Thursday,
10 September 2015
Yasir
Siddeequee.AC, A2 Dark Age and Middle Age
LCL051525
ASSIGNMENT ON
DARK AGES AND MIDDLE AGES
INTRODUCTION
History is not always progressive.
There might be the time of total dryness
and society gone backward. The socio-political conditions of a land might have caused
stagnation to the development of a society. The middle ages or dark ages is the
time used denote the 5th century to 15th century of British
history. Whenever the medieval period of English literature is mentioned, the
term Dark Age will be mentioned. The
period between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance is generally termed as the
Dark ages of English literary history.
As the name denotes, term Dark Age emphasizes the cultural and economic
deterioration that occurred in Western Europe following the decline of the
Roman Empire
DARK
AGES
Middle Age in European
history, Middle Age is a historical period of one thousand years from the fall
of the Western Roman Empire in the Fifth Century to the beginning of the
Renaissance in the late 15th century. The collapse of Roman Empire
caused a drastic set back in Political, economic and social life of European
life. The Term ‘Dark Ages’ is used to refer the earliest part of middle ages to
emphasis the cultural, political and economic setback that occurred in
western Europe following the decline of
Roman Empire. The term "Dark
Age" derives from the Latin word saeculum
obscurum, applied by Caesar Baronius in 1602 to a disturbed period in the
10th and 11th centuries. The concept of Dark ages was introduced by Italian
scholar Francesco Petrarch (1930) to denounce the Latin literature of that period.
He was an Italian who was influenced by the greatness of ancient Roman Empire.
The modern historians are hesitant to use the term because of its negative implications.
There were no significant historical materials about the period between the
declines of Romans from Britain to the time of Norman Conquest in 1066 were
available. Historian used the term to denote that little historical information
was known about this period. The term
once characterized the bulk of the Middle Ages, or roughly the 6th to 13th
centuries, as a period of intellectual darkness between extinguishing the
"light of Rome" after the end of Late Antiquity, and the rise of the
Italian Renaissance in the 14th century
Socio
Political conditions of the Dark Age
The Dark Age in Britain was actually the time
between Anglo-Saxon conquest and Norman Conquest. The Anglo-Saxons were
basically the inhabitants from Sleswick and the surrounding areas of Denmark
and Germany belonged
to the Low German branch of Teutonic family conquered Britain and became the
dominant people of the land. They were mainly three tribes-Angles,Saxons and Jutes But
their common language English united them. Because of this it is considered
Anglo-Saxon period as the beginning of English History.They were barbarians.
Knew nothing about civilization they attacked whom they considered their
enemies and found pleasure in the destruction of Roman-British civilization. So England lost touch with rich Roman
sciences, Arts and letters. The European society was forced to fall in clutches
of feudalism with the fall of political powers. The continuous fights between
barbarians, Vikings and feudal nobles destroyed the peace of common men. It was
like serfdom for common people and life was typically difficult for peasants
and lower cast people. Confusions and chaos were prevailing all around that
society. Unlike Roman rule which was marked by the peace and prosperity the
English rule was bloody and destructive.
Saxons
were warring kingdoms. Tribes competed each other for powers. The Heptarchy or
the rule of seven kingdoms during the time had much important in history.
Greatest English rulers like King Alfred (871-901) came to rule in this period.
He established Wessex as the most powerful kingdom and promoted the growth of
English identity. Saxons had a golden era under the leadership of King Alfred. The
name ‘England’ itself is the result of Anglo- Saxons rule. Saxons converted to
Christianity in the 7th century and many convents were built across England. Danish
or Viking, and fiercely attacked England and it lasted for many decades. Their society was mainly divided into three
classes. The earls, Ceorls, and theowas. Earls were enjoyed high position and believed to be noble in birth.
And theowas was servents or slaves
and lower in position.
Language
and Literature.
Anglo-Saxon is the
ancestor of modern English. Anglo-Saxons all talked Old English. This Old
English or the Anglo-Saxon belongs to the low Germanic branch of the Teutonic
family. It was an Aryan language and had about four dialects. A rich artistic
culture was forming in Anglo-Saxons society. Verse preceded the Anglo-Saxon
prose. The Oldest poem in English
language is Beowulf believed to have
written between the years 700-900 A.D. It is an epic consisting about
3000lines. The author is anonymous and nothing is known It tells the story of a
warrior prince, Beowulf from Sweden who helps the king of Danes to kill a
monster and its mother. At last Beowulf dies of a mortal wound, pronouncing a
warrior prince Wiglaf as his successor.
The poem gives
interesting ideas about the life style of Anglo-Saxons. Their love for
adventure and fondness for the sea find expression. They fought bravely and had
a primitive life style.
