British Literature

1
British Literature

• Introduction

2
The British Isles
3
The Anglo-Saxon Period

• 449-1066

4
Ancient World

• isolated
• rain-drenched and often fogged in
• green
• dotted with thatched cottages, quaint stone
  churches, and mysterious stone ruins

5
Celts

• Early inhabitants
• Tall, blonde warriors
• Group within group Brythons (sounds like.)

6
Celtic Religion

• Animism from Latin word for spirit
• Everything had spirits rivers, trees, stones,
  ponds, fire, thunder
• Spirits had to be constantly satisfied
• Druids, priests, acted as intermediaries between
  gods and people
• Ritual dances, rites Stonehenge?

7
Celtic Mythology

• Arthur legendary Celtic warrior became
  embodiment of English values (Sir Thomas Malory
  wrote a text on it hundreds of years laterLe
  Morte DArthur)
• Different from Anglo-Saxon (which came later)
• Full of strong women
• Enchanted lands where magic and imagination rule

8
Video break

• The Celts
• http//www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/video/lifesty
  le/hold-ye-front-page/3786558/Ancient-World-The-Ce
  lts.html

9
Roman Invaders

• 55 B.C. Julius Caesar began invasions and claimed
  Britain for Rome
• Claudius settled Britain in earnest about 100
  years later

10
Roman Contributions

• Armies to defend Britain against further
  invasions
• Network of roads (some still in use)
• Defensive wall 73 miles long (Hadrians Wall)
• Public baths
• Brought Christianity and Celtic religion began to
  vanish

11
Roman Evacuation

• Trouble at home (Italy)
• Evacuated Britain, leaving fixtures but no
  central government
• Island weak, ripe for invasion

12
Warriors Sweep Ashore

• 5th Century
• Saxons from Germany
• Jutes from Denmark
• Attack across the North Sea
• Drove old Britons out before them
• Germanic Language became dominant in Angla-land
  from the Angles (sounds like?)

13
The Vikings Invade

• Alfred the Great unified the independent
  principalities against the invading Danes
  (Vikings, pirates, from Denmark)
• Plundered and destroyed a path through the
  country before settling in northeast and central
  England
• Battle continued until 1066 (over 150 years),
  when William, Duke of Normandy, defeated them all

14
Video break

• Who were the Vikings?
• http//www.history.com/topics/vikings/videoswho-w
  ere-the-vikings
• Life of the Vikings
• http//www.history.com/topics/vikings/videoslife-
  of-a-viking

15
Anglo-Saxon Life

• NOT barbarians, though often depicted that way
• Warfare was the order of the day
• Law and order was the responsibility of the leader

16
Anglo-Saxon Success

• Fame and success gained only through LOYALTY to
  the leader
• Success measured in gifts from the leader

17
Anglo-Saxon Life

• Dominated by need to protect
• People lived close to animals in single-family
  homesteads around common area or a warm, fire-lit
  chieftans hall
• Wooden stockade fence around all
• Arrangement brought closeness to leader and
  followers
• Rule by consensus

18
Anglo-Saxon Women

• Women inherited and held property
• Retained control of property even when married
• Husband had to offer marriage gift
• Woman had personal control of gift
• Woman became Abbesses
• Rights ended with Norman conquest

19
Anglo-Saxon Religion

• Pagan religion persisted despite influx of
  Christianity
• Dark, fatalistic religion from Germany
• Like Norse/Scandinavian mythology
• Odin god of death, poetry, and magic called
  Woden (Wodens Day Wednesday)
• Dragon significant figure guardian of the
  grave, and death the devourer

20
Anglo-Saxon Religion

• More concerned with ethics than mysticism with
  the earthly virtues of bravery, loyalty,
  generosity, and friendship

21
Video break 7

• The Spread of Christianity

22
Christianity

• Irish and Continental missionaries converted
  Anglo-Saxon leaders and the people followed
• Provided a common faith and a common system of
  morality
• Linked England to Europe

23
Christian Monasteries

• Centers of learning
• Culturally and spiritually coexisted with the
  heroic ideals and traditions of the Anglo-Saxon
  religion
• Preserved some of the older traditions by
  recorded works of popular literature

24
Monks

• Recorded works of oral tradition in the language
  of the people Old English
• Recorded principal works in Latin, the language
  of the Church
• Copied manuscripts by hand in scriptorium (a
  covered walkway) oiled paper or glass kept out
  some weather

25
Language

• Latin remained the language of serious study
• King Alfreds Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a history of
  England, helped English gain respect as a
  language of culture

26
Bards Entertainers/Historians

• Scops
• Skilled storytellers
• Equal in stature to warriors creating poetry
  just as important as hunting, fishing, farming,
  or loving
• Strummed harp
• Told stories of heros
• Fame in poetry defense against death