Beowulf

[Brandon12]

What was the first written example of English Literature in the Anglo-Saxon Period?

[Quizmonster]

Click http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/A/AnglS1xL1it.asp for a helpful website. Once there, you can click on the 'Poetry' and 'Prose' headings for further information. Within the two articles there are other clickable links for greater detail. The poem 'Widsith' is certainly one of the earliest Anglo-Saxon works.

[simms]

It may well be the 'Battle of Maldon'

[Quizmonster]

According to The Encyclop�dia Britannica, the Exeter Book held by Exeter Cathedral was 'copied' in 975 AD. The poem 'Widsith' is in it, so - if the 'copy' idea is correct - the poem itself must have dated to some earlier time. The actual Battle of Maldon itself took place in 991 AD, so the poem about it must have dated to some later time.

But what the hey! We might just be talking about 20 years or so. (Mind you, I did see a web-page that hinted that 'Widsith' might even date back to the 6th century!)

[Peter Pedant]

yeah we need someone who read AS

One of the difficulties has been hinted at, which is that AS what you buy in the shops has all been put into West Saxon as that is the dialect pf whch the most survivies. Northern dialects did not do well as a result of foreign invasions.

There isnt a lot of AS about, by the way, less than a New testaments worth