Anglo-Saxon Chronicles

By Crusader1307

The Chronicles is a name given to a collection of English documents possibly created (or copied from another source) – by Anglo-Saxon Monks. Dating from the 800s (A.D.), they are a telling of the history and events of the time of Alfred The Great. The document was though to have been developed as a way of creating a continuous and running detailing of events for the future. Thought to have been requested at the order of King Alfred himself, there is little historical evidence to support this claim (he may have simply encouraged it's creation). So many different copying styles (by many Monks) – over the centuries, causes the document to be difficult at times to follow (poorly erased and recopied over and over again). The Chronicles are written mostly in “prose narrative”.

Kept “up to date” until 1184, The Chronicle is an excellent source of information concerning The Norman Conquest of England, the Reign of King Stephen and some facts concerning William The Conqueror. The documents also show the clear and defined change in language from Old Anglo-Saxon to Early Middle English. The Chronicles also contain rich and detailed illuminated pictures giving us a glimpse into that early time.