Welcome to Literature 12! This presentation will go through the course outline and begin our exploration through The Anglo- Saxon and Medieval Period. Richard Redgrave, The Poor Teacher (1843)

The Middle Ages The Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Period  Middle Ages—a time of great upheaval and change in England  Movement from oral tradition of Beowulf to Caxton’s printed word

Anglo-Saxon Period Germanic Invasions  Britons, Celtic people conquered by Romans—left in 410 when Romans required to return home to protect capital  Approx. 449—Jutes from Jutland in Denmark invaded Britain followed by Angles and Saxons brought a common language  Celts driven into Wales fighting—Britain continued to be heavily divided and military until 1066 when the Normans conquered the Anglo- Saxons

Anglo-Saxon Civilization  Although heavily military and divided, had common language base and HEROIC IDEAL through set of traditional heroes  Hero—men of great courage respected and deferred to— commanded loyalty  Fate  Passing away of all things  Artistic skills and learning Saxon Soldiers

Christianity  314 AD bishop of London attended church council at Arles in France  Monastery at Canterbury by St. Augustine 597  664 Synod at Whitby-When should Easter be??  Brought Roman Christianity and English Church together  Caedmon--first religious poet  Venerable Bede documented Caedmon’s life and wrote A History of the English Church and People  Christianity will have a large influence on much of the literature we will look at throughout this course

Alfred the Great  English king encouraged use of English language and began the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle—recording of historical events  Began English schools  Code of law out of which emerged the English Common law and later, the Magna Carta of 1215

Literature  Oral tradition historical significance  Strong beat & alliteration  SCOP=professional poet  Heroic tradition=focuses on hero and battles  Elegiac tradition=mourns passing of earlier better times  Christian beliefs combined with pagan ones  Venerable Bede ( ) A History of English Church and People (731)  Alfred the Great Anglo Saxon Chronicle— promoted use of English language.

Review: Anglo-Saxon Period 1. Why is the Anglo-Saxon period usually dated from 449? 2. Who occupied the British Isles before the coming of the Anglo-Saxons? 3. Who is credited with the unification of England? 4. Who was the first Archbishop of Canterbury? 5. Why has so little of Anglo-Saxon poetry survived? 6. What function was performed by the scop? 7. What are the two major traditions of Anglo-Saxon poetry? 8. With what work is Bede associated? 9. What work was begun by King Alfred as a record of English history? 10. What event brought the Anglo-Saxon Period to an end?

Review: continued

Your Assignment  Read pages 9-10 and write down notes for this section of text.  By referring to the literary terms at the back of your text, write a definition for EPIC and KENNING in your personal lit terms booklet and write down your examples.  Read “The Coming of Grendel” (11-14). Be prepared to read aloud next class  Focus when reading: characterization, allusion, kenning, epic, conflict, Christianity and Paganism, heroic qualities