The Anglo Saxon Chronicle

by Benjamin Thorpe (Editor), Various

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a historical text that covers the history of England from the Roman occupation to the Norman Conquest. It is a collection of annals that were written by various authors over the course of several centuries, with the earliest entries dating back to the 9th century. The chronicle provides an invaluable insight into the political, social, and cultural changes that took place in England during this period. It covers major events such as the Viking invasions, the reigns of famous kings like Alfred the Great and Edward the Confessor, and the Battle of Hastings. The text is written in Old English and is considered to be a masterpiece of medieval literature. The author is unknown, but it is believed that the chronicle was compiled by a group of monks in a monastery in Winchester. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is an important historical document and is still studied and referenced by scholars today.The first inhabitants were the Britons, who came from Armenia, and first peopled Britain southward. Then happened it, that the Picts came south from Scythia, with long ships, not many; and, landing first in the northern part of Ireland, they told the Scots that they must dwell there. But they would not give them leave; for the Scots told them that they could not all dwell there together.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Classics, Anglo Saxon, Medieval History, British Literature

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 890

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a blend of the accessible for example the continuous narrative of the King Stephen's reign with its well-known phrase "and men said openly that Christ and His saints slept" and the difficult - brief entries that presumably were full of significance when they were written but hard to understand without a fuller context.

It's believed that the chronicle was started in the reign of Alfred the Great - entries from that point are full and remain fairly detailed for some years. The earlier sections were constructed from Bede and, presumably, some other sources or traditions. The last entries in the chronicle are for 1154 by which stage it seems that the chronicle was being maintained by one monastery and in a dialect version of Anglo-Saxon and not the Wessex/Winchester old English used in earlier parts of the chronicle.

This translation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle prints the variant texts in parallel. The translation dates from the 1950s and has quite possibly been superseded although the Dorothy Whitlock translation in English Historical Documents was generally the recommended one in any case. Some times the five or so versions of the chronicle are identical, at points they differ. It's interesting to dip into if reading some other history of the Anglo-Saxons just to see what some of the raw material is like, or to read the reign of a king. It has it's bizarre moments, the chronicle entry for King Aethelstan's victory at the battle of Brunanburh is for instance a poem (and why not you might think), or the burst of apparent outrage from King Alfred's reign describing a Viking attack on one of the King's much feted border forts - only half built British difficulties with major infrastructure projects apparent have quite a deep history and guarded by peasants rather than the customary angry men with drawn swords!

The introductory essay contains nice examples of earlier renditions into modern English such as 'they hung burning things on their feet' instead of the more correct 'they hung mail shirts on their feet'.

[Fiona Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've intended to read this for some time now, but the Bernard Cornwell books kind of chivvied me on a bit! Why oh why oh why isn't this stuff taught in schools?????!!! It's absolutely fascinating! I had no idea William the Conqueror was such a tyrant! Of course, everything about Alfred is fascinating, but all of it was so interesting! Can feel a letter to Michael Gove coming on ...

[Skrivena stranica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mislim, što očekivati od kronike. Realno, da nije toliko nabrajanje svega (što joj je glavni cilj) ovo bi vjerojatno čak bilo zanimljivije od nekih književnih djela.

[Linda Orvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed a friend's card to the Cal State Fullerton Library to check out three volumes at a time of the 14-volume set. The books were kept on one of the top floors, and they were old and smelled like mold...mmm, my favorite book-smell. I can't believe that now the condensed set can be ordered in paperback! It took me several months to read the meticulous writing of ancient monks, (translated from Old English) and I learned so much about how the world was viewed by these scholarly men of the 9th century. I was amazed that they wrote of how dragons swept across the sky and left drought and famine in their wake, burning fields etc. One of the books told of how Jesus, while still a child, lived in a cave with Joseph and Mary during their escape from Jerusalem. Jesus and another child argued and Jesus struck him dead. His parents explained how this wasn't a very child of Godish thing to do, so Jesus brought him back to life. I got a kick out of that one. I'm glad I read these books, but I was also glad to be done with them

[Deborah Pickstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will acquire my own copy - an indispensable reference for anyone interested in Dark Ages/ Middle Ages - and fascinating, to boot!

