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The Anglo Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the
Anglo-Saxons.
The annals were initially created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of
Alfred the Great.
Multiple manuscript copies were made and distributed to monasteries across England and were
independently updated.
Nine manuscripts survive in whole or in part, though not all are of equal historical value and none
of them is the original version.
In addition, the manuscripts are important sources for the history of the English language.
For instance, the Peterborough Chronicle changes from the standard Old English literary language
to early Middle English language.
Also, it contains Old English poems in celebration of royal figures and their achievements.
Seven of the nine surviving manuscripts and fragments now reside in the British Library. The
remaining two are in the Bodleian Library at Oxford and the Parker Library of Corpus Christi
College, Cambridge.

The Life of Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great (849 AD-899 AD)

King of Wessex from 871 to 899

No other ruler in England's long and varied history has been honoured with the title the Great.
Alfred once declared it his intention "To live worthily as long as I live and after my life to leave to
them that should come after, my memory in good works." Few monarchs have succeeded as
spectacularly in their aims as he did.

Origins And Early Life

Alfred (Old English-Aelfred; 849/847-899) was the fifth and youngest son of Ethelwulf of Wessex
and his Jutish first
wife, Osburh.
He was born at Wantage between 847 and 849, his birthplace was a palace or vill which lay at the
foot of the Berkshire Downs, which has now vanished. Following the death of his brother King
Ethelred, Alfred became the new King.
Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the
Vikings, becoming the only English king to be accorded the epithet "the Great".
Amation and a fing
-After series of defecte King Alfred
achieved a victory in the Battle of Etandun. Having the planes from the lands.
In 886 he retook London and restored t Fo his actions he took the title of "King of the Anglo-
Saxons"
By 897 he had successfully halted the advance of the Wings
The Ruler
As the King of Wessex, he is generally credited with establishing trial by jury, the law of "frank-
pledge
Alfred divided his code into precisely 120 chapters: 120 was the age at which Moses died and the
nuraber symbolism of early medieval biblicalexegetes, 120 stopd for law.
He transformed the Christ's commandment from "Love your neighbour as yourself' (Matt. 22:39-
40) to love your secular lord as you would love the Lord Christ himself
While he was ruling the country he kept relations with foreign powers.

Alfred establishment of a system of fortified centres called: BURHS, covering the whole of
Wessex.
Burhs were turf covered earth ramparts, revetted with timber, built in highly strategic positions
on hilltops, at river crossings or overlooking harbours

Venerable Bede
Venerable Bede is generally regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He is also
known as St Bede.He was a prolific author,a Biblical scholar, poet and historian.He wrote around
40 books and these books are mainly dealing with theology and history.
Also, he wrote on every area of knowledge. This area includes nature,astronomy and poetry.
Perhaps,he is best known for his two major histories.They provide us some histories of the early
Medieval era.
As a result, Bede is often referred to as "the father of English history.His work 'The History of the
Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow' is an important account of early church history.
His best known work is 'The Ecclesiastical History of the English People'.

Short Biography of Bede

Bede was born near St. Peter and St. Paul monastery at Wearmouth-Jarrow, England in 672.At
the age of seven, he began his monastic training at the newly-founded Benedictine monastery of
St Peter in Wearmouth. When he had completed his education he moved to the twin monastery
of St Paul in nearby Jarrow and Bede spent his entire life in these two monestaries .He gained
fame as a scholar and teacher of Greek, Latin and Hebrew.
When he was nineteen years old, Bede was ordained a deacon and at the age of thirty,he was
ordained into the priesthood.

Short Biography of Bede

He was well educated, especially by the standards of the day. As a boy he studied calligraphy in
the scriptorium, grammar, computus, music, and even natural sciences.
■ Bede was known for his piety. His love of truth and fairness and his unfeigned piety combine to
make him an exceedingly attractive character.
☐ Bede not only wrote books, but also translated many works. He was the first person who
attempted to translate the Bible into English from Latin.

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People original Latin name: The Historia Ecclesiastica
Gentis Anglorum
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People was written by Bede and completed in 731 AD.
It is a work in Latin.
This work examines the religious and political history of the Anglo-Saxons from the fifth century
to 731.
In this way Bede provided the most important source of information about England prior to 731.
The work is considered the first great history written in western Europe.

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People existed only in manuscript copies for many
centuries after it was written.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
The book opens with the information about Roman Britain's geography and history.
Bede tells us the disagreement between Roman and Celtic Christians, the dates and locations of
significant events in the Christian calendar, and political upheaval during the 600's.
⚫ He used information of the oral histories of Rome and Britain,many monasteries,early church
and government writing to wrote his history.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Nearly 200 hand written copies of The Ecclesiastical History of the English People were produced
in the Middle Ages and this proved its historical importance.
• Book I includes a description of Britain's early races, the occupation of Rome and coming of
Saxons.In book I,Bede give information about Britain's early history from the Roman invasion of
Caesar (55BC) to 600 C.E
Book II includes the conversion of the kingdom of Kent to Christianity by St Augustine and also it
describes Pope Gregory The Great and events from his death to about 633.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Book III includes the return of Northumbria to paganism, King Oswald's victory at Havenfield in
634 C.E., and the consequent return of Northumbria to Christianity.
Book IV mainly concerned with the organization and development of the English church.
The final section of the work,book V, tells the the personal history of Holy Ethelwald.Also in this
section Bede discuss the growth of English Church.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
In his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, the Venerable Bede records the story of
Caedmon.
'Caedmon's Hymn' or 'Hymn of Creation'was composed orally in Old English alliterative verse by
an illiterate cowherd named Caedmon in honour of God the Creator.
• It survives in a Latin translation by Bede.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Book III includes the return of Northumbria to paganism, King Oswald's victory at Havenfield in
634 C.E., and the consequent return of Northumbria to Christianity.
Book IV mainly concerned with the organization and development of the English church.
• The final section of the work,book V, tells the the personal history of Holy Ethelwald.Also in this
section Bede discuss the growth of English Church.
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
In his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, the Venerable Bede records the story of
Caedmon.
'Caedmon's Hymn' or 'Hymn of Creation'was composed orally in Old English alliterative verse by
an illiterate cowherd named Caedmon in honour of God the Creator.
It survives in a Latin translation by Bede.

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People

⚫ MODERN ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF HYMN OF CREATION
Now let me praise the keeper of Heaven's kingdom, The might of the Creator, and his thought,
The work of the Father of glory, how each of wonders The Eternal Lord established in the
beginning. He first created for the sons of men Heaven as a roof, the holy Creator, Then Middle-
earth the keeper of mankind, The Eternal Lord, afterwards made, The earth for men, the
Almighty Lord.

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People

It is important that: Old English was not a written language: poetry was composed in an oral-
formulaic style and recited aloud, from memory, to an illiterate public.
Additionally,in The Ecclesiastical History of the English People", Bede discusses the position of
women.
He represented the women as needing guidance, especially from males and particularly those
with religious authority.

The Ecclesiastical History of the English People

'The conversion of the British Isles to Christianity' and 'the progression from diversity to unity' are
important themes of the work
Finally, Bede's The Ecclesiastical History of the English People ends with a summary of the
development of the episcopate in the English church.
It is one of the most important original source of Anglo-Saxon history and it has an important role
in the development of an English national identity.