The Anglo-The Anglo-SaxonsSaxons450-1066450-1066

Why Study British History?Why Study British History?

America and many world democracies would not be what they are today without the legacy of English:•Common Law•Parliamentary Government•Language •Literature

Isolation and InvasionIsolation and Invasion

• Great Britain (including modern day England, Scotland, and Wales) is isolated from the main European continent.

• Invaded and settled many times over centuries– Iberians – Celts (Britons, Picts, Gaels)– Romans– Anglo-Saxons– Vikings– Normans

The Centuries of Invasion: RomansThe Centuries of Invasion: Romans•Began with invasion by Julius Caesar, 55 B.C.•Introduced cities, roads, written scholarship, and Christianity (missionaries)•Provided organized leadership and military protection against invasion•Evacuated in 409 A.D., leaving no centralized government and an island ripe for invasion

The Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons InvasionInvasion•Begin around 449 A.D.Begin around 449 A.D.•Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (Germany and Denmark)•Met resistance from Celts•A-S settled main part of Britain (Angle-land)•Anglo-Saxon culture – basis for English culture and language (Old English)

• Began around 790s • From Denmark & Norway• Settled much of north and east• Defeated by Anglo-Saxons in south

– Clans unified by King Alfred the Great

Viking Invasion

• William, Duke of Normandy (French) challenges claim to throne• Harold, appointed by nobles and church• Face off at Battle of Hastings, 1066 • Harold dies; William the Conqueror becomes king of England• Ended Anglo-Saxon dominance; Norman privileged class

emerges

The Norman Conquest

The Anglo-Saxon ReligionThe Anglo-Saxon Religion•Early AS invaders were seafaring, pagan

– Belief in wyrd – one’s fate in life– Immortality (known as lof) through heroic action

•Influenced by Scandinavian mythology of warrior gods: – Odin – god of death, poetry, and magic; associated with

burial rites – Thunor/Thor – god of thunder and lightning

•The three key ethics of Anglo-Saxon society:– Loyalty– Bravery– Generosity

Anglo-Saxon LifeAnglo-Saxon Life•Centered on warfare; not barbaric•Communal, centered around the hall of the leader•Had a system of law and order that involved responsibility of leaders to subjects, and loyalty and gift-giving to leaders.•Loyalty and closeness meant survival and safety in times of war.

King/Leader’s Hall

Everyone else lived closely centered around it

The Spread of Christianity

• Early invaders were seafaring, pagan– Belief in wyrd – one’s fate in life– Immortality (known as lof) through heroic action

• Spread aided by Roman missionaries• Spreads to Ireland and Scotland, 300-500 A.D.• Missionaries convert A-S kings convert subjects;

common faith, morality, and connection to Europe

The Spread of Christianity (cont’d)

• Monasteries: places of learning, preserving great written works, preserved stories of the period

• Scriptorium: writing room – where monks copied manuscripts by hand during daylight hours

• Most written work was in Latin, serious language of study.

The Epic TraditionThe Epic Tradition•Mostly epic poetry

–Praised deeds of heroic warriors–Reflected the reality of life (brutal)–Stressed fame in the afterlife achieved through bravery and good works in life–Topics of fate and religion

•Told by scops (bards)–Skilled storytellers who sang poems–Oral recitation; passed from generation to generation orally–Honored in society for keeping history and for instilling cultural pride, as as for entertaining

•Stories are eventually written by monks–Only a few manuscripts exist today–Christian influences present in manuscripts

Old English Poetics Old English Poetics •Transmitted through song, recited usually accompanied by harp•Great emphasis placed the poem’s sound:

• Emphasis on stressed/unstressed syllables in a line (number of syllables not important)

– Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds at beginning of words, helps unify the lines

– Caesura: rhythmical pause dividing a line– Kennings: (see next slide)

KenningsKenningsWhat is a kenning?What is a kenning?A metaphorical compound word or phrase for a noun/name

Examples:Examples:–whale-paths = oceans–wave-rider = ______________–ring-giver, folk-friend, or friend to the people = __________

Why use them?Why use them?• Poets created alliterative words by combining existing words• Bards valued ready-made phrases to help memory• Must have appealed to the audience

BeowulfBeowulf in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) in Old English (Anglo-Saxon)HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearðfeasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad,weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendraofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! What does it sound like?

Beowulf & The Beowulf PoetBeowulf & The Beowulf Poet

• Oldest surviving epic poem in English• Poet who unified, recorded poem in writing is

unknown– Written in Old English– Shows Christian influences

• Only one copy in existence

Beowulf: The BasicsBeowulf: The Basics

Setting - Scandinavia, 500sCharacters - Danes (Denmark) and Geats (Sweden)Plot

Beowulf, Geat warrior, crosses sea to Denmark to defeat GrendelBeowulf later returns to homeland to succeed his uncle as king

ThemesCelebrates warrior cultureCelebrates deeds of great strength and courage