Anglo-Saxon England

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Anglo-Saxon England

• 449-1066 A.D.
• (What centuries?)

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England Scotland Northern Ireland Wales
United Kingdom or Great Britain
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Flag of Scotland
Flag of Northern Ireland
Flag of England / Britain
Flag of Wales
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It's a composite flag of England's St. George's
Cross (the centered red cross bordered in white),
St. Andrew's Cross of Scotland (the diagonal
white cross on the blue field), and the Patron
Saint of Ireland (diagonal x-shaped red saltire).

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History of Great Britain

• Physically isolated from the continent much
  more
• susceptible to invaders
• English traditions and language molded
• Celtsfirst settlers (700 BC 4th century)
• Introduced iron to Europe
• Religion - spirits of the land that controlled
  all aspects of life (animism)
• Druidsreligious intermediaries for people to
  gods
• Mythology of Celts influential to writersKing
  Arthurs adventures by
• Sir Thomas Malory

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History of Great Britain, cont.

• Roman general Julius Caesar tries to conquer
• British Isles in 55 B.C.
• Julius Caesar quickly claims a victory for Rome
  yet
• returns home, leaving Britons, Picts and Gaels
  alone.
• Claudius Caesar returns to British Isles 100
  years later to lay claim to J. Caesars
  conquered property becomes known as part of
  Roman Empire.
• Positive influence developed cities (Hadrians
  Wall), roads and education and introduced
  Christianity Romanizing British Isles and its
  people
• Dependent upon Rome for everything, especially
  military.
• After roughly 300 years, Romans return home to
  help salvage their mother land, leaving British
  Isles defenseless.

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Hadrians Wallbuilt for protection by Romans
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History of Great Britain, cont.

• Around 449 A.D., the Angles, the Saxons and many
  other Germanic tribes invade and fight the
  Britons.
• Britons are defeated and pushed to Cornwell,
  Wales, Scotland and Brittany, France.
• Main part of Britain settled by the
• Anglo-Saxons and renamed land
• Angle-land (England).
• New culture and new language of
• the people of Angle-land
• Old English

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History of Great Britain, cont.

• Anglo-Saxons constantly on the defense, both
  foreign and local.
• In 790s, the Vikings (Danes) invade and plunder
  realize Angle-land is
• much more pleasant than Denmark / Norway
  during the winter months
• establish settlements in the north and east
  of the country.
• Unity of the Anglo-Saxon people needed
• to protect their country both Christianity
• and King Alfred the Great helped do just
  that.
• Alfred the Great wonderful leader
• pushed development in both culture and
• education (commissioned Anglo-Saxon
  Chronicle,
• which recorded English history).

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Anglo-Saxons warfare was the order of the day
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History of Great Britain, cont.

• In 1042, King Edward (Edward the Confessor) takes
  the throne, one of King Alfreds descendants.
• Edward had no heirs to the throne claims that
  he was to name his French cousin, William of
  Normandy, as successor.
• After Edwards death, nobles and church officials
  wanted an Englishman to rule (Harold II) in
  retribution, William of Normandy attacks and
  successfully invades Britain Norman Conquest.
• Harold II killed at the Battle of Hastings on
  October 14, 1066 and
• William the Conqueror (a Frenchman) is
  crowned king of Angle-land.
• This event ends the Anglo-Saxon dominance in
  Angle-land.

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History of Great Britain, cont.

• Form of artwork - Bayeux Tapestry (a thick piece
  of textile fabric embroidered with colorful
  images).
• Roughly 230 feet long, 1.6 feet tall
  commissioned by Williams brother.
• Depicts the events (roughly 50 separate scenes)
  leading up to the Norman Conquest of England
  (including Battle of Hastings as the final
  scene).
• Accompanying the images are captions written in
  Latin.

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry
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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.

• In the beginning, Anglo-Saxons were Pagans
• (a religion other than the mainstream).
• Strong belief in wyrd (O.E. for fate or personal
  destiny)
• Admiration given to heroic warriors who would
  prevail in battle.
• Introduction of Christianity gave Anglo-Saxon
  people a more positive outlook on life
  suffering on the world of man would pay off in
  the afterlife.
• By 300 A.D., large number of Christians inhabited
  England.
• By 690 A.D., all of England was Christian, even
  though some still held on to some pagan
  traditions / beliefs.
• Christianity will continue as a dominant
  cultural force for more than a thousand years to
  come (British Literature 25).

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Women in Anglo-Saxon Culture

• Women had rights held property was offered
  morgengifu, or morning gift from prospective
  husband.
• Joined religious communitiesnunneries and
  monasteries (Abbesses)

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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.

• Law and order were the responsibility of the
  leader
• Lived in homesteads clustered togethershowed
  closeness of
• community to each other and leader

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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.

• Central location in typical Anglo-Saxon community
  communal hall (mead hall)

• Anglo-Saxon community center meetings,
  celebrations, special occasions

• Scops or Bards ancient storytellers who would
  tell stories and sing while playing a harp oral
  art form stories memorized and performed
  commemorate heroic feats
• Stories were history, morality and motivation to
• Anglo-Saxon people glimpse of immortality

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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.

• Forms of Anglo-Saxon literature
• 1. Epic poetry (long narrative poem that relates
  the great deeds of a larger-than-life hero
• who
  embodies and reflects the values and realities of
  a particular society).
• 2. Lyric poetry (shorter poems that reflected
  more everyday reality of Anglo-Saxon life)
• Elements of Anglo-Saxon literature
• 1. Wergild (amount paid to family of victim
  after death created to stop feuds amount of
• wergild differed
  depending on value of person killed)
• 2. Figurative language (alliteration, metaphor,
  simile, onomatopoeia, stock epithets,
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  kennings, etc.)
• 3. Archetypes (characters, situations and images
  that are recognizable in many times
  and cultures e.g., epic
  hero, loyal servant, suitors contest, wicked
  temptress, ferocious
• beast /
  creature)
• Poetry was as important as other necessary
  activities (i.e., farming, fighting, hunting).

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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.
Typical conventions of an epic 1. Setting is
vast usually includes more than one nation 2.
Plot is complicated supernatural elements and
journeys through strange / foreign
lands 3. Dialogue is evident lengthy, formal
speeches given by major
characters 4. Themes are timeless encompasses
universal ideas 5. Style is sophisticated very
formal diction and very serious
tone
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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.
Quintessential hero of the time period 1. Of
noble birth or high position 2. Typically of
great historical or legendary importance 3.
Embodies qualities that reflect values of
society 4. Performs superhuman deeds 5.
Performs actions that determine the fate of a
nation or group of people
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Anglo-Saxon Culture, cont.
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Beowulf

• As important to England as Iliad and Odyssey are
  to Greece.
• First great work of the English national
  literature (record of Englands
• formulating society).
• Author of Beowulf - Unknown (Anonymous).
• Scholars speculate that Beowulf was composed
  some time between the
• seventh century and the tenth century (more
  certain on the where
• based on subject matter).
• Only surviving manuscript dates from 1000 in
  British Museum in
• London, England.

http//www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/beo
wulf/
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Terminology

• Kenning poetic synonyms, a descriptive phrase
  or compound word
• used to name a person, place,
  thing, or event indirectly.
• Shepard of Evil Grendel
• Caesura - A pause or break within a line of
  poetry, usually indicated by
• the natural rhythm of the
  language.
• Stock epithet adjectives that point out special
  traits of particular people
• or things.
• greater, And stronger
  than anyone anywhere in this
• world Beowulf
• Simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration,
  onomatopoeia
• (defined in textbook if need be)