1. “Words of God”

2. The Roman Invasions  The Anglo-Saxons brought a strong oral language tradition with them, but it lacked complexity and a written component.  In 597 AD, the Roman Empire brought Christianity and a huge Latin vocabulary to England.

3. The Conversion of the Saxons  St. Augustine, a party of 50 monks, and a great deal of luck arrived in the Kent region to begin conversion.  Simultaneously, a Celtic preacher began conversions in Northern Ireland in 635 AD

4. Shifts in Culture  Along with the language, the converters brought Christian cultural staples like: embroidery, stained glass, ornate manuscripts, church music, and architecture.

5. Lasting Effects  The simple and straightforward Anglo-Saxon language became more complex, using words for abstract ideas (angel, shrine, psalm) and from far away/exotic locations (orange and pepper from the East, Oyster from the Mediterranean, and ginger from Sanskrit).  Many words that already existed had their meanings changed (fiend = Devil, doomsday = Judgment Day)

6. Recap  The Celts, after settling the British Isles are forced to the fringes of the country after the invasion of the Romans in 55BC. a Germanic flavor to the existing language.  597 AD  Approximately 449AD – The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade, adding - The Christian conversion and language influence  Upcoming: The Norman (French-speaking) invasion