[G. Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the easiest of reads, a list of events year by year which can go past too fast; blink and you miss something of huge significance! But a truly interesting read

[Aubrey Bierwirth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I trudged through this for awhile. There are things I find incredibly interesting and that are so helpful for contextualization, but for just sitting down and reading, bits like the lists of bishops' deaths can get a bit frustrating.

However, there are some real jewels in the entries, like the fiery dragons in the sky, the founding/naming of towns, or the extensive description of medieval torture that stood out to me. I like how the king's ancestry is traced at first to Woden, then eventually to Adam--interesting mixing of religions there. I think before reading this it's worth getting a foundation in Anglo-Saxon history from modern scholars, and also looking things up as you read. Whenever something intrigued me or I felt I was having difficulty connecting events, it helped to just look them up.

Also,I think it goes without saying that this is a must-read for Anglo-Saxon scholars.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you have even a passing knowledge of the Anglo-Saxons, you'll probably want to read through the Chronicle. Whitelock's translation features side-by-side versions of each manuscript when sources differ.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed edition of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the original Old English

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is the most important land-mark of Anglo-Saxon prose that came into existence in the reign of King Alfred. It may be said to be the first historical treatise in English and the Chronicle is carried from the beginning of the Christian era beyond the conquest down to the reign of King Stephen in the 12th century.

Though not the King's own work, it was inspired and sponsored by him and he himself dictated some of the passages that deal particularly with his own campaigns against the Danes in the earlier part of the Chronicle. It was compiled by the monks working at different centres and times. It is extant in several manuscripts.

It is not merely a dry record of historical events and dates. In many of its passages occur vivid detailed descriptions of the conditions of the common people. The pictures of the wars, too, have a poetic beauty and vigour. For instance, the descriptions of the common people during the civil wars of the reign of King Stephen rival those of many modern historians in English and show a curiously modern historical sense.

Again, in the portion relating to the tenth century are inserted some important poems. The Battle of Brunanburh, for instance, occurs there.

The continuity of English prose from the old English period to the Middle English period is demonstrated by the chronicle more clearly than anywhere else, and its different manuscripts are of prime importance for the students of the English language.

The chronicle is the best monument of early English that is left to the English.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is of immense value as an authority for the history of the Anglo-Saxon period. The events and incidents are revised in an impersonal way.

There are a few monuments which are more precious than the chronicle: "for no people in Europe can pride itself on having chronicles so ancient written in its natural language" (Jusserand).

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate having to give bad reviews.

With 4 different versions of the same events to go over in one book, you'd think whoever put it together would have put more effort into the layout. Not so. The entire reason this is getting 3 stars is due to this. The content is interesting enough to warrant 4/5 stars.

However, the narrative swaps between various accounts without proper set up or any distinct reasoning behind it. You'll get a few years worth of one, then a few of another, then two years of the third and so on. Entries stop mid-sentence and continue pages later, and while it's all noted as you go, it doesn't make it any less of a chore to get through.

Maybe this works for academics? I'm not one, I read this purely out of interest in the subject matter, and unfortunately find myself frustrated at how inaccessible it was.

[Anthony Piska · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of manuscripts written roughly during the reign of Alfred the Great (871-899) up to 1154 may not be the most riveting reading. But when you place this chronicle in its historical context, it provides a fascinating glimpse into the history, values, and priorities of England in the medieval period. There’s a lot of information, dates, and deaths (lots of recorded deaths…many abbots were quite old and died often). There’s some simple facts, military antics, ledgers, recorded disasters (famines, floods, harsh winters, etc.), and religious records. It’s one of the greatest and longest sources of English history and old manuscripts in the English language with some historical facts not found in any other written record. It’s a valuable resource in understanding early England and the evolution of the English language.

[Patrick Neylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do not buy this book to read the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle unless you're an academic. It's complete, well-cited and impossible to read. All the versions are chopped up such that each version appears in its chronological place, but that makes for confusing repetition. The notes and introduction offer no help to the reader – again, they are purely for the academic.

[Daniel Callister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating review of 1,000+ years of English history from (more or less) primary contemporary accounts. I was particularly intrigued by the super-natural observations such as two moons in the sky, pools welling up blood, comets with tails that changed directions, etc.

[Bryan Mcquirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chronological accounting of events and people in Medieval England. It is a hodge-podge of many different topics and themes, with a list of names and titles that is mind-numbing.
One year's accounting can either be a single sentence or a multi page diatribe.
2.5 stars.

[Erasmus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down the most important book for anyone who wants to study European history. Easily the most fun, intriguing, and challenging read. I highly recommend reading this while listening to "The History of England" podcast by David Crowther while reading.

[Antony P · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

An excellent edition of these classic texts. The inclusion of relevant texts, some in original language, and relevant illustrations provide for a very thorough recounting of a fascinating era in British, and Eurooean history.

[Jeff Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. It tells a great history of the anglo-saxons up until the death of Stephen. Now it is a translation so it doesn't read normally. It also reads like a timeline. There are no chapters but it is a very interesting book.

[Wendy Fortune · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book with great original source material!

[Oscar Lilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intro was as confusing as the chronicles themselves, but I enjoyed it immensely.

[Nathan Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome original source on the anglosaxon early english history

[Corydon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whitelock’s edition is sufficient for my study, and the Chronicle is just haunting.

[Danie Winchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

For historians out there who just began into to field, I highly recommend Dorothy Whitlock translation.

[Drew Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading these old histories can be tedious, but it helps that I red this one between Marc Morris' epics on the Anglo-Saxon period and the Norman Invasion.

Annals are also very difficult to read.

[Brittany Petruzzi]

Not exactly an exciting read, but a necessary one if you wan to know anything about Anglo-Saxon England.

[Yang Pachankis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was for too long that I forgot the name of earliest period of the poetries — starts with a B and sounds similar to Boolean. How my mind has come to be now?

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful

[Larry Johnson]

A lot of information about sources of middle ages sources.

[sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fantastic linear-multi-narrative book displaying the development of queer main character, England, and its struggles of coming out as... French. truly a great read

[Malcolm Little · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not rate the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles as I would a work of fiction or even indeed a work of creative non-fiction. The work of the English chroniclers from a millennia ago is counted as a historical document. So how could I rate a historical document 3/5? There wasn’t anything wrong with the translations, so what gives?

Well, as with any chronicling of an era, historians have certain duties: to remain unbiased, to capture all walks of life, and to be accurate in regards to people, places and time. The Anglo-Saxon chronicles does provide a decent look into the trials and tribulations of the various kingdoms scattered about the British Isles, but it does not impeccably meet those aforementioned duties.

I do not usually itemize what I liked and disliked about a book, but I think, when it comes to this ancient chronicle of the island, an itemized list of Pros and Cons fits (kind of like notes on a lecture).

The Pros:

- Excellent comprehensive chronology of political and religious leadership, including hereditary lineages
- Environmental adversities/disasters are added, such as famines, devastating winters, and even meteorological wonders
- There is a substantial sense of which decades are more turbulent and which are more peaceful. For instance, writing of events in the late 800’s – early 900’s is pleasant and even (a period when Anglo-Saxon consolidation of the island was completing and ethical laws were codified), whereas writing of events in the 1000’s is meticulous and fraught with intrigue (a period when Viking attacks intensified, rulers had short reigns, and Norman French had designs on conquering the island).
- The Where and When and Why of many major battles are carefully described

The Cons:

- Quite a dry read if reading as a book. Better as a lookup reference
- Commoners are neglected, not even mentioned unless they DIRECTLY affect political or religious leadership
- Norman rule from 1066 onwards is obviously frowned upon, even though historians have remarked on how William I’s rule was qualitatively better than Harold’s and his immediate Anglo-Saxon predecessors. Thus there is an almost palpable racial bias against the French