The Anglo-Saxons

450-1066(Lit Book pg.

3)

Why Study England and its history?

America and other world democracies would not be what they are today without legacy of England:• Law/parliamentary government• Literature• LanguageBefore the Celts and Romans, England was a dark, green, isolated island. Then the “rise of the West” happened, as Rome and Europe expanded.

The Celts (300s BC)• The Celts practiced Animism (spirits in all aspects of nature,

controlled daily life, priests called Druids acting as intermediaries)• Unlike the Anglo-Saxon tales, Celtic mythology had more powerful

female figures, more “sunlight” and magic, fantastic animals, love affairs, and adventures

The Romans: The Great Administrators• Julius Caesar conquered the Britons in 55 B.C.• Romans brought Christianity (missionaries), armies, organization,

roads• Rome vacated Britain and left infrastructure, but no government.

British inhabitants were in separate clans, a weak island ripe for conquering

The Anglo-Saxon Invasions (400s AD)• After Rome left, Britain

was invaded by as many as 200,000 Angles and Saxons from Denmark and Germany, who brought new language to “Engla-land” (land of the Angles)

• In the late 800s, Anglo-Saxon King Alfred of Wessex united England against Viking invaders

• Christianity was spread by Irish and European missionaries (convert the AS kings = convert their subjects), provided a common faith, morality, and link to Europe

• The AS period ended in 1066, with the arrival of the Norman duke (and later king) William the Conqueror

Anglo-Saxon Life• Anglo-Saxon life was centered on

warfare, but they were not barbarians: they had a system of law and order that involved responsibility of leaders, loyalty, and gift-giving to leaders

• AS society was communal, centered around the hall of their leader/king.

• Loyalty and closeness meant survival and safety in times of warfare.

• Christianity also eventually became a key center of their lives.

King/Leader’s Hall

Everyone else lived closely centered around it

The Anglo-Saxon Religion: Gods for Warriors• A key belief was that fame in life (through heroic deeds) meant

one would live on after death.• The old AS religion came from the Scandinavian mythology of

“warrior gods”: – Odin – god of death, poetry, and magic; associated with burial

rites – Thunor/Thor – god of thunder and lightning; his sign was the

hammer– The dragon: protector of treasure, guardian of the grave

mound– seen as personification of “death the devourer” and guardian of grave mound

• The three key ethics of AS society:– Loyalty– Bravery– Generosity

A Light from Ireland • Ireland was different from surrounding countries in the 5th

century because they continued to be Celts with Roman influence (no invaders)

• Patrick, a Romanized Briton (an escaped/converted slave), converted Celtic Ireland to Christianity.

• Ireland was able to experience a golden age of peace and learning while much of Europe was at war

The Christian Monasteries• Monasteries: places of learning and preserving great works

and stories of the period, regardless of if they were Christian• Scriptorium: Where monks copied manuscripts by hand• Latin: the serious language of study… until King Alfred wrote

“The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle” in (Old) English, which began to slowly take hold in England

Bards and the Oral Tradition• Bards (also called “scops”): skilled

storytellers who sang poems of gods and heroes, stories passed along orally

• Bards worked with a rich supply of heroic tales, reflecting concerns of AS life

• Much AS poetry stresses fame in the afterlife through brave and good works in life (heroes)

• Bards’ songs also dealt with ideas of fate and religion• Bards were honored in society for entertainment and

for keeping the culture and its stories alive

Beowulf 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?

Old English Poetics • Poems were transmitted to the public through

song (recited aloud, usually accompanied by harp)

• Because of this, as much emphasis was placed on how the poem sounded as what it contained:– Emphasis on stressed/unstressed syllables in a line

(number of syllables not important)– Alliteration: repetition of consonant and vowel

sounds at beginning of words– Caesura: rhythmical pause– Kennings: (see next slide)

KenningsWhat are they?• A metaphorical way of speaking, writing, and thinking• A noun is renamed in a creative way using a compound word or

union of two separate words to combine ideas Why use them?• The AS poets depended on alliteration, but didn’t have a large

vocabulary• In oral poetry, ready-made phrases were valuable• Their complex structure satisfied taste for elaboration (basically, they

sounded good)Examples:

– whale-paths: oceans– wave-rider: a boat or ship– ring-giver, folk-friend, or friend to the people: a king

Let’s Try Some…

1. school2. television3. police4. music5. love6. computer