British Literature Introduction

Mrs. Leach and Mr. Haynes

British Literature Introduction

Mrs. Leach and Ms. Dale

HISTORY Middle Ages 449-1485

The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

The Medieval Period 1066-1485

The Middle Ages 449-1485

Enormous upheaval and change in EnglandReigns of some of the most famous and infamous kingsTime of disastrous wars, both internal and externalTime of foreign invasionTime of painful reconsolidation and emergence of England as nation

Characteristics of the period

Anglo-Saxon Period“Anglo-Saxon England was born of warfare, remained forever a military society, and came to its end in battle.” - J. R. Lander

In a society dominated by aggression, what would you expect to be the Anglo-Saxon attitude toward family life, the role of women, art, literature, ethics and work?

Celtic InvasionsAround 500 BC three groups of Celts invaded British Isles

Brythons (Britons) settled island of BritainGaels settled on IrelandPicts (tattooed people) settled in Scotland

Organized into clans; loyal to chieftain King Arthur was actually a Celtic chieftan

Religion – WORSHIP of NATURE. animism (from Latin for “spirit”) (see BRAVE) Believed spirits controlled every aspect of life Druids – priests who settled arguments, presided over religious

rituals, and memorized and recited poems about past

Conquered by Romans in the first century A.D. and became part of the Roman Empire.

Druids thought that the soul was immortal, passing in death from death from one person to another. Considered mistletoe and oak trees sacred and generally held their rites in old oak forests.

Turn in your book to page 3 for the INVASION MAP!!

Celtic Warrior Garb

Roman Invasions

55 BC Julius Caesar invaded Britain

Began to Christianize the Celts; Celtic religion vanishedControlled world from Hadrian’s Wall to Arabia

Roman Helmet

Roman garb during Britain invasion

Hadrians Wall

73 miles coast to coast.

Think of it not as a FENCE but as the SPINE of the Roman Empire

VIDEO

Roman Invasions: What legacy did the Romans leave?

System of roads/highways –one could travel where previously not possible.Beauty and culture (Bath)an organized society keeping invaders out407 AD end of Roman rule in Britain

Here they come!!! – 449ADAngles, Saxons, and Jutes Deep sea fishermen and farmers

Language

Common language now known as Old English (similar to Dutch and German)

Religion – pagan – similar to Norse mythologyHORRIBLE HISTORIES

Angles/Saxons from Germany

Jutes from Denmark

Anglo Saxon men and women

Germanic Invasions - 449Created the Anglo-Saxon England (“Angle land”)Divided into separate kingdoms

United themselves in last two centuries to resist invasions from Vikings, or Norsemen (whom they called Danes).

Seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Period:

Northumbria, Mercia, Wessex, East Anglia, Essex, Sussex, and Kent

Conversion

Honorius (in 597 AD) vows to Christianize Anglo-Saxons turning them from their pagan ways.

Monks in ActionThe Venerable Bede (673-735 AD) was a monk who wrote “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People” p. 83 in textbook

“The Exeter Book” was a collection of manuscripts compiled by monks that blended Christian and pagan ideas about the after life.

Synod of Whitby decides to calculate the EXACT date of Easter and observe dates according to Roman custom.

Viking Invasions 8th-12th CenturiesInvaders from Norway and Denmark

Anglo-Saxons unprepared for ferocity of VikingsHORRIBLE HISTORIES

Viking Ship, known as the Oseberg Ship, dates 825 AD.

Vikings ready to raid.

Protection from VikingsVikings destroyed monasteries and sacred objectsSlaughtered everyone in settlements that couldn’t pay enough to them

King Alfred “The Great”of Wessex (871 AD) forced Vikings to northern England

The Norman Conquest

The Battle of Hastings 1066 AD

VIDEO

The Normans win and begin to rule ENGLAND

Final Influence of the InvadersCelts- culture involved literature.Romans- enjoyed feasts and built walls to protect.Anglo-Saxons- rigid and had gloomy outlook on the world.Vikings- hostile and aggressiveNormans- established judicial system

ALL TOGETHER = ENGLISH CULTURE

TIMELINEGather all of the dates that you have compiled with your notes and create a timeline of British History from 500 BC-1066 AD. You need to include: 9 events in order 5 descriptions of events5 pictures

Let’s focus on just the ANGLO-SAXONS!!Video

Uncovering Sutton Hoo

WebsiteValuable Anglo-Saxon artifacts were excavated here.

