Anglo-Saxon Period “It is better never to begin a good work than, having begun it, to stop.” -Bede A History of the English Church and People Introductory Notes British Literature

Inhabiting the British Isles

The Groups… The islands were inhabited by the Britons and the Gaels. These were Celtic people who came from Europe Languages descended mainly from the Celts—Irish, Scottish, Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton The Celts were farmers and hunters. Their society was organized into clans ruled by tribal chieftans elected from a class of Pagan priests. These priests, the Druids, composed hymns, poems, and historical records They studied the heavenly bodies, served as judges, and conducted religious ceremonies in secret places in the woods and in places like Stonehenge These islands were eventually taken over by Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire

The Coming of the Anglo-Saxons Early in the 5 th century, the Roman legions left Britain to protect Rome from invasion Over the next 100 years, fierce Germanic invaders arrived (the Jutes from the Danish peninsula, the Angles and the Saxons from Europe) The Angles established 3 kingdoms in the Northern part of the island The Saxons established 3 kingdoms in the South The Jutes settled on the island that is now Ireland

Early Anglo-Saxon Life Society was split into four different groups (classes): –Earls—ruling lords who owed their position to the king - Freemen—men allowed to own land and engage in commerce—included thanes –C–Churls (serfs)—bonded servants who worked the land in return for military protection –Thralls (slaves)—usually military prisoners or people being punished

Beliefs/Religion Many Anglo-Saxons (in the early part of the period) had Pagan beliefs They worshipped ancient Germanic gods They took a rather grim view of life They believed every human life was in the hands of fate Roman Church tried to send missionaries through Europe to convert people—it worked in Britain The church also brought two important facets of civilization: education and written literature –Printing presses did not exist yet, so everything was an original, or it had to be completely copied by hand

Life in the Times Anglo-Saxon life was simple and crude An eye-for-an-eye mentality ruled and public punishments were common and well-attended Blood feuds, invasions, and desire for land or treasure led to frequent warfare Life among the Anglo-Saxons was harsh and unpredictable. Death from disease, famine, battle wounds, or storms at sea could occur at any time, depending on the whims of the goddess Wyrd, or “fate” “Fate often saves an undoomed man if his courage is good.”

The End of the Anglo-Saxon Era Between 925 and 939, King Athelstam conquered the rest of the island of Britain, making it one nation The Anglo-Saxon peace was not to last. In 960, waves of Danish invasions began, culminating in 1016 with the crowning of Canute, a Dane, as King. The Anglo-Saxons soon fought back and regained the crown In 1066, a Norman duke, William the Conqueror, crossed the English Channel and defeated the English King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, bringing the Anglo-Saxon era to a close

Anglo-Saxon Literature Many people believe that storytellers, memorizing and reciting long, heroic poems about Celtic leaders and their deeds were the origin of literature from this time period These storytellers wanted to pass along tribal history and values to an audience that could not read

Anglo-Saxon Literature (continued) Topics mainly included military victories or ceremonial occasions Only about 30,000 lines of Anglo-Saxon verse still exist, falling into one of two categories: 1) Heroic Poetry: recounts the achievements of warriors involved in great battles 2) Elegiac Poetry: sorrowful laments that mourn the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past

Anglo-Saxon Poetry The reciting of poems often occurred on ceremonial occasions such as the celebration of a military victory Some poetry recitations lasted for hours, some for days Scholars now suppose that these recitations took place to the accompaniment of a harp These poems followed a set formula of composition, which probably made them easier to memorize

Anglo-Saxon Epic Poetry A-S Epic Poetry has two distinctive features: 1) The two part line: each line is separated by a pause, known as a caesura, with two strong beats per part 2) The kenning: a colorful, indirect way of naming something –Ex. The sea is: a whalepath, the sun is: the candle of the skies