Anglo-Saxon Period

449-1066 AD

Anglo-Saxon Settlements around the year 600

Temple of Aquae Sulis at Bath

Kingston Brooch

Found by Reverend Bryan Faussett in 1771

Now at the Liverpool City Museum

Anglo-Saxon helmet from the 7th century

From Sutton Hoo

Reconstructed from hundreds of iron fragments

Sutton Hoo

Large ship used as burial tomb for a

King of East Anglia, perhaps King

Raedwald in 625

Excavated in 1939 in Sussex

Old English Verse - “Wulf & Eadwacer”

Wulf, min Wulf wena me thine

seoce gedygan thine seldcymas

“Wulf & Eadwacer”

/ x / v / x x / x

Wulf, min Wulf wena me thine

/ x x / x v / x / x x

seoce gedygan thine seldcymas

Wulf, my Wulf, it was wanting you

That made me sick, your seldom coming,(Michael Alexander translation)

From Beowulf

// Or a FELLOW of the KING'S

whose HEAD was a STOREhouse // of the STORied VERSE

whose TOUNGue GAVE // GOLD to the LANGuage

“The poem usually called 'The Ruin' is to be found on f.124 of the Exeter Book, except for its first seven words which form the last line of the preceding folio. The last twelve pages of this codex have been mutilated by fire, apparently by a brand which fell upon the book when it was face down, destroying many lines of the text. About one quarter of the poem here considered is thus irrevocably lost; what remains is excessively puzzling. The fragment abounds in hapax legomena, scribal errors and ambiguities. The poem itself is a ruin.”

- "The Ruin," Stephen Herber, Modern Language Notes 54.1 (January 1939), 37.

The opening lines of “The Wanderer” from the Exeter Book

Often the lone-dweller God’s comfort finds,Creator’s kindness; though he, heart-troubled, through ocean roadslong rows with hands

(Clifford Truesdell translation)

From Beowulf, lines 863-873

At times the war-band broke into a gallop,letting their chestnut horses racewhenever they found the going goodon those well-known tracks.  Meanwhile, a thaneof the king’s household, a carrier of tales,a traditional singer deeply schooledin the lore of the past, linked a new themeto a strict meter.  The man startedto recite with skill, rehearsing Beowulf’striumphs and feats in well-fashioned lines,entwining his words.

“The Ruin”Well-wrought this wall: Wierds broke it.The stronghold burst....

Snapped rooftrees, towers fallen,The work of the Giants, the stonesmiths,Mouldereth.

Rime scoureth gatetowersrime on mortar.

Shattered the showershields, roofs ruined,age under-ate them.

And the wielders & wrights?Earthgrip holds them – gone, long gone,Fast in gravesgrip while fifty fathersAnd sons have passed.

“The Ruin”Wall stood,

grey lichen, red stone, kings fell often,stood under storms, high arch crashed –stands yet the wallstone, hacked by weapons,by files grim-ground......shone the old skilled work...sank to loam-crust.

Mood quickened mind, and a mind of wit,cunning in rings, bound bravely the wallbasewith iron, a wonder.

Bright were the buildings, halls where springs ran,high, horngabled, much throng-noise;these many meadhalls men filledwith loud cheerfulness: Wierd changed that.

“The Ruin”Came days of pestilence, on all sides men fell dead,death fetched off the flower of the people;where they stood to fight, waste placesand on the acropolis, ruins.

Hosts who would build againshrank to the earth. Therefore are these courts drearyand that red arch twisteth tiles.wryeth from roof-ridge, reacheth groundwards...Broken blocks...

There once many a manmood-glad, goldbright, of gleams garnished,flushed with wine-pride, flashing war-gear,gazed on wrought gemstones, on gold, on silver,on wealth held and hoarded, on light-filled amber,on this bright burg of broad dominion

“The Ruin”Stood stone houses; wide streams welledhot from source, and a wall all caughtin its bright bosom, that the baths werehot at hall’s hearth; that was fitting...

.........

Thence hot streams, loosed, ran over hoar stoneunto the ring-tank....

... It is a kingly thing

... city ...

(Micheal Alexander translation)

Reconstructed Mead Hall

from “The Seafarer”

About myself I can utter a truth-song,tell journeys--how I in toil-daystorment-time often endured,abode and still do bitter breast-care,sought in my ship many a care-hall,horrible waves' rolling, where narrow night-watchoften has kept me at the ship's stemwhen it dashes by cliffs. Pinched by the coldwere my feet, bound by frost'sfrozen fetters, where those cares sighedhot about heart; hunger within torethe mind of the sea-weary one. That man knows not,

SourcesAnglo-Saxon Period: http://www.odinsvolk.ca/dragon.htm

Anglo Saxon and Viking Invasions: http://www.historyonthenet.com/shop/anglosaxon-viking-invasions-a3-p-1132.html

Anglo-Saxon Settlements around the year 600: http://mockingbird.creighton.edu/english/fajardo/teaching/ENG340

/axenl.jpg

Temple of Aquae Sulis at Bath: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Bath_england_roman_bath.JPG

Kingston Brooch: http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ujg/fibula18.jpg

Anglo-Saxon Helmet: http://library.marist.edu/faculty-webpages/morreale/RMProjects/Fall_2007/Donoghue/hoo_

helmet-2.jpg

Sutton Hoo: http://web.missouri.edu/~rls555/SCA/research/ships/sutton_hole.gif

Pages from the Exeter Book: http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng211/exeter_book_and_wanderer.htm

Reconstructed Mead Hall: http://www.heorot.dk/heorot.jpg