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SONGS OF THE ANCIENT HEROES Anglo-Saxon culture. Great Britain: England is a part of Great Britain which also includes Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Britain.

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Presentation on theme: "SONGS OF THE ANCIENT HEROES Anglo-Saxon culture. Great Britain: England is a part of Great Britain which also includes Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Britain."— Presentation transcript:

1 SONGS OF THE ANCIENT HEROES Anglo-Saxon culture

2 Great Britain: England is a part of Great Britain which also includes Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Britain has been invaded and colonized by the Iberians, Celts, Romans, Angles and Saxons, Vikings, and Normans.

3 The Celts The Celts were the first British settlers. Their belief system: animism – they saw spirits in trees, stones, fire, thunder, and ponds. They believed that the soul was immortal & passed from one person to another. Druids: Celtic priests who were intermediaries between the gods & people. Celtic stories reflect a love for magic.

4 Stonehenge

5 Stonehenge: Located in Salisbury Plain in England Means ‘place of hanging stone’ Used for rituals involving the lunar & solar cycles Was in use as early as 1848 B.C. Each stone weighs several tons

6 Romans Julius Caesar invaded Britain in 55 B.C. & the Celtic people were conquered approximately 100 years later. The Romans built roads & walls, some of which are still used today. After 400 years, the Romans left Britain Christianity gained popularity in Britain during Roman rule.

7 Anglo-Saxon invasion The Angles & Saxons invaded from Germany; the Jutes invaded from the Denmark. King Alfred the Great defeated the Danish invaders & united the Anglo & Saxon tribes (Anglo-Saxon). The country was named Engla land, or England, after the Angles. William the Conqueror from Normandy (northwestern France) conquered England in 1066.

8 Anglo-Saxon Culture Men engaged in warfare to protect their clans from invaders. Fame & success were gained through loyalty to the leader. A thane was a warrior who was bound to his leader until death. The leader gave gifts, such as buckles, swords & drinking horns to loyal thanes.

9 Anglo-Saxon Religion Dragons represented evil & guarded dead warriors’ burial mounds, which contained treasure. The gods were borrowed from the ancient Norse religion. From them we get the names of our days of the week

10 For example: Odin or Woden was the god of death, poetry & magic. Woden’s day = Wednesday Thor was the god of thunder & lightning. Thor’s day = Thursday

11 Anglo-Saxon Literature Bards, also called scops, were skilled story tellers. They sang memorized poetry to the accompaniment of a harp. Anglo-Saxon poetry was narrative & praised the adventures & accomplishments of heroes. Few Anglo-Saxon works of literature exist today.

12 The influence of Christianity  Saint Patrick converted Ireland in 432. He used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. Monasteries sprang up in the British Isles. Literature was preserved by monks who copied Greek classics as well as some popular literature like Beowulf.


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