Early Medieval Literature

Early Medieval Literature

See also: Ancient literature, 10th century in literature, list of years in literature.

This is a list of literature (texts and authors) dating to the 6th to 9th centuries (corresponding roughly to the Early Middle Ages). The grouping by century is somewhat arbitrary, as many texts of this period cannot be dated to a specific century with any certainty.

The list is chronological, and does not include epigraphy or poetry. For poetry, see: 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th century in poetry. For early epigraphy, see List of languages by first written accounts.

During this period, a number of classical languages inherited from earlier epochs remain in active use (Chinese, Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, Persian, Hebrew). The same period also sees the rise of newly written vernaculars, partly replacing earlier literary languages (e.g. Old Hindi, Old French, Arabic, Germanic, Celtic, Turkic, etc.).

• Literary Chinese in Tang China
• Classical Sanskrit in the Middle kingdoms of India
• Latin in Christian Europe
• Greek in the Byzantine Empire
• Middle Persian literature of the late Sassanid period
• Tiberian Hebrew as written by the Masoretes
• Classical Arabic in the Islamic Caliphate
• Classical Armenian literature of Medieval Armenia
• Old Georgian literature
• Old Turkic manuscript tradition, from the 8th century
• early Japanese literature, from the 8th century (Nara period)
• early Ge'ez literature
• early Dravidian (Kannada, Tamil, etc.) literature in South India
• early Celtic manuscript traditions (Old Irish, Old Welsh)
• early Germanic (Old High German, Old English, Old Saxon, Old Norse) literature, from the 8th century
• Old Church Slavonic, from the 9th century