Poets focused on the
biblical themes. Caedmon who lived in the seventh and Cynewulf from the eighth
century considered Bible as their sources of theme. Caedmon's Hymn is considered as the first English
poem. Juliana, The Fate of the Apostles, Christ,
Elene, The Husband's Message, The
Wife's Complaint, The Wanderer and
The Dream of the Rood were some of
the poems by Cynewulf. The Dream of the Rood
is considered Cynewulf's masterpiece.
Widsith
(wide wanderer), Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, and Christ and Satan are
some of the famous poems of that period.
A
prominent prose writer of the period was Venerable Bede (673-735). He was the
first English historian, but he wrote in Latin. His Latin work Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People)
provided much historical information of the era. King Alfred was a great
scholar and he himself rendered Pastoral Care of Pope Gregory the Great into
Anglo- Saxon. He was the first one to form English prose. He is considered as
the great Saxon ruler. And it was during
his reign the famous Anglo- Saxon Chronicle, a history of England from the
Roman invasion to 1154 began to be written. Another book that deals with the
period is Ruin of Britain completed
in 550 by Celtic cleric Gildas. He describes the destruction occurred to
Anglo-Saxon Barbarians.
The
Middle Age
Medieval period of European
history lasts from the 5th to 15th century. The Medieval
period is subdivided into the Early, the High, and the Late Middle Ages of
which the Early Middle Age is referred to as the Dark Age. Humanist and scholar
Petrarch in 1330 referred pre-Christian times as antique or ancient to the Christian period as niva or new.
Socio
political conditions of Middle Age
The beginning of the
Middle Age in England is marked by the Norman Conquest in 1066 in the historic
battle of Hastings (1066 AD) in which, the last of the Saxon kings Harold, was
defeated and killed . William the Conquerer was made new king. The quarrel between the Church and
the Crown had been a recurring phenomenon during this period.
A peaceful invasion of
Norman artisans, traders, manufactures followed quick on the conquest of
William. They influenced every field of English life including social,
Political and linguistic. They had rich culture unlike Anglo-Saxons. Normans dominated the social, political and
religious fields for more than two centuries.
Most important result of Norman conquest is the change they wrought in
the English language. The tongue of
conquered Anglo-Saxons is considered as barbarous. So they are banished from
the higher circles of society. The church used Latin language and government
used French as the official language. English became the
tongue of the illiterate people. But this neglect ion was in fact a blessing to
the English language. English enriched by the words and ideas of French. Used
by peasants and low men. Normans brought church to the rein. They Introduced greater
discipline and refinement to the English church.
In the early Middle
Ages(Dark Age) the barbarian invaders formed new kingdoms. In the 7th
century North Africa, Middle East came under the central caliphate, an Islamic
empire of Muhammad’s successors. In west
most of the kingdom incorporated with Christians. Christians Began to campaign
Christianity
High middle ages began
after AD.1000, the population of Europe witnessed rapid expansion as a result
of technological and agricultural innovations. Climate change allowed crop
yield to increase. Manoralism and feudalism were two social organizations of
high Middle Age.
First
crusade was revolt of catholic Europe started in 1096 to regain Holy lands from
the Muslim conquests of levent ultimately resulted in the recapturing of the
Jerusalem in 1099. Crusade under the rule of Richard in away helped to enrich
English language. Helped the introduction of several English and eastern
words. The magna Carta or the Great
charter was signed in the year 1215 by king John(1199-1216). It was his misrule
led to signing of the charter. This great document has been regarded as the
Foundation of English liberties. It paved the way for the evolution of
Parliament in England.
The
significant event that occurred in the fourteenth century England was the
struggle of Hundred Years' War fought between England and France from 1338 to
1453. The war which five English reigns covered caused much destruction to the
nation. Initially England made fortune, but towards the middle of 15th
century the French became victorious and England expelled from the France. But
it helped them to turn attention towards sea and expansion of the continent. Final
years of the war witnessed the transition of Europe from medieval to the Modern
world. The Black death of Europe was a
terrible plague which visited Europe in 1348-49 and ravaged the entire country.
It devastated the entire Europe itself. Irrespective of rich, poor, town and
country all fell before pestilence. It carried off about one third of English
population and resulted to many social changes and events including the
Peasants' Revolt in 1381.
War
of the Roses(1455-1485) happened in the Fifteenth century England. It was a
series of struggles for the crown between Lancastians and Yorkists. Revolutionary
changes took place in this period which facilitated for the beginning if the
Modern Age. The geographical discoveries, the Renaissance, the Reformation,
scientific inventions such as printing marked the end of middle Ages in
England. The Tudor despotism marks the beginning of modern Age in England.
