The Anglo-Saxon Period 449-1066

Historical Background Original inhabitants were Iberians and then Celts Celts divided into three groups: Britons, Gaels, and Picts Religion = animism (spirits in all things) Druids = priests who presided over religious rites & sacrifices, preserved Celtic history & legends

Celtic Legends King Arthur stories based on Celtic legends K.A. = may have been a Celtic military leader or king Include stories of strong women Also include magic & imagination, romance & love affairs, heroic adventures

Roman Domination Romans invaded in 55 B.C. under the leadership of Julius Caesar Protected Britain from other major invasions for hundreds of years Other Roman contributions included towns, roads, architecture, legal system Romans and Celts intermarried

Angles, Saxons, & Jutes After Romans leave (A.D. 409), Germanic conquerors take control. 449 = Arrival of Jutes Angles and Saxons = larger tribes From Denmark and Germany Angle Land = Engla Land = England Angle-ish = Engla-ish = English (Old English)

Anglo-Saxon Society Tribal military structure Regional kings Warriors rewarded for loyalty and bravery with treasure

Anglo-Saxon Housing Primitive housing - small huts with dirt floors and thatched roofs, caves, and old Roman dwellings A-S kings = stone castles

Anglo-Saxon Literature Most people were illiterate. Limited number of hand-copied books Priests mainly used scrolls Legends preserved through oral tradition

Anglo-Saxon Literature Focused (like religion) on values of bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship Fame through literature = way to achieve immortality (no belief in after-life) Bards as important and as honored as great warriors Wyrd = ominous Fate that controls all Only about 30,000 lines remain

Poetic Devices No end rhyme and thought or main idea often runs over from line to line, not end-stopped Lines contain caesuras, mid-line pauses Poems use alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds Poems contain kennings, compound metaphorical phrases that rename concrete nouns, & epithets, descriptions used in place of a person’s name

Types of Poetry Divided into two main categories – heroic and elegiac

Heroic Poetry Heroic poem = narrative poem that recounts the achievements of warriors involved in great battles Most important heroic Anglo-Saxon work = Beowulf

Beowulf Beowulf = national epic of England Author = unknown = folk epic Includes values of warrior society including dignity, bravery, and prowess in battle

Elegiac Poetry Elegy = Lyric poem that mourns the loss of someone or something Famous example of Anglo-Saxon elegiac poetry = “The Seafarer”

“The Seafarer” Author = unknown Speaker = sailor reflecting on his life Includes values of time period but also evidence of changing way of life (composed later in time period)

Links Reading of “The Funeral of Scyld Scefing” from Beowulf http://www.kami.demon.co.uk/gesithas/readings/bss_oe.html The Beowulf Project http://www.beowulf.org/ Reading of “Grendel’s Approach to Herot” http://faculty.virginia.edu/OldEnglish/Beowulf.Readings/Grendel.html

Anglo-Saxon Entertainment Mead-hall = important social structure King & warriors would meet to listen to scop’s entertainment Scop accompanied by apprentice who played lyre/harp Feasts = relief from fighting and poor living conditions Mead = fermented drink made with honey

Anglo-Saxon Art & Crafts Tapestries Jewelry Armor (helmets, shields, swords)

Anglo-Saxon Religion Pagan at first but converted to Christianity Norse mythology & dragon St. Augustine = Archbishop of Canterbury

Christianity Schools grew out of monasteries A-S works recorded by monks in Latin (mix of pagan & Christian) Church = center of cultural growth and unifying force

Danish Invasions Viking Danes invaded in the 8th century. Violent and destructive raids Pushed back by Alfred the Great Descendents continued battle Pictures Courtesy of Google Images

Norman Conquest Battle between Anglo-Saxons and Danes continued until both defeated in Norman Conquest in 1066 William, Duke of Normandy (France) = William the Conqueror Invasion = end of Anglo-Saxon period in England; brings changes in government, language, customs, etc.