The Anglo-Saxon PeriodThe Anglo-Saxon Period

A.D. 499-1066

Early BritainEarly Britain Great Britain has been invaded and settled

several times throughout the course of history by the following groups:

• the Iberians • the Celts• the Romans• the Angles and the Saxons• the Vikings • the Normans

The CeltsThe Celts (c. 800-600 B.C.)(c. 800-600 B.C.)

The Celts were farmers and hunters who honored their priestly class: the Druids.

Totemistic and animistic Belief in an “otherworld” or an “afterlife Polytheistic

– Gods were deities of particular skills

– Goddesses were deities of things pertaining to nature

Celts ContinuedCelts Continued• The Druids “Knowing the Oak Tree”

– Celtic priests– Teachers, sacrificers,

judges, and lore-keepers• Rituals took place in forests• Did not record their learning in writing• Evidence of human sacrifice in Gaul, Ireland, and

Britain• Much of what we know about the Celts has been

muddied by the period of intermingling with Romans.

Celtic WritingCeltic WritingCeltic mythology is full of strong women

Celtic stories end happily

Full of fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, and fabulous adventures, Celtic myths take you to enchanted lands ruled by magic and imagination.

Sir Thomas Malory wrote about the Celtic warrior named Arthur to produce Le Morte D’Arthur.

The RomansThe Romans(c. 55 B.C.)(c. 55 B.C.)

Julius Caesar invaded in 55 B.C and Claudius returned about 100 years later.

During the Roman rule, Christianity began to take hold and the old Celtic religion began to vanish.

Occupation by the Romans resulted in a central form of government and a military presence.

Roman ContributionsRoman Contributions

The Romans built a The Romans built a network of roads network of roads (some still used (some still used today) and a great today) and a great defensive wall, known defensive wall, known as Hadrian’s Wall, as Hadrian’s Wall, some seventy-three some seventy-three miles long. miles long. Romans introduced Romans introduced cities, roads, and cities, roads, and written scholarshipwritten scholarship

Trouble in ParadiseTrouble in Paradise The Romans evacuated their troops from

Britain by A.D. 409 Left Britain with a system of roads, walls,

villas, and great public baths Britain is left without a centralized

government and without a strong army to defend itself.

England without the RomansEngland without the Romans

Without Roman control, Britain was a country of separate clans. The result was weaknessIsland was ripe for invasions by non-Christian peoples from the Germanic regions of Continental Europe.

The Anglo-SaxonsThe Anglo-Saxons

Possible reasons why they came:– their land often flooded and

it was difficult to grow crops, so they were looking for new places to settle down and farm.

– Some sources say that Saxon warriors were invited to come to England.

Who They WereWho They WereAnglo Saxon means

“war smith”.

“Invaded” Britain from the Scandinavian

countries

The Anglo-Saxons took control of most of Britain

Divided the country into kingdoms, each with its own royal family.

As the Angles slowly interact with the Celts, their language, Angle-ish (English) begins to blend with the language of the Celts to form Old English.

The Land They RuledThe Land They Ruled

By around 600 A.D. there were five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms:– Northumbria

– Mercia

– Wessex

– Kent

– Anglia

How They LivedHow They Lived Anglo-Saxon settlements

consisted of just two or three families and a few buildings

Life was highly organized in tribal fashion

Ruled by a king chosen by a counsel of elders known as “witon”.

Most people in Anglo-Saxon society were either freemen or slaves. – Richer freemen were known

as 'thanes'.

Punishment in SocietyPunishment in Society The Anglo-Saxons didn't have prisons. People

were often punished with fines. For minor crimes, a nose or a hand might be cut

off. If a person killed someone they had to pay

money to the dead person's relatives. – This was called a 'wergild'.

The HereafterThe Hereafter The early Anglo-Saxons

were pagans and believed in many gods.

When people died they were either cremated and put in a pottery urn or buried with their belongings.

It was believed that the dead would need their belongings in their next life.

So Where Did They Go?So Where Did They Go?In the 8th and 9th centuries the Vikings began to come to BritainAnglo-Saxon accounts describe terrible Viking raids– Massacres– churches destroyed, animals and

precious objects stolen.

By the end of the 870s, the Vikings occupied most of eastern England. – Their territory was called the

Danelaw

The Struggle for LandThe Struggle for Land By 878 the Vikings had

conquered all of England except Wessex.

Wessex remained Anglo-Saxon and was ruled by King Alfred of Wessex

Gradually, the areas of England under Viking rule were re-conquered by Alfred's descendants.

Old EnglishOld English Old English was chiefly an oral language Anglo-Saxon scribes, however, kept written records

in scripts learned from Celtic missionaries. Viking (Norse) words are used in everyday English

(i.e. kick, law, sister, sky, window). Words concerning religion and learning were

borrowed from Latin (i.e. school, candle, altar, paper, circle)

The Beginning of the EndThe Beginning of the End

The Anglo-Saxon period came to an end in 1066

Duke William of Normandy came to England and defeated Harold, the Earl of Wessex, in the Battle of Hastings.

This was the beginning of the Norman period in English history

Focus Question 1Focus Question 1

What are some traits that are indicative of Anglo-Saxon poetry? What do these poems reveal about the people?– Elegiac– Isolation– Describe the values: honor, bravery, treasure– Harsh lifestyle– Caesura– Non-rhyming

Focus Question 2Focus Question 2

What can be said about the Druids?

A: “knowing the Oak Tree”, teachers, sacrificers, lore-keepers, priests, and judges

Focus Question 3Focus Question 3

What can you say about Celtic stories?

A: full of strong women, animals, happy endings, enchanted lands, magic, love, imagination, origin for the King Arthur stories

Focus Question 4Focus Question 4

What did the Romans contribute to Britain?

A: cities, roads, walls, Christianity, writing, central government, a military presence

Focus Question 5

What are 3 facts that you can share about the Anglo-Saxons?

A: – War smith, – came from Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, – divided England into separate kingdoms, – may have been invited to England, – may have come for better land, – Pagan, cremated bodies, afterlife

Focus Question 6

What can you say about the Vikings?

A: – Scandinavian – raided villages – massacred people – territory was called the Danelaw– controlled all but Wessex – defeated by King Alfred of Wessex

Focus Question 7

What can be said about Old English?

A: – Came from Old English (Celtic language and

Germanic languages)– Viking words are still used– Latin words still used– Old English comes from the Angle and Celtic

languages