Language and Literature
No
great English literary work was produced during the first part of Middle
English period. Especially upto 12th century. But situation improved
in 13th century. The first important work is Layamon’s Brut was completed in the by 1205. Ormullum
Geoffrey
Chaucer(1340-1400) was the prominent poet of Middle age who contributed much to
the shaping of the English Language. His Troylus
and Cryseyde is the first great
narrative poem in English. Chaucer is referred as the father of English poetry.
Canterbury Tales
is considered as the masterpiece of Chaucer with about 17,000 lines in which
the 29 pilgrims including Chaucer were to tell stories on the way and back from
the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury. His works gave the panorama of
medieval life and believes. He used heroic couplets and introduced iambic
pentameter. His other works include The
Parlement of Foules, The House of Fame and The Legende of Good Women. Influence of Chaucer on later writers
was immense. The chief English Chaucerians were John Lydgate (1370- 1452) and
Thomas Occleve (1368- 1450). The leading Scottish Chaucerians were King James 1
(1394- 1437), Robert Henryson (1430- 15060 and william Dunbar (1460- 1530).
William
Langland (1330- 1400) and John Gower were the great contemporaries of Chaucer.
In Piers the Plowman, Langland attacked the abuses of his period, the greed and
hypocrisy of the clergy and the tyranny of the ruling class. The
dissatisfaction behind the Peasant's Revolt is expressed in the poem. A new
genre was developed in romance was developed which is secular kind. the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight of
unknown authorship falls into this category.
The
prominent prose writers of the late Middle Ages were John Wycliffe and Sir
Thomas Malory. John Wycliffe was the one who made translation of the Bible
first. He is known as the morning star
of Reformation first made the English.
Malory's chief work is Morte d'
Arthur (Death of Arthur). He worked mainly from French sources and French
ideas. Translations in English from French and Latin became very popular during
the age of Chaucer. Translations of the Bible,
The Travels of John Mandeville, The
Romaunt of the Rose by Chaucer etc. Inventions,
discoveries, Renaissance, and Reformations revolutionized the Europian mind and
brought about the end of middle ages and birth to Modern age.
Literary Criticism
Literary
criticism is nearly old as literature itself. But the study of literature began
as a serious pursuit is only after Renaissance. Medieval criticism followed the
system of classifying literature under the heads of grammar, rhetoric, and
logic. Medieval age developed a systematic poetic grammar. Term Grammar was
used for the science of correct speaking, and a reading curriculum for poets. Medieval
criticism also dealt with biblical criticism, mysticism and allegoric reading
of works. Horace had clear influence on Middle Ages, not Longinus. Thus we see
that poetry existed with and in grammar, rhetoric, logic and philosophy during
middle ages.
Medieval
theory was based on a divine plan in which the function of literature was to
help an individual to become better Christian.
Medieval
critic can be divided into broad following
periods such as:
1. Late
classical (1st to 7th century) 2. Carolingian(8th -10th)
3. High
medieval (11tth – 18th) 4.
Scholastic(13-14th)
5. Humanist (14-16th)
Though
they were called as middle age and dark period, there are so, me works which
prepared the ground for renaissance thought.
So it would be far from truth to conclude that the middle ages where wholly
uncritical. So for a student of literary criticism middle age is an era of
great historical importance.
CONCLUSION
The
period between fall of Rome in 5th century and rich renaissance of
15th century goes by the name Middle Age or Medieval Age in European
history. The fall of roman empire caused setback in political, economic, and
social life of Medieval life of England and there were no historical documents
describing the period between decline of Roman empire and Norman conquest.
Hence the Term ‘Dark Ages’ is used to refer the earliest part of middle ages to
emphasis the cultural, political and economic setback that occurred in
western Europe.
Roman
Catholicism became religious faith in Western Europe. Comparing to the early classical ages the medieval
period didn’t produce much literary output. But some great literary figures like
Dante Aligierhi, Chaucer who paved way to the birth of modern English lived in
this period. And there are some works of other authors too which prepared the ground
for Renaissance and modern thought.
Bibliography:
Abrams,Meyer
Howard, and Geoffrey Harpham. A glossary
of literary terms, New York Cengage
Learning, 2011.
Albert,
Edward. History of English Literature, New Delhi: Oxford University
Press, 1979
Abraham
K.M, Social and Cultural History of Great Britain, Kozha: Institute
of Secularism , 2011
Nagarajan,
M.S. English Literary Criticism and Theory: An Introductory History,
Hyderabad: Orient B Albert, Edward. History
of English Literature, New
Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1979lack Swan, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment