The Birth of Anglo-Saxons

                THE BIRTH OF  ANGLO -SAXONS 

Imagine a wild tribe thousands of years before – living right beside a raging northern Baltic sea – at a time when man didn’t know – how to swim. It’s a journey of man’s fear transforming into a man’s conquest with will and determination. 

Three Germanic tribes – Jutes, Angles and Saxons – decided to outstretch their dimension and travel. Travel to faraway lands of Europe – to conquest and triumph. Aim was eternal – power, possession and position. A journey – initiated by Jutes, followed by Saxons – the swordsmen finally merged with the power of most conquering tribes of the world – the tribe of hook-men – Angles. Together they formed Auglalond – the present day England.

So, was it only about beastliness or wars? Was - Images of hardy fishermen and swordsmen with nothing but ships, sea, armaments –their only entity? What about their humane side – morality - emotions?

Well, historical divas vary from the characters of literature. History captures actions, literature brings out the intentions. So, the history portrays some births, some deaths, murders and conquests. But literature includes those days of glory, their race and stories.

It is in such pieces of literature that one gets to feel poems like Beowolf, sea – fearer, wanderer and understand their worries and treasures, their worst fears, their pleasures.  One sees man’s fears in the mythical dragons of beowolf and deep heart-felt emotions in the poetry of Caedmon and Cynewolf.

Imagine a social-activist born at that time – Alfred – with his motto – whilst i live i wish to live nobly, and after life to leave to the men who come after me – a memory of good works.’ This man when was at an age to celebrate martyrdom, he preferred to learn latin and translate every good manuscript of latin into English. One of his life’s aim was to educate all Englishmen enough to read and write in English. He was the creator of first English prose. He created navy, ensured law, rewarded wanderers with good foreign religious manuscripts, and employed every poor scholar into teaching. Though he didn’t create much literature of his own but he did translate several significant historical manuscripts – including ‘Bede’s history’ , ‘consolations of philosophy’ and most significantly ‘the saxon chronicle’ – which became the oldest historical record known to any European nation in its own tongue.

Though the literature was limited and most of it didn’t even survive. But whatsoever little reminiscence of that once ancient palace are visible – they all sing out those past’s glories. Days, when man was the same – with all moralities and folly, only the foes  were different – sea and its story.  And yet, there love too was the same. Sea, dragons, myths and mystical names. A century of monumentalization of journey, gradual decay and then a sudden apocalypse. There – a new war, a new conquest – The Norman Conquest.

That time gradually got shoved deep inside the layers of conquests and time, but, whenever a page or two get turned, a hurricane with splashes of thunder outrage outside. And there one sees, a world so same, yet, in different time – with sea and ships in romance and fights. The couple trances in numerous forms  - many nights, many dawns. That world though seems full of fights. But there happened man’s priormost flights. The world of Anglo–Saxons with all its bravery, sea and dragons. 

  - mystical wanderer