1. 43-407 Roman occupation of Britain Celtic-speakers - Britons
Anglo-Saxons
Map Link: Roman Britain about 410:
<
roman_britain.jpg>
Map Link: Britain about 600:
britain_settlement_600_1923.jpg>

2. End 6th c. Anglo-Saxons dominant in England
596 Pope Gregory the Great sends mission to
England
Angles - angels
Deira - de ira dei Aelle - Alleluia
597 Augustine (of Canterbury, d. 605) arrives
in England, converts King Aethelbert of
Kent, establishes monastery at Canterbury

3. Map Link: Settlement in Britain in about 600:
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media/File:Britain_peoples_circa_600.svg>

4. 617-33 Reign of Edwin, King of Northumbria,
who is married to Aethelberga, daughter
of Aethelbert
625 Edwin converted to Christianity through
influence of wife and Paulinus
633 Conquest of Northumbria by Penda, pagan
King of Mercia

5. St Patrick (c )
From N-W England. Captured
by Irish raiders, slave
for several years
Escaped to Gaul, studied at
various monasteries
c. 460 Returned to Ireland as
bishop

6. Irish/Celtic Christianity
Monasteries as basic units of organisation
Ascetic lifestyle of monks
Devotion to learning
Self-exile as religious observance (St Columba
(521-97), St Columbanus (founder of
Bobbio, c )

7. 634 Oswald drives out Penda, retakes
Northumbria. Brings in Aidan (d. 651),
who founds monastery of Lindisfarne
643 Penda kills Oswald in battle. Power passes
to Oswy (r )
656 Oswy kills Penda
664 Synod of Whitby Hild
Eanfled Wilfred Colman

8. 669 Pope sends Theodore of Tarsus to be new
Archbishop of Canterbury. Accompanied
by Hadrian (founder of school at
Canterbury) and Benedict Biscop (628-90,
founder of monasteries of Wearmouth and
Jarrow)
Northumbrian/Anglo-Saxon Renaissance

9. The Venerable Bede (672/73-735)
Oblate, spent most of life at Wearmouth
and Jarrow
Wrote wide range of works
Ecclesiastical History of the English People

10. Beowulf:
Old English
First written down in present form
c. 700

11. Other vernacular works:
First collection of Germanic law (Kent)
Anglo-Saxon devotional poetry
(Caedmon, Cynewulf)
Role of women, e.g. Hild (614-80), Abbess
of Whitby (“double monastery”),
founder, teacher