Part I: Britons and Anglo-Saxon Period

HISTORY OF ENGLISH

Celts and Romans750 B.C. – 410 A.D.

Anglo-Saxons410 A.D. – 850 A.D.

Viking Effect: Multiple Invasions800 A.D. – 1066 A.D.

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

ROMANS INVADE: 43 A.D.

• 40,000 troops• 4 years to consolidate

power• Never conquered

Scottish Highlands• Hadrian’s Wall –

demarcation line• Latin present but did

not take root except in names ending in:

- chester, - cester, + caster

(castra = camp)

- Doncaster and Winchester

CELTIC LEGACY• Landscape Features• Place Names

- London, Thames, Avon, Tor (hill), combe or cwm (hollow/valley)

- Devon resort – Salcombe- Welsh town – Cwmbran

• Our word: SLOGAN:SLUAGH (army or host) + GAIRM (cry) = war cry

• Irish = Celtic language

ROMANS + BRITONS (CELTS)

ROMAN LEGACY (LEFT BY 410 A.D.)

Hadrian’s Wall

Roman arch in Lincoln – once a fort, now a city

Latin: family - familia library – libermillennium – milleschool - schola

Architecture

Christianity: Celts (through Romans), Anglo-Saxons (through St. Augustine + King Aethelbert’s wife Bertha in 601 A.D.)

Beowulf – 750-900 A.D. by AnonymousLindisfarne Gospels - 700 A.D. by Eadfrith, bishop

Sutton Hoo (Saxon ship burial) – 7th century Language: Tiw - Tuesday

Thor - (Thors-day) ThursdayFriya – Friday

Place Names: Towns that end in: -ton, -wick, -worth, -burn, -hurst, -den or -hamFramingham and Warwick – for example

ANGLO-SAXON LEGACY (TO 1066)

LEGACY

• OUR SYNTAX: (or arrangement of words in a sentence)

• PREFERENCE AND EASE WITH NOUNS

• TENDENCY TO SIMPLIFY GRAMMAR & SHORTEN WORDS

• “LAW OF RECESSIVE ACCENT”: tendency to place accent on first syllable and slur over rest like “quantity” and “contrary”

• USE OF METAPHOR/KENNING/ALLITERATION/LITOTES

• ORAL TRADITION: scops

ANGLO-SAXON LANGUAGE

Heroic values: 1. recklessness, bravery, loyalty, ruthlessness2. War band (comitatus): chief + troop of warriors sworn

to protect him with their lives3. King or chief: generous (ring-giver)4. Kinship: wergild: blood priceReligion: 5. comingling of Christian and pagan beliefs6. Pagan: emphasis on material wealth and results and

fate7. Willing to try Christianity because their religion wasn’t

working so well

BEOWULF – BEE-HUNTER (BEAR)

Example: Saxon view of God as chief of a war band

In Hrothgar's speech to thank Beowulf, he offers him everything he has as a reward. God is conceived of as the biggest and most generous war band leader:

..you have done such a deed that your fame is assured, will live forever. May Almighty God

reward you with good, as he has today(Chickering p55)

BEOWULF

KENNING

~ compound expressions, representing a single noun

Whale-road: seaBattle-sweat: bloodSea-wood: shipShield-bearer: warrior

ALLITERATION

~ repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a line of verse

LO, praise of the prowess of people-kingsof spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes,

BEOWULF

Beowulf: hero/protagonistKing Hrothgar: also victim

Wiglaf: Geat warriorAll warriors fighting demons

God

Grendel: monster/demonGrendel’s mother/demon

Dragon: monsterUnferth: minor loser

Satan

Heroes Villains

GOOD VS. EVIL

Legacy: concern with fame after deathGood vs. Evil: heroes vs. monsters – God vs. Evil (mix of religions)Importance of skill and strength: battleAcquisition of Wealth: generosity and fame (promotion)Fate and courage: meet death with honor Importance of tradition and custom in preserving culture (giving of wealth, wergild, loyalty, boasting)

BEOWULF THEMES