The United Kingdom of Great BritainEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland plus several smaller islands

Mnemonic Devices• Learning techniques that aid memory• Some mnemonic devices you may be familiar

with:▫Roy G. Biv▫Please excuse my dear aunt Sally.▫Every good boy does fine. / FACE

Great Britain has provided a variety of products and ideas•Stonehenge•The theory of gravity•The Industrial Revolution•Radar•Penicillin•Shakespeare•Robin Hood•The Beatles

The US took from Britain•Common law

▫emphasizes personal rights and freedom•British parliamentary government•British literature•English language

Invaders of Great Britain•Iberians•Celts (pronounced kelts)•Romans•Angles and Saxons•Vikings•Normans

Iberians (Old & New Stone Age)•1st people to live in England•Short, dark skinned•Knowledge of metalworking

▫Knew how to make bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting of mainly copper

with tin. Alloys combine two or more metallic elements

to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion.

Bronze has been used for boat and ship fittings and propellors, statues and sculptures, cannons, guitar and piano strings, cymbals, medals, as well as other items.

Celts (Approx. 600 BC – 55 BC)•Physical characteristics:

▫Tall, blonde▫Warriors

•Lifestyle:▫Introduced the use of iron to Europe▫Skilled artisans (workers in skilled trades,

especially ones that involved hand-made items; a craftsperson) – furniture, tools, clothing, jewelry

▫Highly developed religion▫Legal system specified individual rights

Religion of the Celts•Animism – Latin word for “spirit”

▫Spirits in everything (rivers, trees, stones, fire)

•Spirits (gods) controlled all aspects of existence; had to be constantly satisfied▫Ritual dances or human sacrifices

•Druids – priests▫Intermediaries between gods and people

• Stonehenge – May have been used by druids for religious rites related to solar and lunar cycles

http://youtu.be/_n2QNHN72wA

Celtic Stories•The Celtic legends

▫strong women ▫fantastic animals (wolves, serpents,

dragons)▫incredible adventures▫enchanted lands.

•Anglo-Saxon stories brooding; male dominated

Romans (Approx. 55 BC – 400 AD)•Beginning of Christianity•Julius Caesar invaded in 55 BC •Emperor Claudius invaded about 100

years later; defeated the Celts•Romans built Hadrian’s Wall to prevent

invasions ▫a 73-mile long defensive wall

More about Romans•Romans left in 410 AD

▫problems in Rome•Contributions:

▫Roads (5000 miles of stone road, some still in use today)

▫Walls▫Villas▫Great public baths

•Left no central government in Britain

Anglo-Saxons (450 AD)•Angles and Saxons from Germany•Jutes from Denmark•Invaded middle of the 5th century•Celts resisted; eventually retreated to

Wales▫Today, traces of this culture can still be

found.

Alfred the Great•Early Anglo-Saxon England

▫Divided into independent principalities▫Each with its own “king.”

•The country became a true nation when King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Danes▫Danes Viking people ▫Crossed the North Sea 8th and 9th

centuries•King Alfred revived interest in

▫Learning ▫The English language

Hagar the Horrible

St. Augustine•Converted England to Christianity a 2nd

time by converting the Anglo-Saxon kings/subjects ▫Irish and Continental missionaries.

•Parts of old pagan religion remained•Anglo-Saxons and Danes continued to

battle▫Defeated by William, Duke of Normandy

in 1066

Anglo-Saxon Life•Depended upon loyalty to the leader•Homesteads

▫single-family, wooden dwellings ▫surrounded a warm, fire-lit chieftain's

hall, also called a mead hall Fire in center; dais at one end

•Protected by a wooden stockade fence•Led to a

▫Sense of security ▫Close relationship between leaders and

followers

Two-class society•Thanes, or earls

▫Rulers▫Related to the leader of the tribe

•Churls▫Bondservants▫Ancestors captured by the tribe▫Provided hard labor▫Bound to earls’ service

They could earn possessions and special royal favor to become freemen.

Loyalty to the leader•Chieftain and his followers bound to

each other until death▫If the leader died

warriors had to avenge his death or die beside him.

•Followers gain fame and success by▫showing loyalty to the tribe leader

•Success measured in gifts from the leader▫The more loyal the more gifts ▫The more gifts the more successful

Lifestyle• Emphasized warfare• VERY SOCIAL!• Dinner noon until 3 PM in the mead hall

(center of family life)• Mead drink of fermented honey, malt, &

spices• Food

▫meat & fish▫primary vegetable cabbage

• Entertainment:▫Women needlework▫Men chess & backgammon, fishing, hunting,

gambling, drinking, & fighting

Women’s Roles•The Anglo-Saxon society focused on

warfare.•Women did have rights

▫inherit and hold property even after marriage.

•Upper-class women supervised▫the weaving and dyeing of cloth▫slaughter of livestock▫brewing of mead▫beekeeping

Religion•Christianity had been brought to England•Pagan elements remained•Paganism dark, fatalistic religion•Wyrd represents one’s fate in life•Did not believe in the afterlife•Immortality achieved through heroic

actions

Bards•Bards storytellers & history keepers

▫Also called scops•Sang about heroes and gods

▫accompaniment of harps.•Not inferior to warriors

▫writing poetry as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving.

Anglo-Saxon Literature•Elegiac, or mournful, in nature

▫Remember Fatalistic No belief in afterlife

•Handed down orally

Monks and Monasteries•Monks founded monasteries •Monasteries

▫Sanctuaries for refugee scholars▫Centers of learning▫Stored Greek and Latin classics

•Job copy manuscripts by hand▫Scriptorium writing room ▫Quill pens ▫Vellum “paper” made from sheepskin▫Winters so cold ink would freeze

•The Church took learning seriously▫Monks vows of silence

The English Language•Latin language of serious study•King Alfred

▫Had primary education taught in English

▫English respect as a language of culture

▫Instituted the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle a lengthy running history of England Kept in the British Library