Historical Background Pre-Anglo Period- up to 55 BC  Britons, or Celtic people, relied on the oral tradition to maintain history, etc.  Animism – Celtic religion; belief that spirit is in ALL things  Druid- Priest that linked Celts to gods

Historical Background  Stonehenge is believed to have been built during this pre-Anglo period.  The Saxon “henge” means hang…  Stonehenge = Hanging stone

55 BC  Julius Caesar invades Britain  Bringing “stone roads, written scholarship, and eventually Christianity.”  Celts were taught Latin

Anglo-Saxon Invasion 400  Rome was overrun by invading tribes  Roman Empire Falls  Britain open to Anglo invasion 449  Northern European Tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) invade Britain  Organized into 7 kingdoms – Heptarchy (Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Sussex, Wessex and Kent)  Britain became known as Angle land-England  Welsh leader Arthur led Celtic resistance

Anglo-Saxon Period ( )  Society was centered around clans, ruled by chieftains  Primarily pagan with focus on wyrd (fate); warrior gods  Mostly violent seafaring wanderers  Anglo-Saxon warriors gathered in Mead Halls to hear tales of battle by Scops (shopes)  Over time they became semi-civilized, agricultural  Christianity was still being practiced in Ireland; slowly moved through Britain by 690

The History of English in Ten Minutes Anglo-Saxon Period ( )  Language was influenced by heavy dialect of varying tribes

Genre: Epic Characteristics  Long, narrative poem celebrating a hero’s deeds including the following elements  hero of noble birth or importance  hero’s traits reflect his society  hero who performs superhuman deeds  hero’s actions determine fate of the nation  vast setting  formal diction and serious tone  includes long speeches by major characters  elements of the supernatural  reflects timeless values: courage, loyalty  reflects timeless themes: good over evil

The Epic Characteristics  Repetition  Stock epithets - compound adjectives that are used to point out traits “swift-footed”  Kennings – similar to epithets; descriptive PHRASES or COMPOUND WORDS that are used in place of a noun  Alliteration – repetition of initial consonant sounds  Parallelism – repetition of grammatical structures  WHY DO YOU THINK REPETITION PLAYED SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN THE EPIC?

The Oldest British Epic - Beowulf  Anonymous author: the Beowulf Poet  Composed probably four centuries prior to Norman conquest  Not written down until A.D Beowulf - Old English Reading Chaucer - Middle English Reading

Other Invaders  The Danes – Vikings (Norwegians and Swedes) attacked but were defeated by Alfred the Great who forced Christianity on them  Norman Invasion – William (the Conqueror) led Normandy to successfully invade Britain  The Norman Invasion marked serious changes in the English language due to the heavy influence of French dialect

Historical Information The Middle Ages ( )  Begins with Battle of Hastings  Duke of Normandy (William) defeated and killed King Harold (last Anglo Saxon King); battle begins the Norman Conquest  Norman Conquest Outcomes  William controls England  Anglo Saxon language is influenced by French and becomes Anglo Norman (Middle English)  French law and order impacts Anglos democratic ways  Domesday Book – William inventories all personal property  Feudalism – Lord (protector); Serf/Vassal (worker/slave)

The Middle Ages Magna Carta ended the church’s domination of England Hundred Years War – England fought France from ; Yeomen replaced knights Black Death (1348) – Plague that eventually claimed about 75% of the population

Written by Chaucer; about a religious pilgrimage to Thomas a Becket’s shrine in Canterbury; Thomas a Becket – archbishop of Canterbury was murdered in his cathedral; King Henry II thought responsible

England’s first great writer Born into middle class between Career in government; fought in the 100 Years War Writing helped him advance politically; writing popular due to his use of vernacular Influenced by Boccaccio’s Decameron Died in 1400; buried in Westminster Abbey Canterbury Tales unfinished; not organized until 1387

Considered a quest narrative ( narrative poem involving a quest) Written in IAMBIC PENTAMETER (unstressed syllable followed by stressed); five feet

Frame of snapshots of life in Middle Ages Begins with Prologue and is told by a poet-pilgrim (Chaucer) Poet-pilgrim meets 29 other pilgrims along way to Canterbury and decide to share stories Setting: April in Tabard Inn (London)

Strong Characterization; Chaucer’s characters fall into 3 categories: Feudal, Church, and Merchant/Professional Interesting use of Tone Humorous use of Irony The Pardoner’s Tale Rap