Anglo-Saxon Social StructureTribal units led by CHIEFTANS (kings, lords) earned their respect from their THANES (warriors)The relationship between them was called COMITATUS. CHIEFTANS were known for displaying the HEROIC IDEAL (courage in war and boasting).

Anglo-Saxon Social StructureThe CHIEFTAN also dished out the SPOILS OF WAR. This was very important to their culture. Naming and designing of swords.WITANS were WISEMEN. Who counseled the ruler.EORLS were nobility that ruled territories. (EARLS)

The MEAD HALL

Characteristics of the Mead Hall

VIDEOThe Anglo Saxon society centered around the Mead Hall (mead was honey beer)Throne room BarrackBanquet HallFood, drink, and fellowship

Anglo-Saxon CivilizationWeapons and treasure IMPORTANT!Ruler generous to those who remain loyalAVENGING the death of a beloved was a MUST. Alternatives to death? 1. paying a WEREGILD or 2. arranging a MARRIAGEWomen were known as CUP-BEARERS and PEACE-WEAVERS (you should recognize these as what?) The word “wyrd” was an Anglo Saxon word for FATE.

Anglo-Saxon LiteratureOral tradition – poems and song committed to memory and performed by scops, bards, gleemen

597 AD St. Augustine sent to convert Anglo-Saxons. Latin works translated into Old English.

Edwin, the King of Northumbria converted to Christianity in 627 AD

Churchmen were anxious to eliminate pagan stories so Beowulf is quite unusual.

Anglo-Saxon Literature

Beowulf – one of few pieces that survived. Priests and monks were the only ones who could write; stories survival depended upon them. The church was not too eager to preserve literature that was pagan in nature, so historians believe they either ignored it or changed it. This may account for the mixture of Christian and pagan elements in Beowulf.

Those that told the stories

Scop- Anglo Saxon poet who recites songs and sings poetry.

Gleeman- strolling minstrel

We get our SYNTAX from the Anglo-Saxons. The poetic structure was based on accent and alliteration NOT rhyme and meter.

Old English PoeticsAlliteration – repetition of consonant and vowel sounds at the beginning of wordsCaesura – a natural pause or break in the middle of the line of poetry and joined by the use of a repeated vowel or consonant sound

Out of the marsh // from the foot of misty

Hills and bogs // bearing God’s hatred

Grendel came // hoping to kill

Anyone he could trap // on this trip to high Herot

Old English PoeticsKennings – a metaphorical phrase used to replace a concrete noun. Ready made descriptive compound words that evoke vivid imagesKennings are formed by prepositional phrases possessive phrases

compound words

Preposition phrase – Giver of knowledge

Possessive phrase – mankind’s enemy

Compound word – sea path

Kennings

Review the “Alliteration and Kennings” worksheetReview the “Simple Kennings” worksheetComplete “Kenning Chart”

“The Wanderer” p. 26 in textbookAn Old English poem from the 10th century, preserved in “The Exeter Book.” The date of the composition is unknown but most certainly predates 1070AD, as it was probably part of an earlier, oral literary tradition.

It is an ELEGY or mournful poem. It is written in Alliterative meter. Look for Alliteration, Kenning, and Caesura as you read.

Complete worksheet #4 “The Wanderer”If time, complete #5 “Alliteration and Kennings in the Wanderer”

“The Seafarer” p. 21 in textbook

Just like “The Wanderer,” this was found in “The Exeter Book.”Imagine what life would be like if there was no television. Writings like “The Seafarer” and “The Wanderer” capture the nature of entertainment during the Anglo-Saxon period. People turned to traveling storytellers (known as _______) to mesmerize them with stories.