1. Unit One: Old English, Beowulf, Elegies and History
British Literature
Unit One: Old English, Beowulf, Elegies and History

2. Great Britain and the United Kingdom
Great Britain is an Island composed of England, Scotland, and Whales.
The United Kingdom includes Great Britain and Northern Ireland

3. Five Ruling Groups of Britain 449 BC to 1066AD
Celts
449 BC to 55 BC
Small settlements
Pagans
Bards: poets

4. 55 BC to 407 AD The Romans Introduced both Latin and Christianity
Large Army
Settlements at the control of the military and church
Had to leave to defend the falling empire.

5. 449 AD to 780 AD Anglo-Saxons (German) Time of Beowulf and Elegies
Warrior Culture
“Angle Land” became England
First books of poems and writings
Beginnings of Feudal Society
Mix of Pagan and Christian religion

6. 780 AD-1066 AD Scandinavians (Vikings) Seafaring Warriors
Conquer and destroy and move on
Did not create permanent settlements
Introduced Norse Gods

7. 1066 AD -1485 AD Normans (French) William the Conqueror Feudal Society
Catholic Church had full control
Wealthy and Royalty ruled, 97% were poor
Changed the language to a more modern English

8. Changing Language The Lord’s Prayer
Now: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
Has been this way since 1500
Early Middle English 1100 to 1500:
Lauerd me steres, noght wante sal me
Old English, before 1100
Drihten me raet, ne byd me nanes godes wan
The English Language has changed as a variety of cultures has ruled England.

9. Invade, Settle, Assimilate
When taking over a culture, the first step is an invasion.
Next you must settle the population so that they can be ruled.
Finally, you assimilate a culture to where it is in line with your own.
Turn to your neighbor and discuss these 3 questions:
What is a modern example of an invasion?
What can a country do to settle the population?
What steps can be taken assimilate a culture to be more like our own?

10. Assimilation

11. Beowulf, Elegies, and Anglo-Saxon Culture
Important Ideas:
Mead Hall: gathering place for warriors
The idea of “HOME”
The “Sea Road”
Loyalty
Pagan Beliefs
The Hero’s Code
Proving yourself as a man
Living by guiding principles
Punishment for breaking the code
Changing culture

12. Elegies Poems that mourn the loss of someone or something
Usually reflective of isolation, being cut off from that which one loves
Regret, bitterness, and redemption are major themes
Literary Devices
Alliteration
Kennings
Caesuras
Assonance

13. The Epic Turn to your partner and answer the following:
What epic have you read in school, and what made it an epic?
Elements of an Epic
Epic Hero
Quest
Valorous deeds
Divine Intervention
Great Events

14. Why do we study the Epic?
Think about what we just discussed about epics!
On a sheet of paper:
List 3 modern examples of epics
List 3 modern epic heroes
List 1 reason why epics are so popular
Examples of epics:
Comic book heroes: Iron Man, Captain America, Spider Man, Deadpool and the X-Men
Stories: Comics, Star Wars, Big Movie Franchises: Star Trek etc.

15. Epic Conventions Begin “In Medias Res”: In the middle
Opens by stating a purpose, invoking a muse
Serious in tone and lofty in style

16. Beowulf Anglo-Saxon tale of a hero
Covers his rise to hero and confronting his mortality in old age
Originally meant to be told (sung) to music
Combines many cultural and religious elements
Contains many pagan and supernatural elements
Exemplifies the warrior culture
Places an importance on the hero’s code
The movie is nothing like the story. It tries to create a “Hollywood or Americanized” story.