Before 1066 in Great Britain there were the Anglo-Saxons, Germanic people that came from Europe near the 5^th century. They divided it in seven kingdoms and actually people think that the most important King of this period was King Arthur that introduced also a sort of chivalry code in his kingdom, an important code that all knights in the Middle Ages followed. During this period that lasted about 600 years there had been formed the old English languages and cultures, in fact the old English language has a Germanic origin. After this long period in the 1066 William 1^st , called the Conqueror, conquered for the last time of the history the Great Britain. After that he divided the lands among his knights and barons, giving rise to the form of the Feudalism and to a hierarchical society, where the Pope was at the most important position, then the King, the Nobles (Vassals of the King) and at last the serfs, that led very repetitive lives where all was regulated by the succession of seasons and every worry or happiness became from their fields. In 1215 the actual King (John Lackland) after a process of negotiation in power between the King and the barons, because of the heavy taxes, firmed the Magna Carta, a document that limited the royal power. Besides that there was also a conflict between Church and State that culminated in 1170 with the assassination of Thomas à Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, from the King’s knights. The reaction was too strong that the King had to whip publicly himself. At the last times of this period there were also lots of conflicts, including the Hundred Years War with France, and in the end of the last conflict between the houses of York and Lancaster, Henry Tudor in 1485 took the power. With this event the Middle Ages had finally finished.

The languages that had been spoken during this period were Latin, in the Church and for lawyers, old English, by all the people, and French, in the court. The English that is spoken actually in Britain derive from all of this languages. The literature during this time was divided especially in two branches: the ballads, both for aristocracy and common people, and epic poetry, for aristocracy. The main difference between these two branches is that ballads are oral texts in popular English and epic poetry was written.

During this period there was a strong will to save their souls and to go to the paradise, because there was a religious code that regulated all life of everyone.