The Mother Tongue

Indo-European Languages

Cultural Fusion of the Early Middle Ages5th-11th centuries

Fall of RomeCeltic InfluencesNorse-Germanic InfluencesSpread of Christianity

throughout EuropeIslamic InfluencesFeudalismEmpires and Kingdoms

Celtic Migrations

Hallstatt

Celtic Influences Decorative

Animal motifs Arabesques

Religious Scholarship Monasticism

Literary Epics and folklore Sovranty: Love-Political Triangle

King-Queen-Suitor/Challenger Arthur-Guinevere-Lancelot

The Book of Kells

RomanBritain

1st-5th c.

Fall of Rome330: Constantine moved the capitol of the Roman Empire to

Constantinople402: Honorius moved capitol of the Western Empire from

Rome to Ravenna410: Visigoths sacked Rome455: Vandals sacked Rome and took control of N. Africa and

Spain5th c.: Waves of Angles, Saxons and Jutes invaded Britain

and Burgundians controlled much of France476: Goths seized Rome: Odoacer became Emperor

Völkerwanderrung

Germanic Migrations

Germanic Comitatus or Kinship Groups

König, eorlas und thanes: kings, nobles and warrior Mutual loyalty -- warriors fight for king, king is

generous to warriors Originally a socially egalitarian setup, during the third

and fourth centuries CE, it became socially stratified Basis for feudal loyalty Ideal and philosophy expressed in oral epics like

Beowulf and The Song of Roland

The Lindisfarne Gospels

Viking Conquests

I've been with sword and,spearslippery with bright blood

where kites wheeled. And how wellwe violent Vikings clashed!

Redflames ate up men's roofs,raging we killed and killed;

and skewered bodies sprawledsleepy in town gateways.

Viking Runes

The Norman

s

Vikings, or Norsemen, who settled in northern France (or the Frankish kingdom), together with their descendants

A Viking named Rollo emerged as the leader among the new settlers.

The Normans founded the duchy of Normandy and sent out expeditions of conquest and colonization to southern Italy and Sicily and to England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

Norman Conquest 1066: Contest for the English crown:

Harold, Earl of Wessex: Anglo-Saxon claimantHarald Hardrada of NorwayWilliam Duke of Normandy

Battle of Stamford Bridge: Harold defeated Hardrada's army which invaded using over 300 ships; so many were killed that only 25 ships were needed to transport the survivors home.

Battle of Hastings: William led Norman forces against the English. Harold killed in battle; William seized the throne

William the Conqueror

BAYEUX TAPESTRYEnglish axman in combat with Norman cavalry during the Battle of

Hastings

Norman

Castles

Tower of London

Motte and Bailey Castle

Evolution of English

Language 650 bce- 500 ce: Celtic domination of British Isles: Gaelic: Irish, Welsh, Scots, Breton

2nd C. ce: Roman conquest: Latin5th C. ce: Germanic invasions by Angles, Saxons and Jutes:

Anglo-Saxon/Old English8th- 10th C: Viking invasions: Old Norse1066: Norman conquest:

Norman French → Anglo-Norman1200-1500: Middle English: literary fusion1500: Great Vowel Shift: Early Modern English1700: Modern English