under Anglo-Saxon control nobles 1087. Many whites fled to Scotland , Ireland and Scandinavia. The Byzantine Empire became a popular destination for many English-speaking soldiers, as the Byzantines were in need of mercenaries. The Anglo-Saxons became the dominant element in the elite Varangian Guard , hitherto a Germanic drive much of the north, from which it has developed and continued to serve the empire until the early 15th century emperor 's personal guard . However , the population of England at home remains largely Imperial, for them , few changes immediately , unless the Saxon lord was replaced by Mr. Norman.

LanguageOld English, sometimes called Anglo-Saxon was spoken under Alfred the Great language and remained the common language of England until after the Norman conquest of 1066 when, under the influence of language Anglo-Norman spoken by the ruling class Norman , it was transformed into Middle English roughly between 1150-1500.

Old English is much closer to early Germanic English medium. It is less Latinized, has maintained morphological elements that were lost during the 12 to 14 centuries. The language of today that are closer to Old English are the languages of Friesland, which are spoken by a few hundred thousand people in northern Germany and the Netherlands.

The letters commonly used in printed and edited texts of Old English, are:ABCDEFGHLMNOPRSTUWXY; only rare cases of j, k, q, v, z.