Anglo-Saxon Prose

                                    Anglo-Saxon Prose

                                                                                                                         Marks: 20

                                                      

                                                         

                

                   In the history of any nations literature, prose as a form of conscious art has flourished much later than verse. The development of prose has nearly always been slower and more uncertain than that of poetry. In the history of English literature, we have to wait almost three centuries after the composition of Beowulf to get the first English prose work, and even longer time before we find it fully articulate, and perhaps longer before we meet with prose that is a pleasure to read.

                    The development of the English prose wholly took place in England and was mainly occasioned by the introduction of Christianity in England. We find the first traces of Anglo Saxon prose in the collections of laws such as the laws of Ine, the king of West Saxons and the opening pages of the chronicle which was kept up in various monasteries, such as Canterbury, Abingdon, Worcester, Winchester, etc. But the prose that we find in the laws is formless and clumsy. Literary prose did not develop in England until the ninth century, when, to quote Emily Legouis, "Alfred, the king of Wessex- "England's Darling"- attempted to bring back to his kingdom her lost learning".

King Alfred: Father of English Prose

  King Alfred is claimed to be the "Father of English Prose". When King Alfred set to writing, there was a lamentable state of learning even among the monks. The knowledge of Latin had steadily declined. Thus, after establishing peace and order in the country, he applied himself to the task of nurturing the mental life of the people. He attempted to bring a significant aspect of Christian thought in his people. And with this end in view, he undertook to translate into his own tongue some popular books, which he thought, would feel up the greatest gap in the minds of his countrymen and were most needful for all men to know. His well-known translations are- Pope Gregory's Cura Pastorales, where the duties and responsibilities of a bishop are written. Orosius' Universal History and Geography, the leading work in general history for several countries; more important than any other translation during this time is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle; the oldest history belonging to any modern nation in its own language which was inspired though not written by Alfred.

           True Alfred's literary activities are of immense importance in the development of Anglo-Saxon prose. The prominence he gave to the vernacular made it possible for English prose to develop on its own lines. As P.G Thomas puts it, "compared with the abrupt style of the king Cynewulf episodes in the early part of the Chronicle, Alfred's prose is that of an accomplished writer".

         Alfred's endeavor to create vernacular prose was carried on by Aelfric, the abbot of Eynsham, and the great English scholar of the Benedictine reformation of the tenth century. He wrote sermons in the vernacular, and these sermons display a great advance upon the Alfredian prose. The first two series of this sermons are known as the Catholic Holimies, and the third as Lives of Saints. Aelfric also produced a somewhat abbreviated version in Anglo-Saxon of the first seven books of the Old Testament. Aelfric's contribution to English prose is immeasurable. He created a taste for it in the public, and made them available as many good writings as in the other languages as possible and sought to set things right after the wholesale massacres of the scholars and pillaging of the monastries by the Vikings.

           The chief literary contemporary of Aelfric was Wulfstan, an archbishop of York from 1002 to 1023. He is best knows as homilist, and his literary frame resets mainly on a single homily and Sermo Lupis and Angles. His style is much more forceful than that of Aelfric. He is a preacher rather than a teacher and he seeks to appeal more to the emotion than to the reason of his heroics.

            Byrchtfercht was another notable monk engaged in serious studies of various subjects but especially interested in science and theology. He wrote Enchiridion that contains short treaties on mathematics and philosophy. Some philosophical tracts like ages of The Ages of The World and The seven Sinn are also attributed to him. His scientific and mathematical writings set him apart from the generally widespread tenor of the homilies.

              To conclude as Eric Gillet avers, "The disaster of the Norman invasion cut short the development of prose before it could rise from the miniature saga of Iceland; but the straight forward affecting language of devotion did not perish utterly; it renewed its life among the medieval mystics of the Bible".