Transcript The Anglo Saxon Period 449-1066

The Anglo Saxon Period
449-1066 AD
The Sound of Old English
 Old English reading The Battle of Brunanburh
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfaEG
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Origin of Modern English
Evolution of the English
Language
 450-1066: Old English (Beowulf)
 1150-1500: Middle English (Canterbury
Tales)
 1500-1700: Early modern English
(Shakespeare)
 1611- King James Bible: (Marked the
evolution of modern English to the present)
 1900-2000: Modern English
 What do you think will be the next era?
English Language in a nutshell
 Video 1: History of English Language
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Tfbeqy
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Anglo-Saxons
449-1066 AD
 Anglo-Saxons were warriors from
Denmark and Germany
 Identified as:
 Angles from North, Saxons from South,
Jutes from Denmark
 Areas became known as the “Angles’
Land” or England
 Language was called “Angle-ish” or
English
The Anglo Saxon Period
 Marked by series of invasions by:
 Romans, Germanic Tribes, Vikings
 England was an isolated island at this time
 Iberians (present-day Spain) settled England
 Next, Celts settled England in 770 BC
 Celts = Britons (British) and Gaels (Irish)
Roman Invaders
 Romans conquered England between 55BC409AD
 Julius Caesar declared England “conquered”
after barely invading
 100 years later Emperor Claudius asserted
control over islands
 Built 5,000 miles of stone roads linking
capitals and towns (ie- London, York,
Winchester)
Ancient Rome
(Roman Forum today)
End of an Era: Here lies
Caesar!
Germanic Invasions
Celts
 Brought religion, metalworking,
mythology, and legal system to England
 Celtic Druids (Priests) believed every
person had an immortal soul
 Celtic language dominated England
until 5th Century A.D.
Anglo Saxon Video
Video 2: Anglo Saxons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vzxiz3Kw9eI
Video 3: Action Sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOxhDYM7vyo
Video 4: 7 min war action sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLPlmo3SS_0&f
Anglo-Saxon Society
 Two Class Society
 1. Earls/thanes: Rulers of the tribe
 2. Churls: Bondservants and laborers for the
tribe leaders
 Witan- “Wise men” or earls who consulted
with Anglo-Saxon king as decision makers
 Women only gained respect as queen, wife of
a powerful earl, or as a churchwoman
Anglo-Saxon Weapons
Warrior Culture
 Weapons were engraved with letters called
“runes” to provide magical protection from
harm
 Songs and stories were created to honor heroic
warriors
 Dragons represented evil- Vikings sailed boats
with carved dragons
Warrior Culture
 Warriors were bound to chieftain until death
 Warriors had to avenge death of chieftain/
lord or die beside him
 After battle, warriors gathered together in
mead hall and ate at tables lined with gold
 Mead hall was safest place- lords resided
here with their warriors
Mead Hall
Standard “Epic” Literature
 Has a great leader who identifies with people
& society
 Hero performs great deeds in battle and has
an epic journey
 Gods/supernatural forces take part in action
 Story is told in heightened language and
includes long speeches from hero
 Heroes possess leadership, bravery, & loyalty
Anglo Saxon Literature
 Poetry reflected Christian and Pagan values
 “Wyrd”- meant one’s fate in life
 Oral Tradition: Scops recited heroic verses
 Scops- highly revered men who orally handed
down literature
 Literature entertained/served as model for living
 Being subject of heroic tale meant immortality!
Anglo-Saxon Literary Devices
 Scops used 2 poetic devices to help memorize
stories:
 Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds
 Ex: The miserable, moody man

(Caesura: pause within a line of poetry)
 Kenning: metaphorical phrase
 Ex: Whale-road = ocean

Ex: Candle in the sky = Sun
Write your own Kennings!
 Write a Kenning for the words:
a. SCHOOL
b. HOMEWORK
 Remember, a kenning is typically a twoword metaphoric phrase:
 Ex: Learning-annex (School)