The medieval period lasts from 476 CE to the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century
The Roman Empire was ruling England and the latin was the language of power. When the Romans retreated, the Germanic tribes, - the Angles, Saxons and Jutes came and conquered England and forced their rule and language onto the Celtic people. The invasions of the Viking also had a lasting impact on the language. The change that had the most consequences to language and literatue came with the Norman Conquest. In 1066, the French Norman, William the Conqueror, became King of England when he won the Battle of Hastings when he led the last invasion of England. French then became the language they used in court and in the law.
