British Literature (The Anglo-Saxon Period)

I. The Anglo-Saxon Period (449-1066)
1. General Background
Following the practice of linguistics, literary historians have divided early English literature into the Anglo-Saxon (or Old English) and the Middle English periods. The Anglo-Saxon period began around the year 450 with the invasion of England by Jutes, Angles, and Saxons from Denmark and northern Germany. Among the earliest inhabitants of Britain
were Celtic tribes. Subdued in the first century by the Romans under Julius Caesar and Claudius, they remained under
Roman rule until the early fifth century, when the Roman legions were required at home to protect the capital.
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