Transcript THE ANGLO SAXON PERIOD 449-1066

THE ANGLO SAXON PERIOD
449-1066 AD
When Angles and Saxons came hither from the east,
Sought Britain over the broad-spreading sea,
Haughty war-smiths overcame the Britons,
Valiant earls got for themselves a home.
From The Anglo- Saxon Chronicle by Alfred the Great
Britain before the Anglo Saxons
“Prophesy hovers around. Horns are heard
blowing in the mist, and a confused uproar of
savage tumult and outrage. We catch a
glimpse of giant figures-mostly warriors at
strife. But there are ploughmen, too, it seems,
breaking the primeval clod, and we hear the
sound of forests crashing to the axe. Around
all is the lap of waves and the cry of seamen
breaching their ships.” G.M. Tevelyan
Conquering the Land
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Celts (Brythons and Gaels)
Romans
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
Danes (Vikings)
Normans (France)
1. The Celts
800-600 B.C.-55 B.C.
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Migrated from Southern continental Europe
Britons settled in the largest island of Britain
Gaels settled in Ireland
Clans-fearsome loyalty to chieftain
2. The Roman Conquest
• Romans invaded in AD 43
Roman Contributions
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Well –paved roads
Art of warfare
Christianity
But left towns in ruin and defenseless: easy
prey for invaders (Anglo-Saxons)
Roman Mosaic in Britain
This is a Roman
arch. It has a
perfectly round
arch
Roman Gatehouse in Britain
3. The Anglo-Saxons
• 5th Century
• Began with invasion of 3 Germanic tribes
(Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) in 449.
• (see map on p. 42)
• “Angle-land” formed
- small tribal kingdoms-fought then mingled
- brought new religion, Germanic gods
- no written language
Early Anglo-Saxon Life
• Tribal units
• Witan - council of elders
• Class system
The King
1. earls-hereditary ruling warlords-owed their
position to the king
2. freemen-land owners and merchants
3. thanes (barons)- earned title for military service
4. churls (serfs)- worked the land
5. thralls-slaves (military prisoners & punished)
Early Anglo-Saxon Life
Warfare
1. Most important values:
-Courage, strength, generosity, loyalty
2. Gods
a. Woden – protector of heroes
b. Tir- god of glory and honor
c. Thunor – aid to warrior in battle
Anglo-Saxons
• By the 7th century (600s) the Anglo-Saxons
were “The English” people and from them
grew the language and literature of England.
Anglo Saxon helmet
An Anglo-Saxon Hall
An Anglo-Saxon farmstead
Ruins of Jarrow Monastery
Anglo-Saxon Beliefs
• Grim view of life – Why?
• fatalism – every human life in the hands of
fate (wyrd)
• Abandoned for Christianity – belief in free will
• Comitatus: Germanic code of loyalty
Anglo-Saxon influence today?
Days of the week:
– Tiwesdaeg (god of war) 
– Wodnesdaeg (chief) 
– Friasdaeg (goddess of home) 
4. The Norse -- Vikings
Unification
1. In 829 King Egbert gained control of all the AngloSaxon kingdoms.
2. Then, the Vikings (the Norse) captured much of
England. They were mostly Danes. (from Denmark)
3. Danes were defeated in 829, but Vikings attacked
again in the 10th century.
4. The tired English offered the crown to the Danish
prince Canute.
5. After Canute, England chose a King with both
Anglo-Saxon and Danish roots.
4. Viking Raids:
Terror and Destruction
“From the fury of the Northmen, O Lord, deliver
us.” --Anglo-Saxon Prayer
• Burned entire communities
• Killed villagers
• Plundered monasteries
• Destroyed manuscripts
• Stole sacred objects
5. The Normans
• William Duke of Normandy becomes king in
1066.
• Marks the end of Anglo-Saxon rule
Anglo-Saxon Literature
1. Influenced by Germanic roots (Anglo-Saxon) and
Roman (Christian) roots.
– We will see elements of both in Beowulf.
2. Oral tradition
3. Three types of poetry (Beowulf contains all 3)
a. heroic verses celebrating courage and honor
b. elegy= poem of mourning
c. Christian religious verse
Anglo-Saxon Literature
4. Alliteration between first and second part of
line with pause (caesura, pronounced SAYSHUR-UH) in the middle of the line.
5. Kenning
6. Scop
Scop
• Pronounced “shope”
Entertainers of the time
Traveling composers and storytellers.
Most know a broad range of tales and be able to
retell them as well as compose new stories.
Anglo-Saxon Language
• Germanic language
– Mix of various Germanic dialects + Old English
– Old English (looks & sounds like a foreign
language)
– Runes – ancient alphabet of letters
Beowulf
• Epic Poem: a long narrative poem which
celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero or
god.
• Epic hero: superhuman hero or god of an epic
• Ex: The Odyssey
Beowulf
• Battle story, but also about the struggle between
good and evil.
• Takes place in Denmark
– Denmark under attack by Grendel
– Beowulf, prince of Geatland, sails to Denmark to help
• Written between 700-1000 AD
Anglo-Saxon cross
Thunor for Anglo-Saxons (also known as Thor)
Danish Viking Ship
Statue of Alfred the Great
Runes
OLD ENGLISH
Christian Influence on Language
– Christianity spread throughout Anglo-Saxon England
– Christian monks established libraries and schools
within their monasteries
– Monks preserved much of the Old English literature
that survives today
• Scribes  manuscripts
• Tone: the author’s attitude toward the subject
– Examples: friendly, detached, pompous, fearful
• Mood: the feelings stirred in the reader
• Diction: word choice
• What is the tone of lines 1-3?
• What is the tone of lines 4-14?
• What do we learn about the beliefs of the speaker?
1. Grendel descended from whom? What does
this tell us?
2. What happens when Grendel attacks? For
how many years does he attack?
3. Who is the king?
4. What is the name of the mead hall?