1. ANGLO-SAXON BACKGROUND 449-1066

2. THE BRITONS’ EXPERIENCE
We start with a clan/tribe known as the Britons
They lived in a time where people owed an allegiance to a lord in return for protection.
This was a time of war, movement, and chaos

3. THE BRITONS’ EXPERIENCE
PRE-ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD:
A BC - Britons battle Gaels and Celts (Greek for “Barbarian”)
B Britons battle the Romans
ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD:
A Britain gets invaded from lots of tribes – Constant
Upheaval!
a. PICTS – keep pillaging
b. SCOTS – Old English “raider,” from Ireland
c. 442 – Britains invite SAXONS in alliance but are betrayed for
the Scots.
d. 449 – more GERMANIC invasions (Jutes, Frisians, Angles,
& Saxons)
* e. 787 – Viking attacks start = pillage, loot, burn everything!

4. The Britons get invaded by EVERYONE
The Britons get invaded by EVERYONE

5. POINTS OF INTEREST I. 500 AD – historical King Arthur
wins British victory
II St. Augustine founds Christian monastery
First king of Anglo-Saxon England converted to Christianity! (King Aethelbert I of Kent - Jute)
Gradual Christianization by Roman and Irish missionaries - 7th century with persistent pagan customs as well
*( Christianity flourished during the Roman Empire, never left when it fell)

6. POINTS OF INTEREST
IV King Alfred, recognized as king of all England
Revival of learning… oral tradition turns to written language for all
V : Edward the Confessor (last Anglo Saxon king, deeply religious) beat up by William the Conqueror’s Norman invasion at the Battle of Hastings

7. OLD ENGLISH
NO WRITING: Writing went out of style with collapse of Roman empire. Only the church had a few documents.
*Oral tradition / scops
2) Christian missionaries taught and wrote entirely in Latin, Old English was vulgar
3) Language is predominantly:
Anglo-Saxon (German),
Some Celtic/Gaelic words,
Latin (450 words)
Old Norse (50 words)

8. OLD ENGLISH OLD ENGLISH VERBS: Cyssan – cyste – cyssed (kiss)
Ridan – rad – ridden (ride)
Drincan – dranc – drunken (drink)
Sprecan – sprac – sprecen (speak)
Fyllan – fylde – fylled (fill)
Cnyttan – cnytte – cnytted (knit)

9. CHRISTIANITY VS. PAGANISM
- Warrior culture
- Loyalty to many gods
Tell stories to teach lessons.
COMITATUS: loyalty to lord, do
anything for him (loyalty rewarded with fame/riches, mead hall),
- Exile worst punishment
CHRISTIAN
Spiritual culture - faith in heavens and morality
Loyalty to a God
Bible

10. PAGAN WORLD
The world is believed to be set up in different dimensions:
Gods (Asgard) above
the underworld (Hel) below
the Earth plane (Midgard)

11. CHRISTIANITY VS. PAGANISM
WYRD: You are powerless in life, with no real choice. It is a dangerous world ruled by FATE (predetermined)
You should have the courage to fight/die early. You live a a good life by achieving fame/glory through deeds, riches.
CHRISTIAN
PROVIDENCE: People follow
Christian qualities and obey
commandments in hopes of going
to a better after life.
You have the free will to live a good life. Suffering you endure will pay off in the glorious afterlife with God.

12. What happens when you die?
THINK ABOUT IT…
What happens when you die?

13. THINK ABOUT IT… How do you PROVE you go to heaven for an afterlife?
How does the church convince so many people of the
time to buy into
Christianity? Why
might it sound
appealing?

14. ANGLO-SAXON RECAP
Warrior Culture: Britons lived in clans that owed allegiance to a lord in return for honor, fame, and gold. (comitatus)
Time of war, chaos, and transition.
Everything is passed on through the oral tradition.
Old English is made up of Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Latin & Old Norse.
Revival of Education
Pagan culture trying to be turned Christian by missionaries and priests.
Pagan views: many gods, WYRD, warrior culture
Christian views: one god, PROVIDENCE, spiritual culture

15. ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE
All passed down through an oral tradition until the mid 10th century (900s). It was caused by a church reform where monks were in charge of copying manuscripts.
1) RIDDLES: entertainment/education
2) PROSE:
Caedmon: “Hymn of Creation,” oldest vernacular work (Latin)
Bede: “Ecclesiastical History of the English People” (Latin)
Used historians, other books, travelers, never left more
than 75 miles!!
“Anglo-Saxon Chronicles” – begin writing down history in Old English so it was accessible to all

