Anonymous, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

Susanne Kries
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The

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

(

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) is the name commonly given to the group of texts containing annals which record the history of Anglo-Saxon England. Transmitted in several manuscripts, production of the

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began at the end of the ninth century. It is generally assumed that the creation of annals evolved from notes in the margins of so-called Easter tables, which were used for calculating the annual dates of Easter. Influential Latin works by Bede, Isidore and Jerome equally served as progenitors. The beginnings of the

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are usually associated with Alfred, King of the aspiring kingdom of Wessex. The

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is one of the most important prose works written in Old English, narrating events from the Roman invasion of Britain to the second half of the twelfth century. Its different versions were…

2042 words

Citation: Kries, Susanne. "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 October 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=10516, accessed 28 March 2024.]

10516 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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