Transcript The Anglo-Saxon Period

Unit 1- Coach Philley
 Often called the Dark Ages, the Anglo-Saxon period was a
time of bloody conflicts, ignorance, violence, and
barbarism. Life was not easy and the literature of the time
reflected those difficulties. Many of the stories and poems
present heroic struggles in which only the strong survived.
 People of the Island:
 Britons (Celts)
 Picts
 Gaels
 Julius Caesar crossed the
channel in 55 B.C.
 Attempted to conquer
British Isles
 Faced opposition by
fierce Celtic warriors
 Claimed victory, then left
 Roman army returned a century later
 Britain became a province of the Roman Empire
 Roman rule lasted nearly 300 years
 Britain relied on Roman army for protection
 Early in 5th century,
Rome pulls out
 Called home to defend
crumbling empire
 Britain lost:
 Central government
 Army protection
 Becomes target for
invasion
 Germanic tribes invade, beginning 449 A.D.
 Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
 Main part of Britain renamed Angle-land, or England
 There appears to have been a Celtic chieftan
named Arthur that fought against the Germanic
invaders during this time. It is very likely that this
was the source of the legendary King Arthur myth
and folklore.
 Also called Danes
 Seafaring marauders from
the coasts of Denmark and
Norway
 looted, killed, and burned
down entire villages
 In the beginning, the Danes “hit and ran”.
 Later, they set up camps during the winter.
 Gained control of most of the north and east of the
country.
 In the south, the Danes were defeated by powerful AngloSaxon king Alfred the Great.
 1042-Edward the Confessor
takes throne
 Descendent of Alfred the
Great
 Dies without an heir
 William, Duke of Normandy
 Edward’s French cousin
 Claims Edward named him
heir
 Leads last successful invasion
of the island
 1066-After the Battle of
Hastings, crowned King of
England
 Early Britain-pagan
 strong belief in wyrd, or fate.
 no belief in an afterlife
 the only way to achieve some form of immortality was a name
that would live on after your death.
 great importance was placed on the heroic warriors
 Roman Britain
 The Britons became Christians after the conversion of
Constantine, along with the rest of the Roman Empire
 After the invasion of the Anglo-Saxons, Christianity
remained only in the remoter regions
 Anglo-Saxon England
 Originally pagan
 597 A.D.-the Pope sends missionary Augustine to Kent
(south) to convert the King
 Establishes monastery at Canterbury
 Missionaries from Ireland (north) begin teaching
Christianity
 Within 75 years, island is once more predominately
Christian
 Monasteries
 Centers of intellectual,
literary, artistic, & social
activity
 Only opportunity for
education
 Most of what we have
from this period was
written by clergy
 Introduced
 cities, roads, & written
scholarship
 Hadrian’s Wall – an
enormous wall
constructed out of stone
and turf to help with
defense; named for
Emperor Hadrian
 British people enjoyed
many of the luxuries of
Rome, including villas
and public baths
 Clans or tribes:
 Safety in numbers, usually familial, gathered around a
superior leader
 Entertainment:
 Scop (poet), Bard (storyteller), rhapsodes or gleeman
(singers)
 Gave news, sang songs, told stories, & asked riddles
 Valued member of court
 Great feasting in Mead Halls:
 served as a gathering place for spectacular occasions
 Feasted on pies and roasted meats, as well as mead.
 Mead was fermented water and honey with malt and
yeast (beer).
 Thanes (warriors) and Athelings (nobles) gathered in
mead halls
 The front of the mead hall was raised for the highest
officials to sit. There were long tables down both of the
sides where the thanes and athelings sat. There was a
long fire pit down the center of the hall. Hay and dogs
were on the floor.
 Cruelly ferocious, but faithful
until death to their leader.
 Brave – liked action, fighting,
and contests of physical
strength.
 Skill in all areas (taming a
horse, swimming a river,
choosing a camp site, sailing
a ship, building a hall, ect.)
and courage were primary
qualities of successful king.
 Fair play and sportsmanship was important.
 Generosity was aspect of heroic behavior – the
successful king was called a “ring-giver” or “braceletbestower”
 Faithfulness to a cause, to a love, or to a quest.
 Believed in Revenge very strongly – an eye for an eye
 Celtic influence:
 place names like Kent and Avon
 the lais or lays (lyrics or short verse romances)
 Roman influence:
 small number of Latin words (mile, street)
 Anglo-Saxon influence:
 Gutteral, vigorous language became the spoken
language of the people, now known as Old English
 Although different from the English we speak today, about
half of our modern basic vocabulary comes from the Old
English.
 Epic
 Long, narrative formal poem
 Grand scale, vast, many characters &
adventures
 Central character with heroic
qualities (but is human)
 Often has assistance from the gods
 Sometimes has a special weapon
 Noble or of elevated birth
 Faces great obstacles/central quest
against an evil foe
 Memorized and performed orally
 Written down years after originally
told