The Anglo-Saxon Period
449-1066
Theme: Heroes and Heroism
British Legends
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
• Between 800 and 600 B.C., two groups of Celts from southern Europe invaded the British Isles.– Brythons (now spelled “Britons”) settled on
the largest Island, Britain.– Gaels, settled on the second largest island,
known to us as Ireland.
Proto Indo EuropeanProto Indo European
GermanicGermanicCelticCelticBalto-SlavicBalto-SlavicLatinLatinGreek Greek AlbanianAlbanian
Indo-Indo-IranianIranian
RussianRussian
UkrainianUkrainian
CzechCzech
SlovakSlovak
Serb-Serb-CroatianCroatian
PersianPersian
KurdishKurdish
HindiHindi
BengaliBengali
IranianIranianSanskritSanskritRomanianRomanian
FrenchFrench
SpanishSpanish
PortuguesePortuguese
ItalianItalian
SlavicSlavicBalticBaltic WelshWelsh
BretanBretan
GGælicælic
LatvianLatvian
LithuanianLithuanian
The Celts
– farmers and hunters – organized themselves into clans– clans had fearsome loyalty to chieftains– looked to priests, known as Druids, to settle
their disputes
Proto Indo EuropeanProto Indo European
GermanicGermanicCelticCelticBalto-SlavicBalto-SlavicLatinLatinGreek Greek AlbanianAlbanian
Indo-Indo-IranianIranian
RussianRussian
UkrainianUkrainian
CzechCzech
SlovakSlovak
Serb-Serb-CroatianCroatian
PersianPersian
KurdishKurdish
HindiHindi
BengaliBengali
IranianIranianSanskritSanskritRomanianRomanian
FrenchFrench
SpanishSpanish
PortuguesePortuguese
ItalianItalian
SlavicSlavicBalticBaltic WelshWelsh
BretanBretan
GGælicælic
LatvianLatvian
LithuanianLithuanian
• Roman conquest of Britain AD 43– Britain annexed as a province in the Roman
Empire– Difficult to control such a large piece of land
• Brought Christianity to Britain around AD 300– Pagan vs. Christian themes throughout; never
fully indoctrinated at this time
• The last Romans left around 407 A.D.– Needed to defend against rebelling European
countries; England left to its own devices
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from?
• 449AD 3 Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) invade.
• Destruction of Roman influence, including Christianity
• New land: “Angle-land”- small tribal kingdoms- no written language- supported themselves through
farming and hunting
Proto Indo EuropeanProto Indo European
GermanicGermanicCelticCelticBalto-SlavicBalto-SlavicLatinLatinGreek Greek AlbanianAlbanian
Indo-Indo-IranianIranian
RussianRussian
UkrainianUkrainian
CzechCzech
SlovakSlovak
Serb-Serb-CroatianCroatian
PersianPersian
KurdishKurdish
HindiHindi
BengaliBengali
IranianIranianSanskritSanskritRomanianRomanian
FrenchFrench
SpanishSpanish
PortuguesePortuguese
ItalianItalian
SlavicSlavicBalticBaltic WelshWelsh
BretanBretan
GGælicælic
LatvianLatvian
LithuanianLithuanian
An Anglo-Saxon Hall
Alfred the GreatKing of Wessex 871-899
• 866—resisted Danish intrusion and earned “the great” title– Saxons acknowledged Danish rule in East and North– Danes respected Saxon rule in South
• End of 10th Century—Danes want to widen Danelaw– Forced Saxons to select Danish Kings
• 1042—Kingship returned to Alfred the Great’s descendent Edward
• Edward the Confessor died in 1066. His death led to the end of the Anglo-Saxon Period.
Page of Beowulf manuscript in Old English
Listen to me!
Anglo-Saxon Literature cont.
• Anglo-Saxon poetry falls mainly into two categories:– Heroic poetry – recounts the achievements of
warriors– Elegiac poetry – laments the deaths of loved
ones and the loss of the past
• Beowulf is the most famous example of heroic poetry.
Heroic Values in BeowulfHeroic Values in Beowulf
• Relationship between Relationship between king and his warriorsking and his warriors
• The king rewards his The king rewards his warriors with giftswarriors with gifts
• If a kinsman is slain, If a kinsman is slain, obligation to kill the obligation to kill the slayer or obtain slayer or obtain payment (wergeld) in payment (wergeld) in compensationcompensation
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