The History of the English Language

Britain Before the Anglo-Saxons

Early history was big battle scene

Iberians brought stone-age weapons

Arrival of the Celts

2 groups of Celts 800-600bc

Brythons (Britons) Settled on largest island (Britain)

Gaels Settled on 2nd largest (Ireland

Celts Cont.

Organized into clanso Depended on Druids (pagan priests) to

settle disputeso Druids performed religious rituals and

recited poems and myths

The Roman Conquest

Julius Caesar (55bc) hasty invasions - barely penetrated the island

Claudius sent legions for true conquest (43ad)

o Camps grew into towns

o Paved roads

o Taught methods of warfare (not defense)

o Lasted 300 years

The Anglo Saxon Conquest Who were they?

Farmers

Fishermen

Rowed boats up rivers and conquered towns

3 groups o Angles

o Saxons

o Jutes

A-S Established highly organized tribes

o Ruled by a kingo King chosen by the witan (council of elders)

o 4 distinct classeso Earls – hereditary class of warlords

o Freemen – could own land and sell things (included thanes, early barons, who were given status as reward for military service.

o Churls (serfs) – servant who worked the land in exchange for military protection

o Thralls – slaves, prisoners, convicts

A-S continued

o Small kingdoms frequently fought, eventually seven larger kingdoms were formed.

o All of the intermingling created what is called Anglo-Saxon or OLD ENGLISH

A-S Beliefs

4 IdealsHonor

Warrior attitude

Good will defeat evil

Fate

Pagan• In the hands of fate

Worshiped early Germanic gods

Tiu – god of war and sky

Woden – chief god

Fria – Woden’s wife, goddess of the home

Days of the week are named after them

Dispersal of the Britons

Fled to edge of island and beyond

Wales – hilly western region

Ireland – to join Gaels and back to Scotia (Scotland)

Spoke Celtic languages

The Coming of Christianity

Romans brought Christianity in the 4th Century

Celts brought it with them when they fledWent from Wales to Ireland

Church thrived in Ireland and was eventually reintroduced in northern England by Columba in 563

Scotland accepted the faith as well as some Angles and Saxons

Resurgence of the Roman Church

St. Augustine brought RC to southern England in 597

Converted King Ethelbert and set up monastery in Canterbury

By 650 all of England was RC

The result was a “kinder, gentler” England

Christianity and Literature

Roman influence brought 2 thingsEducation

Written Literature

Monks hand copied books called manuscripts

Venerable BedeWrote A History of the English Church and People

BeowulfEpic poem (more later)

Attack of the Danes

AKA the VikingsNasty- burned, plundered, raped, pillaged, burned manuscripts

By 850 most of England was ruled by Vikings and called the Danelaw

Only the Saxon kingdom of Wessex held strong

Alfred The Great

Only English King to be called “The Great”

Established truce in 886Saxons took the South

Danes took the North

Reestablished education

Translated Latin works into Anglo-Saxon

Danish Contributions

Brought brewing and mercantile trade to England.

Had a fondness for law

New Danish invaders actually conquered Saxons in 10th century and witan was forced to chose a Danish King

Edward and the Normans

Throne was regained by Alfred’s family

Deeply religious (thus the name Confessor)

His friendship with his cousin William weakened Saxon power and led to the Norman Conquest (next unit)

A-S Lit

1st alphabet called runesSingers at celebrations were called scops and gleemenAccompanied by a harp and included a caesura (mid-line pause)Heroic poetry- recounts the achievements of warriors involved in great battlesElegiac poetry-sorrowful laments that mourn deathPagan elements remain such as wyrd, or an ominous fate

Poets of the Christian Era

Caedmon

Cynewulf

A-S Prose

Bede wrote in Latin, but wrote of a unified England, thus the 1st of English prose

Alcuin: monk who wrote books on philosophy, religion, etc.

All writing was linked to church because church gave education

Alfred and his Successors

Aelfric:Monk, 10th century wrote Homilies

Wulfstan: Archbishop wrote sermons in Old English

The Beowulf Legend

Epic: A long heroic poem

The National epic of England

Author unknownfirst recited in the 6th century

Composed in the 8th century

Written down in the 11th century

Beowulf Cont.

Beowulf: Pagan warrior known for his courage, strength, and dignityPoem includes many references to Christian ideas (11th century), but many A-S values

Warrior societyDignityBraveryProwess in battleHonorFate

The Epic of Beowulf

Actually has three partsB vs. Grendel

B vs. Grendel’s mother

B vs. the dragon

We will only read part I

Includes KenningColorful indirect ways of saying something

Sea= whale path

Battle=sword play

The Epic of Beowulf

Theme: Good vs. Evil

Although evil is present in life, ultimately good will overcome evil.