Words in English
Linguistics/English 215
Prof. S. Kemmer
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a year-by-year narrative of what happened
in England in Anglo-Saxon times, kept by monks in the great
monasteries. (Copies were circulated among the monasteries every so
often; there are several surviving manuscripts.) Entries were made
from the early 9th century to 1154, when the Chronicle for unknown
reasons suddenly ceased being kept. It has vivid descriptions of the
Viking catastrophes and the Norman Invasion and its aftermath.
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a unique document from a fascinating
period of history. The entries through time not only provide
eye-witness records of events, but also show how the language
gradually was changing in Anglo-Saxon times.
Sample Entries: The Vikings Sack Lindisfarne
789 A.D. Brihtric took Offa's daughter Eadburg for his wife. In his
days came the first three ships of the Northmen from Horthaland. The
reeve rode there, and tried to force them to go to the king's dwelling,
because he did not know what they were; and then he was killed. Those
were the first ships of Danish men to seek out of the land of the
English.
793 A.D. In this year fierce, foreboding omens came over the land of
Northumbria, and wretchedly terrified the people. There were incredible
whirlwinds, lightning storms, and fiery dragons were seen flying in
the sky. These signs were followed by great famine, and shortly after
in the same year, on January 8th, the ravaging of heathen men
destroyed God's church at Lindisfarne through brutal robbery and
slaughter; and Sicga died on February 2nd.
(from the Anne Savage edition, see Sources of Information)
