The Anglo-Saxons A.D. 449-1066

England: Isolated, Yet Inviting This other Eden, demi- paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea from King Richard II by William Shakespeare

Early English Settlement Anglo-Saxon Period (449–1066) Celts migrate to British Isles 500–400 B.C. Roman invasion and settlement 55 B.C. Anglo-Saxon invasion and settlement A.D. 449 Viking raids begin A.D. 793 Norman invasion and settlement A.D. 1066

The Celts The Celts inhabited Britain, beginning sometime before 400 B.C. One Celtic group, the Britons (Brythons), gave their name to the island. Celts probably viewed the world through animism, the belief that spirits live in all things—trees, stones, water, air. Druids, Celtic priests, may have used Stonehenge for religious rites. © Jason Hawkes/CORBIS

Celtic Influence The Celts influenced the language and literature of the British Isles for centuries. Tales of King Arthur draw on Celtic myth and history. Welsh, Scots Gaelic, and Irish are descendants of the Celtic language that are still spoken today. Recent authors, such as the poet Seamus Heaney, have drawn on Celtic myth and language in their works. © 2003-2004 clipart.com

The Romans In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar’s Roman armies first invaded Britain. Some of the tribes already living in Britain opposed the invaders but were overcome by the Romans in A.D. 43. Roman rule brought security from other invaders for several hundred years. Roman rule also brought Christianity to Britain, gradually replacing Celtic animism.

Rome Leaves By 409, the Roman armies had left England and returned to Rome, where civil strife and the threat of invasion were growing. The Britons were on their own. The Good News: England was left with many Roman-built roads, walls, and buildings. England was no longer ruled by a foreign power that had sometimes been oppressive. The Bad News: England now had no central government, only uncooperative clans. England no longer had Roman protection from invaders.

Angles, Saxons, and Jutes In the mid-fifth century, Britain was invaded by Angles and Saxons from Germany and Jutes from Denmark. The Celts fought hard but were driven into the far west region of Britain, now known as Wales. The invaders settled most of Britain, which came to be called England, after the Angles. The language of the Anglo-Saxons became England’s dominant language. Anglo-Saxon England was divided up into principalities and would remain divided for the next half millennium.

A Warrior Culture The Anglo-Saxons brought with them from Germany a strict code of behavior and a harsh view of life. Constant fear of enemy invaders kept Anglo-Saxons on the alert. From household to town to kingdom, all groups depended on absolute loyalty to their leaders. Leaders rewarded brave and loyal followers with treasures and land. Harsh living conditions bred both hardiness and a stoic acceptance of the brevity of life.

Anglo-Saxon Religion The Anglo-Saxons’ religion was based on the bleak Norse mythology. However, Anglo-Saxon religion was more concerned with ethics than mysticism. Woden (god of poetry and death) and Thunor (god of thunder and lightning) were versions of the Norse Odin and Thor. Anglo-Saxon religion valued bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship. Eventually, the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity.

Anglo-Saxon Literature As important to Anglo-Saxons as warfare was poetry. Their poets, called scops, were much honored. The scops told heroic tales and kept the people’s history sang while strumming stringed instruments used set rhythms and stock phrases to remember the stories told of great battles and mourned the brevity of life in elegies—poems about the fleeting joys of life

The Viking Raids In the late eighth century, the Danes (Vikings) began to make mostly random “hit-and-run” style raids on England. They plundered and destroyed everything in their paths killed mercilessly, including children and monks eventually took over and settled in parts of northeast and central England © 2003-2004 clipart.com

Alfred the Great In the late ninth century, Alfred of Wessex united the Anglo-Saxon principalities to repel the invading Danes. Alfred encouraged Anglo-Saxons to defend their culture and church against the Danes. He promoted the English language and literacy. His descendants continued the fight against the Danes until 1066. © Mario Corvetto/Comstock Inc.

The Norman Conquest In 1066, William the Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England, ending the Anglo-Saxon era. He declared himself king and divided the land among loyal Norman lords. The Normans were former Vikings who had settled in France. William and his lords maintained ties to France, which linked England firmly with European culture meant the ruling class spoke a different language—Norman French—than the English-speaking common people

Meanwhile in Ireland. . . While England (and Europe) suffered centuries of invasion and warfare, Ireland—protected by difficult seas—experienced a peaceful Golden Age. In 432 Bishop Patricius (St. Patrick) converted the Irish Celts to Christianity. Irish monasteries became refuges of learning. Monks copied and preserved ancient literature, scripture, and works of Anglo-Saxon and Irish culture that would otherwise have been lost. © 2003-2004 clipart.com

What Have You Learned? Indicate whether the following statements refer to the time before, during, or after the Anglo-Saxon era. _________— Viking invaders terrorized England. _________— French replaced English as the language of the ruling class. _________— England became unified under Alfred of Wessex. _________— Animism was probably the primary religious belief. During After During Before

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