Origo gentis and cultural memory.The origins of England as an emblematic case study

The essay is an analysis of the account about the origins of Anglo-Saxon England on the basis of the written documents, from anthropological, ideological and literary points of view. The subject is the issue of the origins of Anglo-Saxon England the way it is dealt with in the major historical works of the Anglo-Saxon period, the "Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum" written in Latin in the eighth century by Bede and the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", a set of annals written in Old English in the ninth century. The different approaches of the two works to the foundation myth of England, that is, the Anglo-saxon invasion of Britain in the fifth century is the focus of the analysis. The comparison highlights that the idea of a united England was in Bede based on his belief in the Anglo-Saxon Church, whereas the patriotism of the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", a secular work, was rooted in the idea of victorious military kingship.