16. Strike me; the bright-edged, battle-sharp
Handiwork of smiths bites in battle.
Always I must await the harder encounter
For I could never find in the world any
Of the race of healers who heal hard wounds
With roots and herbs. So I suffer
Sword-slash and death-wound day and night.
I am the lone wood in the warp of battle,
Wounded by iron, broken by blade,
Weary of war. Often I see
Battle-rush, rage, fierce fight flaring--
I hold no hope for help to come
Before I fall finally with warriors
Or feel the flame. The hard hammer-leavings

17. A Shield Exeter Riddle Answer: Wounded by iron, broken by blades
No comfort in herbal healing
handiwork of smiths
Sword slash and death wound day and night

18. As laced with slaughter, I spit out
The death-blend I swallowed before.
What whistles from my belly does not easily pass,
And the man who seizes this sudden cup
Pays with his life for the long, last drink.
Unwound I will not obey any man;
Bound tight, I serve. Say what I am.
Wob is my name twisted about--
I'm a strange creature shaped for battle.
When I bend and the battle-sting snakes
Through my belly, I am primed to drive off
The death-stroke. When my lord and tormentor
Releases my limbs, I am long again,

19. A bow!!! Exeter Riddle Answer: Wob is my name twisted about
I spit out the death-blend I swallowed before.
Unwound I will not obey any man; Bound tight, I serve.

20. LITERATURE: POETRY HEROIC: tales of warriors and battles
Pagan/Warrior culture… FAME/WYRD
Beowulf
ELEGAIC: lamenting the death/loss
of loved ones,glory, or gold
Christian ideas, spirituality
Happy past / desolate present
“Seafarer” and “Wanderer”
*POEMS COME FROM BOOK OF EXETER

21. POETRY TERMS 1) ORAL TRADITION originally 2) Typically narrative
3) Regular rhythm - Usually 4 strong beats, consistency
for memorization and speaking
Ex. Now there are no rulers, no emperors
Kenning: metaphorical phrase used to replace a concrete noun (embellished/figurative)
EX. Whale’s home = sea
Rat’s nest = ? Sea-Steed = ?
Brow Star = ?

22. POETRY TERMS 5) CAESURA: natural pause in a line of poetry
Ex. With gift in the mead-hall and comfort for grief
ALLITERATION: repetition of sounds in a sequence of words
(*Tongue twisters: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers)

23. POETRY TERMS
PARAPHRASE: break down lengthy portions of text to find strictly meaning, put in your own words in a shorter manner
Advantage: understand meaning
Disadvantage: time consuming

24. I am a wonderful help to women, The hope of something to come. I harm
No citizen except my slayer.
Rooted I stand on a high bed.
I am shaggy below. Sometimes the beautiful
Peasant's daughter, an eager-armed,
Proud woman grabs my body,
Rushes my red skin, holds me hard,
Claims my head. The curly-haired
Woman who catches me fast will feel
Our meeting. Her eye will be wet.

25. An onion! _____ _____ _____ I harm no citizen except my slayer
_____ _____ _____
An onion!
I harm no citizen except my slayer
I am shaggy below.
Her eye will be wet.
wonderful help to women

26. Now a man will strip my bonelike skin
From the sides of my body with a bright blade
And bolt my flesh, relish me raw:
A quick cuisine--crack to jaw.
Suckled by the sea, sheltered near shore;
Cradled in the cold catch of waves,
Footless and fixed--often I offered
To the sea-stream a stretch of mouth.

27. An oyster!!! _____ _____ _____ Suckled by the sea,
_____ _____ _____
An oyster!!!
Suckled by the sea,
sheltered near shore
Footless
relish me raw

28. HERO
What does our generation/world define a hero as today? What are his/her characteristics? Who are examples of a hero?

29. HERO
DEFINITION: a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
NEED FOR A HERO:
Changes with time depending on the culture/climate
We often look at major societal problems to create or embellish who we should look up to

30. HEROES vs. villains ANCIENT GREEK & ANGLO-SAXON: RENAISSANCE: WWII:
How has the idea of a hero changed over time? Consider who he/she fought and what they stood for?
ANCIENT GREEK & ANGLO-SAXON:
Brave warriors fought for their country and lord/king against outside
Gladiator, 300, William Wallace
RENAISSANCE:
Knights of the Round Table fought against people who didn’t follow the law and to protect the king or ladies.
Robin Hood fought against the tyrants of the world.
WWII:

31. HEROES vs. villains 1930s - 1960s: TODAY:
How has the idea of a hero changed over time? Consider who he/she fought and what they stood for?
1930s -
Creation of Batman, Superman, and early Marvel Comics
1960s:
TODAY: