Question

In what ways did important cultural developments affect literature in england between 449 and 1485?

Answer 1

The advent of Christianity throughout the British Isles led to an increase in monasteries, which led to an increase in monks, At the time, monks were the only individuals who copied stories into text. More monks = more books being written, which in turn led to the rise of literature! Prior to 1066, the frequent invasions of England and subsequent settling of colonies by the Danes/Vikings influenced literature by introducing stories from their culture into the culture of pre-established British societies. From this we get works like Beowulf!
By 1066, the Normans invaded the British isles, bringing with them a dialect of Old French, which mixed with Old English to form Middle English. Literature between England and France increased in volume because of the similarities between Middle French and Middle English.