Old English Period: Anglo-Saxons 450-1066AD

Celts Original inhabitants of England One group called themselves Brytons (Britons). Derivations of their language heard in Welsh and Scots Gaelic. Celtic priests known as Druids. Lasting landmark: Stonehenge

Stonehenge Built in 3 stages from 3100-1100 BC Word from Saxon means “hanging stones.”

Roman Occupation Romans occupied most of Europe as we know it today from before the birth of Christ. Arrived in England around 55BC. Introduced Christianity to Britons. Best known landmarks: Bath and Hadrian’s Wall. Left England when Viking invaders threatened their borders, @ 409AD.

Hadrian’s Wall 122 AD 80 Roman miles long. Was once 15’ high and 10’ thick. Included “Mile Castles” with running water!

Anglo-Saxon Invasion- replaced Romans Three Germanic tribes were Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. Pagan,tribal societies led by strong chief. Warfare order of the day. Bard called scop. Since pagan, no belief in afterlife; eternal life came from scop’s song. Language: Anglo-Saxon, a dead language.

Reintroduction of Christianity Pope Gregory saw Angle slave in Roman market and misunderstood word as “angel.” Sent St. Augustine to convert A-S warriors. King Ethelbert of Kent is converted, so follow all others.

Lord’s Prayer in Old English Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice Father our thou that art in heavens be thy name hallowed come thy kingdom be-done thy will on earth as in heavens our daily bread give us today and forgive us our sins as we forgive those-who-have-sinned-against-us and not lead thou us into temptation but deliver us from evil. truly

Beowulf Old English epic. First British literature. Short- 3200 lines (Odyssey 15,000) Scop- Anglo-Saxon pagan- composed epic around 450AD; Scribe- Christian monk- wrote hundreds of years later. Mixture of both in work. Oldest copy from Sir Robert Bruce Cotton’s collection found @1700 at time of warehouse fire (Cotton died about 100 years before). Dates to @1000AD. Burned and allusive text hard to transcribe accurately.

Oldest extant text Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum, þeod cyninga, þrym gefrunon, hu æþelingas ellen fremedon. Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas.   Syððan ærest wearð feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum,   weorðmyndum þah, oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra hronrade   hyran scolde, gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!

Genre/Style OE epic- oral tradition Larger than life hero, great in battle, undertakes extraordinary quests and represents values of culture. Setting and action includes supernatural elements. 3. Style: formal, with alliteration, caesura, kenning, understatement.

In the beginning… The epic starts by telling history of great Danish kings, beginning with Scyld Scefing, his son, grandson, and great-grandson. Our story starts after about 50 lines, with Hrothgar, beloved king of the Danes and great-great-grandson of Scyld. His reign was ideal. He was a generous, mighty warrior. He built Heorot (Herot), a fantastic mead hall, which had been decorated by “tribes without number.” It was designed to withstand all except fire. The mead benches were too heavy to move by human hands.

Conflict Things are ideal, until Grendel attacks the mead hall at night, while the warriors are asleep. None of Hrothgar’s men is able to defeat Grendel, who is called “one of the seed of Cain.” Nightly, he rules Heorot for 12 years. Beowulf (a Geat from southern Sweden), described by the scop as “renowned among the Geats for his great bravery” and as “the strongest man alive,” consults the fates and takes 14 thanes with him to help. The Dane Unferth is not happy to see him and tells the story of Brecca and the swimming contest. Hrothgar says he’s there to pay wergild from his dad. Finally, he’s invited to stay and fight. Now, to the book!